BGSU marketing student finds sweet success at local candy internship

Growing up in Napoleon, Ohio, MaKayla Meller lived just 30 minutes from Spangler Candy Company in Bryan, Ohio – the maker of Dum-Dums, Circus Peanuts, Bit-O-Honey, Sweethearts and more.

This summer, the Bowling Green State University marketing major put her skills into practice as an intern at the iconic candy maker near her hometown.

In addition to its fully operational factory, Spangler opened Spangler Candy World, where guests enjoy interactive games, learn about the company's history, and take a virtual factory tour with sensory experiences.

“I was familiar with the candy, but not with Spangler Candy World, which operates as a storefront and museum,” Meller said. “At a meeting, we were brainstorming ways to get more people in the door and improve the visitor experience when someone suggested we host a taste-testing event. It had never been done before, so I decided to spearhead the event and apply what I had already learned at BGSU.”

Starting her first day, Meller took it upon herself to learn more about the company she was working for, who they were marketing to and the company's strategy. From there, she took charge of the planning, created promotional materials, ran the marketing campaign and designed interactive experiences for visitors.

"I started building a marketing and communications plan," Meller said. "I created schedules for social media, events, promotions and other deadlines so we wouldn't miss any deadlines. I also worked on social media and website updates to improve our overall online presence.

"By scheduling into the future, I was able to provide the team with ideas and content they could use even after I completed my internship."

With a strong foundation forged in the nationally ranked Schmidthorst College of Business, Meller's business skills took over, and she was able to bring creativity and fun to the inaugural event.

“We made Spangler recipes using Spangler candies for people to try,” Meller said. “Visitors learned how to incorporate our candies into their own baking, and by the end of the day, we had introduced Spangler Candy to a brand new audience while doubling our typical daily sales.”

While Meller had spent semesters studying marketing concepts at BGSU, her summer internship showed her just how practical those lessons were.

“This internship allowed me to apply what I had learned at BGSU, while also teaching me so much more about marketing and the candy industry,” she said. “My professors and classes laid a great foundation, but putting those concepts into practice in the real world made all the difference. I’m excited to take this new understanding with me into the classroom and continue to grow professionally.”

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