While many Fresno State students are counting down the days to spring break, senior marketing students are counting down the days remaining until they attempt to break world records.
Marketing 188 is the last class for business marketing majors, and it is one of their toughest courses.
The class is divided into groups, and each group must use the skills they developed over the years to organize a mass record-breaking event.
Kaitlyn Hunter said the goal of the project is to ultimately learn from it.
“The purpose is to get exposed to the real world,” Hunter said. “It allows us to take all of the tools that we have learned in four years as marketing students and use them in a real life assignment.”
Brenna Blagg who is in charge of media relations for the group attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest water balloon fight said she too, feels the class puts all their skills to use.
“It takes everything we learned and puts them in one project,” Blagg said. “It’s not a pass or fail assignment, and to get an ‘A’ we need to use all of our skills.”
Blagg’s group came up with the idea to break the record for largest water balloon fight because they wanted to come up with something that was fun and something that would get people excited.
“The current record for a water balloon fight is approximately 3,000 people set by BYU,” Blagg said. “We are aiming for 6,000, and we know we can do it.”
Hunter’s group is attempting to break the world record for most people standing simultaneously on one leg.
“We were given the option to utilize Chukchansi Park, and we thought it would be great to do it during a Grizzlies baseball game,” Hunter said. “The current record is set at 339, and we are hoping to get over a 1,000 people to participate.”
Students in the class must become very creative in their strategies because all costs for supplies and marketing are on the shoulders of the students.
“We are filling up 150,000 water balloons, and we have had many local business contribute so that we don’t have to pay for anything,” Blagg said. “The Fresno City Fire Department is donating the water, and the Smittcamp family graciously donated bins for water balloon storage during the days we fill them up.”
The groups have gained excitement for their events using flyers, window paint, social networking and the use of Fresno athletes.
Hunter’s group has partnered with the Grizzlies and Blagg’s group has partnered with several former Fresno State football players.
“We have David Carr, Tom Brandstater and Tyler Clutts attending the event,” Blagg said. “They have added extra excitement to the event, and we are still hoping to get Ryan Mathews to attend.”
Although the class is divided into groups there is no competition between the groups to out-do each other.
“Each record has different circumstances, and I think that each record just as difficult as the next,” Hunter said. “We have to get people excited and involved as much as the next.”
Event Information
STANDING ON ONE LEG
THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH 5:00 PM
CHUKCHANSI PARK
LARGEST WATER BALLOON FIGHT
FRIDAY, APRIL 15TH 5:00 P.M.
SAVE MART CENTER PARKING LOT