WKU News

The WKU Advertising Program will host the Senior Capstone Presentations, taking place in the Fine Arts Center, Room 264 on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. CST.  Students will be presenting their final team projects to a panel of industry professionals for evaluation.

As part of a new industry outreach effort, the WKU Advertising Program is excited to showcase student work and talent as they prepare for graduation. To learn relevant business skills, students were tasked this semester with:

• Creating a new hemp-based product
• Drafting a tentative budget to launch the product
• Developing a branding strategy for the new product
• Building a complete communications plan including press releases and other creative media assets
• Setting evaluation metrics

“When thinking about careers in cannabis, agricultural jobs are the first thing on anyone’s mind. However, there are many more careers to offer from the crop: culinary, industrial, animal care, health care, building materials, are a few,” said Katie Moyer, President of the Kentucky Hemp Association. “These new ideas must be marketed to the consumer, and this is where Mr. Shaluta’s AD 410 Portfolio course comes into play.  If anyone can get the next generation of consumers' excited about new hemp products, it’s the students at WKU!”, continued Ms. Moyer, who will be one of the judges of the students’ work.  

Hemp has a rich history in Kentucky, and is often used in skincare items, clothing and fabric production, food products, and even in construction materials. It provides an environmentally friendly and valuable crop that has helped support Kentucky farmers in years past. The hemp market has grown rapidly over the past few years and is expected to be worth over $18 billion globally by 2027. University of Kentucky, Sullivan University and Bellarmine University have recently launched cannabusiness programs and WKU now offers AGRI 381 Cannabis Culture and Management as a Colonnade Foundations course. 

The WKU Advertising Major, part of the new School of Media & Communication, offers a terrific opportunity for students to apply their creativity to real business challenges. With a variety of advertising jobs and locations, graduates can create impactful work and choose the lifestyle they want. The constant evolution of technology, consumer behavior, and media platforms also insures an exciting career path. Learn more at https://www.wku.edu/communication/degrees/advertising.php.