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July 10, 2006 MEDIA CONTACTS: GW BUSINESS STUDENTS FINISH SECOND IN NATIONAL CASE COMPETITION ABOUT IMPROVING TRADE BETWEEN MOROCCO AND THE UNITED STATES Graduate Students Create Marketing Plan to Brand and Promote Moroccan Apparel Industry WASHINGTON -- Students from The George Washington University School of Business recently placed second in a nationwide competition to improve trade relations between Morocco and the United States. The competition, which was sponsored by the Moroccan American Trade and Investment Council and organized by EdVenture Partners, enabled students to enhance their understanding of the Middle Eastern apparel market. "We recognize that Morocco will not be competitive with China in general commodities; however, there are opportunities in niche markets where well-designed and branded Moroccan products can be competitive in the U.S. marketplace," said Theodore Smith, president of the Moroccan American Trade and Investment Council. "The GW team developed a marketing plan to help this vital Moroccan industry succeed in the vast and increasingly competitive U.S. apparel market. The University should be congratulated for developing students with the capabilities displayed by the team that represented them in our Brand Morocco Research Competition." GW and the University of San Diego emerged as the top two teams among the 15 schools represented in the six-month competition. GW's team developed a marketing plan to enable the Moroccan apparel industry to capitalize on the recently signed Free Trade Agreement with the United States. In May 2006, two students from the team, Valentina Marano, M.A. '06, and Leif Kindberg, M.B.A. '08, finalized the marketing plan and presented the plan in the national competition. Throughout the competition GW's team emphasized their marketing mantra: "More Investment, More Trade...More Morocco! Bringing Your Customer Exotic Elegance!" GW's participation in the competition began in January 2006 in a graduate-level international marketing class taught by Liesl Riddle, assistant professor of international business and international affairs. "When most students hear the term 'the Middle East' they think about war or oil. But the apparel industry is a vital industry for Morocco and many other Middle Eastern nations," said Riddle. "Our students seized the opportunity to apply classroom theory to a real-world business setting, offering the Moroccan apparel industry with key insights about the U.S. market. This kind of experience is what makes GW a center for excellence in the field of international business." "This project allowed us to learn about Morocco in-depth, in a manner not commonly found during traditional class projects," said Kindberg. "This type of initiative represents a great opportunity for anybody who is just about to enter the real business world." Marano commented, "Looking at Morocco through the prism of commerce has been a very enriching experience; our hope is that this project will help the American market understand that Morocco is a great place to do business." Prabir K. Bagchi, GW School of Business senior associate dean and professor of operations and supply chain management, saluted GW's success in the Brand Morocco Research Competition. "Forums like this offer rare opportunities to our students to delve into global business issues in depth and thus help us prepare our students better for managing organizations in today's competitive global environment," said Bagchi. The Brand Morocco Research Competition is one of the many exciting international business-related activities taking place at GW. The University recently established a Center for International Business Education and Research through a four-year, $1.37 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education. The Title VI program provides funding to further international business education, language training, and research capacities to promote U.S. competitiveness. U.S. News and World Report has ranked GW's undergraduate and graduate international business programs among the top 25 in the United States. The Moroccan American Trade and Investment Council is an American-based, non-profit trade association that assists the Kingdom of Morocco in its quest to promote economic growth and stability through its private sector. EdVenture Partners facilitates programs designed for students and educators, while reciprocally providing clients with marketing, brand building, research, sales and recruiting access to campuses across the country. Its programs are designed to meet industry, government, and education objectives. GW's School of Business prepares students for professional management careers. The depth and variety of its academic and professional programs, including five specialized master's programs, provide rich opportunities for students in the school's core Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and doctoral programs. For more information about GW's School of Business, visit http://business.gwu.edu. -GW- |
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