¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ

In a partnership with local Italian eatery Romanacci, ¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ Dolan students boosted brand awareness, engagement, and customer base through their work with the restaurant's ¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ location.

Under the guidance of assistant professor of marketing Woocheol Kim, PhD, students enrolled in a social media marketing course at ¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ Dolan gained hands-on experience in influencer marketing by creating and executing a social media campaign for Romanacci, an Italian restaurant with five locations in ¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ County.

James Ricci, chief marketing officer of Romanacci, collaborated with the Dolan students throughout the fall semester 2024 as a way to leverage community partnerships.

“The main part of this [partnership with ¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ Dolan] was to give students hands-on work experience in the space, but the performance on our social media was way beyond what I expected," said Ricci. "As much as the students liked it, we [Romanacci] liked it too.”

Romanacci’s TikTok following increased from 353 to 583, a 65-percent rise from before the students started posting content. As a result of the successful collaboration, Romanacci offered two students a semester-long internship for spring 2025.

¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ Dolan’s work with the restaurant provided students with a valuable opportunity to apply theoretical concepts. They created dynamic social media content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, then evaluated performance on the platforms.

“This project goes one step further, exposing students to actual issues related to social media and asking them to address [those issues]. I’d like my students to take this project as something they can be proud to share on their résumé,” Dr. Kim said.

The semester-long project involved students working in groups to develop and launch revenue-driven content on Romanacci's social media platforms. Half of the groups focused on organic media, while the other half utilized paid media. The students' success was evaluated based on the performance of their content, including metrics such as likes, comments, and website traffic.

“A hands-on experience with a local business has provided me with a unique opportunity to apply my marketing knowledge in a practical setting,” said ¹ú²úÉ«ÇéƬ Dolan student Jonathan Kuzik ’26.

Kim believes hands-on experience is essential for preparing marketing students for their careers and emphasizes the importance of experiential learning within the community.

“The best way to prepare marketing students for their career is to help students learn by doing,” Dr. Kim said.

Related Stories