Nottingham Business School (NBS) has linked up with We are Undefeatable as part of a unique community-driven initiative which spans academic collaboration, exercise programmes, and fundraising.
The collaboration began when assistant head of department – Marketing, Ange Vickerstaff, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, connected the NBS Marketing department with members of the We Are Undefeatable team, a campaign supporting people with long-term health conditions to get active in a way that works for the individual.
The introduction led to NBS featuring We are Undefeatable as a case study within the Integrated Marketing Communications module, where students will develop proposals for social media engagement, press coverage, and stakeholder relationships based on scenarios developed by NBS staff and the We Are Undefeatable team.
Students have also gained valuable insights through guest lecturing and the development of learning resources by the We Are Undefeatable team, with feedback highlighting how the case study has deepened their understanding of cause marketing and behaviour change strategies.
Sophie Johnson, principal lecturer and course leader for Business Management and Marketing, said: “Marketing is often seen as big consumer brands and profit-driving, so it has been fantastic to expose our students to this kind of case study.
“Feedback has been extremely positive, with one student even thanking us for using this example, as her own sibling lives with a long-term health condition. It has opened deeper discussions, empathy and understanding of consumers and stakeholders in a whole new context, outside of students’ comfort zones.”
Charlotte Cummings, senior brand marketing manager from We Are Undefeatable, said: “We were delighted to work with NTU and feature We Are Undefeatable as a case study for their students.
“This marks a first for the campaign, as we aim to broaden the understanding of marketing’s potential to transform social norms and the power of diverse storytelling. We hope this module ignites a passion in the next generation of marketers, showing them that inclusive marketing can break boundaries and drive meaningful change.”
As part of the department’s charitable commitment, and to show their support for Ange, 13 NBS colleagues have taken part in the “30 Miles in November” challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK, who are one of the fifteen charities behind We are Undefeatable.
Sophie added: “We are a real mix of people who have some, none, or a lot of running experience, but this has brought us together as a team to support a fantastic cause. We Are Undefeatable has been fantastic in supporting our students, so for us, it’s been about giving back, particularly since Parkinson’s UK is one of their charities.
“The campaign is all about increasing physical activity, so it makes sense to put our money where our mouths are and engage in activities like running.”
In addition to their fundraising, Sophie and Ange are also participating in the NTU Sport and Wellbeing Academy exercise referral programme, where Angela is receiving specialist support from Dr Jen Wilson, who has experience working in the area and is looking at the possibility of offering some community work with Parkinson’s disease groups in the future.
Ange said: “It’s wonderful to have campaigns like We Are Undefeatable, and the support of my colleagues, to raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity for long-term health conditions like Parkinson’s.
“However, for me this is all about the power of communities and how we can come together to create meaningful impact. By reaching out and sometimes sharing our vulnerabilities, good things can happen for many groups.”
