Future marketers put to the test with live Knockhatch industry project

Marketing T-Level students at East Sussex College in Eastbourne have been set a real-world marketing challenge to promote a new attraction at Knockhatch Adventure Park.

The Hailsham-based visitor attraction has set students a three-part brief asking them to think about how to appeal to older children, teenagers and adults without losing the family appeal that existing visitors know and trust.

As part of the project, students are taking on the role of a marketing agency, working in teams to develop a plan. They must also consider how to promote an interactive audio-guide app as a valuable extra for visitors, alongside creating a joined-up launch campaign across press, digital platforms and on-site communications.

The campaign will aim to encourage engagement, app downloads and visits to the park, giving students the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to a genuine business challenge.

The project forms part of the students’ industry placement, which requires them to complete 315 hours of industry experience. Up to 100 hours of this placement can be completed through employer-set projects such as this.

Students recently visited Knockhatch Adventure Park to explore the attraction, understand the visitor experience and gather ideas to inform their marketing plans. They also met Chris Beveridge, Head of Marketing at Knockhatch, who shared insights into his role and the challenges of marketing a visitor attraction.

Students will continue developing their ideas over the coming weeks before presenting their marketing plans and recommendations to Knockhatch in December.

Chris said: “Knockhatch really values its partnership with East Sussex College. We're looking forward to seeing fresh ideas from a generation that consumes media and attractions very differently!”

Vicky Knight, Business and Marketing Lecturer at East Sussex College, said: “Working with local businesses gives our students a really valuable opportunity to put their learning into practice. It was fantastic to see them engaging with Chris and thinking about how they could approach a real marketing brief, rather than simply working on a classroom exercise.”

Knockhatch Adventure Park is a popular local visitor attraction offering rides, animals, indoor and outdoor play areas and a range of family experiences.

The project gives Marketing T-Level students practical experience of researching a client, developing campaign ideas as a team and presenting recommendations to a real organisation, helping them build skills for future study and careers in the marketing industry.