High Point University: A Starting Point for Future Marketers

Embarking on a successful career journey starts with the right foundation. At High Point University (HPU), students aren’t just preparing for the workforce; they’re launching into it with a competitive edge that sets them apart. Through innovative initiatives and cutting-edge technology integration, HPU is paving the way for the marketers of tomorrow.

In Professor Miguel Sahagun’s Marketing Research class, students don’t just study marketing—they immerse themselves in it. Through groundbreaking biometric research powered by iMotions, students delve into the depths of consumer behavior, gaining invaluable insights and skills along the way. This isn’t your typical classroom experience; it’s a real-world marketing research lab where students tackle projects from inception to analysis. Just a few of the topics that students have tackled include:

• The impact of logo design on perception or the emotional response to social media ads
• The relationship between the brand recognition in the fast-food industry and emotional association to those brands using GSR and eye tracking
• Consumer response towards emotional advertisements and the impact on product purchase likelihood 
• Comparing the intensity of virtual sporting experiences compared to traditional flat screen viewing experiences
• The power of labels: Exploring how brand names shape consumer choices in the food market

“Students start from scratch having nothing but an idea. And by the end of the semester, they ended up writing the manuscript and presenting it and analyzing the data,” says Professor Sahagun, Charles T. Ingram Associate Professor of Marketing & Director of Neuromarketing BEACON Laboratory at HPU.

But it doesn’t stop there. Professor Sahagun’s class is just the beginning of a journey toward marketing expertise.

“This is just the beginning,” he notes. “Students realize there’s much more to learn to become experts. We’re laying the foundation for them to enter the vast ocean of marketing.”

By providing students access to cutting-edge technologies like GSR, eye tracking and facial expression analysis, HPU ensures that graduates enter the workforce with more than just textbook knowledge—they possess practical experience and marketable skills that employers want. In addition to creating their own projects, students gain real-world experience through research projects with top brands. 

Beyond classroom projects, students engage in real-world research collaborations with leading brands, enhancing their market readiness. “I tell my students that once you finish your bachelor’s degree, everybody’s going to have a marketing major or minor. You need to find what sets you apart.” 

It’s these skills that are doing just that, even helping some students land internships.

As a result, Professor Sahagun’s Marketing Research class has transformed from struggling to attract enough students to becoming a coveted opportunity, with a consistent waiting list of eager students. “It’s more than just a class,” Professor Sahagun emphasizes. “It’s a resume builder, and that’s why students continue to recommend it to the next generation. ‘Take that class. It’s going to be an awesome one’.”