NASHVILLE, TN — July 31, 2009 — The Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management's newly created virtual marketing agency, The Brand Group, successfully completed a pilot program in partnership with Equinox Information Systems, a Madison-based telecommunications software firm. This initiative was designed to provide Marketing MBA candidates with practical experience while delivering actionable marketing strategies to Nashville-area businesses.
Equinox, founded in 1986 and serving clients including PAETEC, Consolidated Communications, and CenturyLink, sought to strengthen its market positioning through improved communications. Yvonne Martin-Kidd, Owen's Director of Marketing, developed the concept with Jim Quiggins, VP of Sales and Marketing at Equinox.
Five MBA students served as adjunct brand managers during the eight-week engagement, leveraging their expertise to create comprehensive recommendations. Byron Middendorf, Equinox's founder and CEO, praised the effort as "highly professional and insightful," noting the group "quickly understood our niche market and our solutions."
The pilot's success prompted Owen to plan an official program rollout. Additionally, Equinox hired one first-year Marketing MBA student to implement recommendations from the project.
About Equinox Information Systems
Founded in 1986, Equinox Information Systems provides telecommunications software globally, specializing in mediation, revenue assurance, fraud management, network analysis, and custom development. To learn more, visit equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.