Oxford Brookes students partner with JVC on new wearable technology range

By Sam Pither

4 May 2023

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(L-R) Adam Handley, Sales and Marketing Director at JVCKENWOOD UK, Oxford Brookes students Tilly Redman, Gemma O'Farrell, Taylor Hollins, Gemma Lowry and Aoife Sweeney. John Kelly, Managing Director JVCKENWOOD UK.

Tech giant JVCKENWOOD UK has partnered with students from Oxford Brookes University to help with researching and developing a new range of wearable technology.

First year students from Oxford Brookes Business School (OBBS) have been working alongside Gumy, a sub-brand of JVC, as part of a market research initiative. This is the third time in four years such an initiative has been carried out, as the brand looks to reach the Gen Z market.

The work, which will count towards the students’ degrees, saw the participating 172 students split into eight seminar groups and gathering market research data from other students at the University, feeding the data back to JVC at a presentation day held at the university’s Headington campus on 21 April.

Sarah Rogers, a Teaching Fellow from OBBS, said: “Incorporating a live client project with JVC into the Marketing Research module has been a rewarding opportunity for our first year students to work in a professional capacity with a commercial brand, with an added boost to their employability in the graduate job market.

“JVC have been an active partner in setting out a real and relevant research brief to help shape their marketing strategy. It has been a great fit, students have delivered some excellent results and we look forward to working with JVC again.”

Tilly Redman, a BA Marketing & Events Management student, said: "It was great to work with a live client as opposed to a fictional one. While it added pressure for us as a team, we found it motivated us to work harder. It was a great experience to find the real data and apply it to suggest a potential new product.

“I also believe that this scenario was very representative of a scenario that would occur in the ‘marketing world’, making us a little more used to presenting in front of a real company before we start our careers."

Taylor Hollins, a current BA Hons Business & Marketing Management student, who took part in the study, said: "Working with a live client has been such a great experience - it has really helped me to implement my theoretical knowledge into a real-life work atmosphere which will be extremely valuable when moving into employment and working in the field."

Adam Handley, Sales and Marketing Director at JVC said: “JVCKENWOOD UK are extremely proud to be working with a team of bright young minds at Oxford Brookes Business School on an exciting new project exploring consumer trends and new concepts.

“On a recent return visit, we were very impressed with the level of presentations, and the knowledge shown in this area. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Oxford Brookes University, and keeping our ears and eyes open to new ideas which will help us deliver better value to our customers and retailers.”

By Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset.

A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise.

Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.