Case Study: Natural History Society of Northumbria
A team of Marketing students undertook a Marketing Consultancy Project to support the NHSN. They helped them understand how to refresh their membership offering and increase engagement with nature enthusiasts.
About Natural History Society of Northumbria
The Natural History Society of Northumbria is a charitable membership organisation. Locally focused and welcoming to all, they are dedicated to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of nature in North East England.
The Society inspires people to connect with wildlife. They do this through events, citizen science and lifelong learning. They encourage learning, inspire wonder, and promote collective action to protect the region’s natural heritage.
The Society also maintains the stewardship of Gosforth Nature Reserve. This is supported by an extensive natural history archive and library.
The challenge
NHSN hosted a marketing project which aimed to refresh their membership offering. They wanted to understand:
- how their current offer was perceived
- how it could be better aligned with strategic goals to engage the next generation of nature enthusiasts
They were particularly interested in learning about the views of audiences aged 18 to 30, and how they could appeal more to this demographic. The challenge involved exploring both current members’ and non-members' views.
The approach
The Marketing Consultancy team comprised seven final year undergraduate Marketing students. Led by Harry Dracup, they took a comprehensive and collaborative approach to NHSN’s challenge.
Their first step was to conduct a full market analysis. This was to help them understand how similar organisations engage younger audiences. The analysis included:
- competitor benchmarking
- audience profiling
- trend analysis
The team followed this with a bespoke survey, distributed both digitally and in-person. This generated a strong response from NHSN’s target demographic. They also conducted a series of focus groups and informal interviews, adding qualitative depth to the data. NHSN also provided them with valuable context and insights into their mission and culture.
“It was very exciting to work with NHSN,” said Harry. “They invited us along to so many workshops and additional activities... we really felt like we were a part of NHSN. We went to their Christmas dinner, workshops which focused on developing NHSN’s future strategy and even went to a beaver enclosure!”
The students maintained regular check-ins with their academic supervisor and the NHSN team. They developed important skills of clear communication, managing timelines, and professional expectations. Their final deliverables included:
- a detailed report with strategic recommendations
- a refreshed membership value proposition
- ideas for youth-oriented campaigns designed to boost engagement and brand awareness
The outcome
For students
This consultancy project was not just a module; it was a transformational experience for the students involved. They gained real-world consultancy experience that will directly support their career aspirations. Their experiences ranged from project management and stakeholder engagement to research design and strategic thinking.
For Harry, it was his first time leading a team.
“This experience is extremely valuable. I had never led a team before, and this module gave me the opportunity to lead a team on a 6-month project. I learned so much about what it means to be a leader and what people expect from a leader,” reflected Harry.
Working with a live client meant that the team had to adapt their marketing strategies in real time. They also had to tailor academic knowledge to fit a client’s real-world constraints and goals. They built confidence and made meaningful connections with professionals in the non-profit and heritage sectors.
Harry reflected: “In terms of my future career, I know that I would like to go into consultancy. This Marketing Consultancy Project module has allowed me to learn key skills in this area, such as managing client relationships, managing the client’s expectations, clear communication and tailoring marketing tactics and strategies to an organisation.”
For Natural History Society of Northumbria
NHSN gained fresh, youth-driven insights and recommendations. These are already being implemented in their strategic planning. The international composition of the student team was an unexpected benefit, providing NHSN with a rich array of perspectives.
“Our expectations were exceeded... the work that the students did has been really helpful, especially as we are refreshing our organisational four-year plan, and their work has directly fed into this,” said Clare Freeman, Director of NHSN.
Not only has the project contributed to NHSN’s strategic goals, it has opened the door for continued engagement with early-career professionals. NHSN praised the professionalism and enthusiasm of the students. They encouraged other organisations to take part.
“It is a really worthwhile exercise,” said Clare. “The whole process was very professional, well-organised and we benefited more than we anticipated. We learned so much from the students and it felt very rewarding to support their learning. It was worth our investment of time and energy.”
Module Leader of the Marketing Consultancy Project Fiona Thompson said, "These Marketing Consultancy projects deliver real value for our Live Clients. They offer a fresh pair of eyes, new primary research, and recommendations with the application of contemporary marketing theory. This helps to transform our student learning experience and develop students’ employability skills too.”
Our expectations were exceeded... the work that the students did has been really helpful, especially as we are refreshing our organisational four-year plan, and their work has directly fed into this.
Why work with us?
Our Marketing Consultancy Projects connect talented students with real organisations to tackle genuine challenges. They help bridge the gap between students' academic studies and real-life marketing, as well as giving local organisations fresh ideas and the latest marketing insights.
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