SVGCC students launch eight agencies to sell SVG to the world 

By Admin. Updated 8:18 p.m., Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Forty-four Digital Media students are running real campaigns, with industry mentors in their corner, as “The Vincy Effect” gets under way

For six weeks this term, a classroom at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) is operating more like a marketing firm than a lecture room.

Forty-four second-year Digital Media students are now almost two weeks into The Vincy Effect, a destination marketing initiative that has them promoting St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), through campaigns they plan, produce and launch themselves. 

Billed as “A Campaign They Can’t Ignore,” the project began on October 8 and runs until November 19, 2026.

The initiative was conceived and founded by Jameliah Crick, Digital Media Lecturer at SVGCC, who also serves as its Campaign Director.

The structure is simple but demanding. The students have been split into eight teams, and each team works as an independent creative agency with its own identity. Every agency has been paired with a professional from the creative or marketing industry, who offers guidance and feedback as the work develops.

From there, the agencies are responsible for the full process: market research, choosing a target audience, building a strategy, producing original digital content and carrying out promotional activities. Each team must also choose a local cause and weave it into its campaign, linking the promotion of the destination with community awareness.

Guerrilla marketing is a central part of the challenge. Students are expected to come up with unconventional, eye-catching experiences that reach people in ways traditional advertising does not.

More than a grade

Crick said the project was designed to push students past the usual classroom routine.

“The Vincy Effect was created to challenge students to think beyond assignments and grades. I wanted them to experience what it means to build an agency, develop a campaign, work with industry professionals, and bring their ideas to life in the real world,” she said.

She added that the aim goes beyond content creation. “The goal is not simply to teach students how to create content, but to develop creative thinkers, strategic problem-solvers, and confident young professionals who understand that their skills can contribute meaningfully to their country’s development.”

Over the six weeks, students are putting into practice what they have learnt in branding, social media marketing, videography, graphic design, storytelling and campaign planning. Teamwork, leadership, communication and accountability are also being tested, as ideas meet real-world limits.

Young voices, national story

While the initiative is first and foremost an educational one, its organisers believe it could also produce fresh ideas for marketing St. Vincent and the Grenadines to local, regional and international audiences.

The agencies have been encouraged to look at the full range of what the country offers, including its culture, food, natural attractions, community tourism, hospitality and lesser-known spots.

Perhaps most significantly, the project places young Vincentians at the centre of the conversation about how their country is presented to the world.

Final showdown on November 19

The campaigns move through several stages, from forming the agencies and researching, to developing concepts, producing content, launching campaigns, staging live activations and evaluating results. Each team will be judged not only on creativity but on strategy, communication and measurable outcomes.

It all comes to a head on Thursday, November 19, when the eight agencies present their campaigns to a panel of industry professionals and invited stakeholders.

Awards will be presented for Best Overall Tourism Campaign, Most Creative Guerrilla Activation, Best Campaign Content, Best Campaign Strategy, Best Audience Engagement and People’s Choice.

In the meantime, members of the public are being invited to get involved by engaging with the students’ campaigns, joining in their activities and sharing their content.

Updates, behind-the-scenes material and campaign highlights are available on Instagram at @thevincyeffect.

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