No Case Studies Here: BCE Seniors Take On Real Clients… and Deliver

Rather than hypothetical case studies, seniors in Emerson College’s Business of Creative Enterprises (BCE) program tackle real industry challenges. And they deliver results for real clients.

At the BCE Senior Residency Showcase on April 16 in the Little Building’s Judee Theatre, students presented yearlong projects developed in partnership with external organizations. Working alongside faculty advisors, students collaborated with local companies including the Rockwell Theater, Complex Media + WYAR, and Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), applying creative strategy to solve real-world business problems while gaining hands-on professional experience.

Recharging the Rockwell Theater

One group partnered with the Rockwell Theater’s artistic director to address merchandising, messaging, and event management.

“We noticed that there were discrepancies between the merchandise of different shows: some had their own merchandise, others didn’t have much merchandise at all, and some only had the Rockwell’s pamphlet,” said Landen Cruz ’26. 

To create a more cohesive experience, students redesigned the theater’s lobby, installing improved signage and displays to better showcase merchandise like T-shirts and posters.

“Going through this entire process: from observation to prototyping, to budgeting and actually painting the space, showcased exactly what four years in the BCE program was building towards,” said Sabrina Sierra ’26. “Not just how to think strategically but also to show up, do the work, and deliver something real for real clients.”

Robert Lyons, Marketing Communication Senior Executive-in-Residence and Graduate Program Director, emphasized the students’ growth.

“They really learned how to leverage the power of a community,” said Lyons. “They showed up and they did it: none of them were experts when they started, but they were able to learn along the way and tear it up.” 

Bringing Life Experiences to a Gen-Z Audience

Another student group worked with two separate companies that have established a partnership: Complex Media and WYAR. Students focused on creating strategies to appeal to Gen-Z consumers. They worked with Complex Media’s “Verzuz” campaign to promote rap battling, as well as finding ways to attract up-and-coming musicians to the services offered by WYAR.

“We had to learn how to speak corporate and balance our creative vision with actual business goals that our clients faced,” said Elisa Ligero ’26. “We also had to learn how to let data lead the way and learn how to do research and find where things are failing in order to build strategies that actually resonate with our generation.”

Lessons for the Road Ahead 

Another group of 16 students collaborated with the Institute of Contemporary Art on four initiatives aimed at increasing engagement.

“We wanted to increase overall visitation to the ICA, we wanted to increase college engagement with the institute, and we wanted to grow community and event engagement throughout the available event spaces in the ICA,” said McKenna Couch ’26.

Using surveys and market analysis, students examined what drives attendance and how to better reach college audiences. Their work led to the development of an ambassador program, targeted events, and new outreach materials that are being rolled out.

“We designed the ICA survey project to gather demographic information on college students and investigate what would bring them to the ICA or if they’ve heard about it before,” said Emma Reid ’26. “We also created a targeted event specifically to engage college students and bring them into the ICA space.” 

Their findings highlighted the importance of tailored programming. 

“We learned there wasn’t a lack of awareness of the institute, and that themed, targeted, and unique events are important to inspire students to attend ICA events,” said Brendan McNamara ’26.

Betsy Gibbons, ICA liaison and Director of Teen Programs, said she appreciated the group’s work. 

“Pivoting and adaptability was definitely the theme of the semester, because we were dipping our toes in a lot of new things,” said Gibbons.“Getting to know all these students was such a fun process, and I will miss working with them.”