UTRGV marketing students help McAllen EDC land two new companies

4 months ago 132

EDINBURG, Texas – A collaboration between McAllen Economic Development Corporation and a team of four marketing students from UT-Rio Grande Valley is already paying dividends.

The Xolat marketing agency – comprising Karla Medrano, Susana Ibarra, Melanie Garza, and Regina Cerna-Matamoros – was formed within the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship on UTRGV’s Edinburg campus.

Medrano and Ibarra are seniors who graduated from UTRGV this past weekend. Garza and Cerna-Matamoros are juniors.

Xolat put their marketing strategy for McAllen EDC to work at the recent MxLAN festival and immediately recruited two Mexican companies for McAllen.

“The two companies coming to the McAllen area… they had never heard of us before. But, because of their (Xolat’s) marketing campaign, that they ran for us at MxLAN, we got two new companies,” MEDC President Keith Patridge told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.

Patridge said he liked a mascot the students designed for MEDC as part of the marketing strategy. “EDCs do not traditionally use mascots but I think it is a great idea,” Patridge said.

Here is an audio recording of the interview:

Patridge spoke to the Xolat team after they had made their final pitch to MEDC.

“Ladies, I have to compliment you. The work you’ve done has been excellent and I think it will work,” said Keith Patridge, president of MEDC, following Xolat’s final pitch to MEDC.

Patridge said the new marketing campaign will serve as a “good starting point” for developing a more international effort for MEDC.

Patridge acknowledged MEDC has had various marketing campaigns over the years.

“You’ve really brought it all together, synthesized it into one approach that can be used not just for Mexico, but for literally all the countries that we are targeting right now. So, thank you very much. You’re a very professional group. You should be really proud of yourselves because you’ve done an excellent job.”

Ralph Garcia, vice president of international business recruitment, praised the Xolat’s team for its energy.

“I can see that you work well as a team. You support each other, which is awesome. It’s kind of what we do. We support each other. We’re not thinking that one of us has a specific, perfect skill. I think we all complement each other. And I think I see that with you all,” Garcia said.

Garcia said there are new things happening in the world of marketing that Xolat captured in its campaign.

“What’s new and out there, sometimes we’re not we’re not in line with that. And so we appreciate you all bringing that to the table and really helping us look at those things. I think it makes a difference.”

Garcia said he noticed the students at work during MxLAN.

“We appreciate your work and going to the conference and being out there and engaging with people. I saw that. I think that’s awesome. I think that’s part of what we do. We have to engage with folks and try to get information to them and see how we can help them. You’re doing the same thing for us.”

Susie Flores, director of U.S. business recruitment for MEDC, was the point person for the EDC’s collaboration with the UTRGV students.

“We extend our gratitude to the dedicated marketing students who have undertaken the task of establishing a marketing firm and to Professor Eloy Garza for leading the way for them,” Flores told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.

“Their objective was to develop a comprehensive proposal for an international communications campaign, intended to attract Mexican companies to expand their operations to McAllen.”

Flores said MEDC’s initiative underscores the group’s commitment to “facilitating the aspirations of smaller enterprises from Mexico, extending beyond the geographical confines of McAllen.”

She added: “The envisioned campaign seeks to streamline processes, provide steadfast support, and foster collaboration and innovation. The main goal is to empower businesses, enabling them to capitalize on global opportunities and achieve sustainable growth with confidence.”

Eloy Garza is a marketing lecturer at UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship. In this capacity, Garza helps UTRGV students land marketing projects with the private sector.

Garza said the Xolat team was one of the best ones to participate in his Integrated Marketing Communications course.

“The task for the semester was to engage with a business entity and develop an integrated marketing communications campaign around a specific problem and or opportunity,” Garza said.

Here is a video interview with Garza about the success of the Xolat team: