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LEARN-BY-STRATEGIC PLANNING: RPTA PROJECT GROUP AIDS LONESOME GEORGE

By Kevin Mould (RPTA '14), Staff Writer

With 'Learn-By-Doing' as its motto, opportunities abound at Cal Poly to gain practical experience and put what we learn as students into action. One such opportunity within the RPTA department is RPTA 405, a required major course taught by Dr. Hendricks, that utilizes the implementation of a strategic management plan as the main learning component. Within this plan, students must choose an organization to work with and help them revise their goals and objectives while conducting various types of analysis that will ultimately help the organization be more successful.

One such project, completed this past fall, worked with the apparel company Lonesome George, and was conducted by a team of students that included Amy Lepp ('12). The company, which draws its name from the last surviving member of a subspecies of Galapagos tortoise, gives 10% of its profits to educate people about sustainability. The connection with Lonesome George was made possible by Rodrigo Espinosa who is a Marketing and Brand Positioning Consultant for the company and also an RPTA Advisory Council member.

In working with the company, Lepp and the other three members of her group learned how to create a vision statement, values, and goals before conducting a PEST analysis (Political, Economical, Social, Technological). This analysis allowed them to see the major trends in each area that affected the company and helped them to pinpoint the company's strengths and opportunities as well as weaknesses and threats that could be addressed. Overall, says Lepp, "It was an incredible learning experience...it taught me how each of the parts are connected to each other and what a company needs to do to be as successful as possible."

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