Entrepreneurial student frames new career in film

A final year Northumbria University student with a passion for videography and travel has been headhunted by the National Tourism Board of Morocco to work on a new campaign. 

Cole Robinson, 21, from Redcar in Teesside, is studying on the Entrepreneurial Business Management (EBM) degree programme at Newcastle Business School.  Cole launched his first business venture at the age of 12, selling autographs online. He enrolled on the EBM programme to strengthen his business management and entrepreneurship skills.

EBM students are required to start-up and run their own business projects, and are encouraged to travel abroad to learn how start-ups operate in different countries and international markets.  Following this lead, and with a love for travel and videography, Cole visited Morocco to produce and publish a travel video. Within a month he had been contacted by travel guide producers YouGo Morocco, and invited to develop video content for the National Tourism Board’s ‘Visit Morocco’ campaign to promote the culture, nature and visitor experiences the country has to offer.

A week later Cole returned to Morocco on a fully paid trip as part of an international team of 11 social media influencers.

Alaa Khalifa, Campaign director for YouGo Morocco, said: “I saw Cole’s video of his trip to Morocco and was extremely impressed. He has a unique style, which captures the nature of the destinations like no creator I have seen before. I realised we simply had to get Cole on board to help us develop a fresh approach to our digital marketing strategy.”

Cole’s video is now being used to represent Morocco at various international tourism conferences. He said: “Working with YouGo Morocco has been a fantastic opportunity, not only has it been an exciting project to work on, it also represents an important and prestigious client for my business portfolio. I have visited 22 countries so far and plan to capture the rest of the world on film after graduation.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the EBM programme to anyone seeking to start their own business. The support from mentors and coaches I have worked with has helped me to turn a passion into a commercially viable business.”

Natalia Blagburn, senior lecturer in entrepreneurship, and Cole’s EBM coach, added: “Cole has an instinctive drive for creative thinking. He is also an impressive, capable leader, believing he can achieve anything he sets his mind to. I am not surprised he has established an international reputation so quickly. From his first video, he had a unique and recognisable signature.

“Cole is an excellent example of someone achieving success outside the confines of a traditional career choice. This year he is leading the EBM team’s trip to Berlin and we can’t wait for his next video.”

The Entrepreneurial Business Management (EBM) course at Newcastle Business School focuses on independent, real world learning, with students working together to launch their own businesses.

View Cole’s ‘Exploring Morocco’ video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zo33uSwV_w

Discover More: www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria