BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University student Sara F. Nicolas, from Monroe, CT, was part of a winning multinational team that competed in the “X-Culture” competition, during the spring 2020 semester. Nicolas’ team was one of 28 winning teams that earned near perfect scores in the competition. A total of 975 teams competed from around the world.
“X-Culture” is a large-scale experiential learning project which, this year, engaged more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate business students from 652 universities in 100-plus countries. Participating students are placed in virtual teams of about six and charged with completing a consulting project for a multinational company. As part of the competition, teams are required to complete a market analysis of their assigned company, and develop marketing messaging, promotional materials, operations management considerations and pricing strategies. The competition is all that more challenging as each student on a team represents a different country and therefore must navigate cultural differences, time-zone dispersions and communication barriers.
Nicolas is a marketing major at Canisius University with an expected graduation date of spring 2021. She became involved in the “X-Culture” competition upon enrolling in a Global Marketing Strategy course at Canisius, taught by Coral R. Snodgrass, PhD, professor of management. As part of the coursework, Snodgrass requires students to participate in the multinational competition.
Nicolas’ team was comprised of students from Italy, Colombia and Ghana. The group completed a consulting project for NOMAD, which was preparing to launch a new product and needed assistance in developing a strategy for its unique business model, and then communicating it to a global audience. NOMAD is a provider of authentic and sustainable experiences in terms of culture and nature. Based in Medellin, Colombia, the company focuses on creating unforgettable experiences for tourists by immersing them in the culture of the country.
In 2019, NOMAD sought assistance, in launching its La Nómada, a new campervan experience which tourists can rent to travel around Colombia. NOMAD provides tourists with advice on where to go, depending on their interests. In addition, tourists receive a list of host families who have agreed to open their homes to tourists and provide them a place to park, sleep and receive access to water, toilets and showers, during their travels. In exchange for suppling facilities, visitors are asked to provide host families with financial help and intercultural engagement. Many of the host families are farmers in the countryside who have low incomes and are in need of finding alternatives to agriculture.
The management and marketing programs at Canisius are housed within the Richard J. Wehle School of Business, which is ranked 7th on U.S. New & World Report’s list of Best Undergraduate Business Programs among small, private colleges and universities nationally.
One of 27 Jesuit universities, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York. Canisius celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary during the 2019-20 academic year, marking 150 years of Jesuit education and leadership in the city of Buffalo and Western New York. Visit https://www.canisius.edu/150 for more information about Canisius’ milestones and celebratory events.
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