After more than a year prepping, the American Marketing Association’s D.C. chapter hosted its first Collegiate Case Competition on April 23, 2021. Two teams–Howard University and the University of Richmond–competed in the finals after tackling Goodwill Industries International’s (“Goodwill”) challenge to come up with marketing plans addressing the organization’s need to educate young professionals about the community work that it does.
Howard University Wins First AMADC Marketing Case Competition
After more than a year prepping, the American Marketing Association’s D.C. chapter hosted its first Collegiate Case Competition on April 23, 2021. Two teams–Howard University and the University of Richmond–competed in the finals after tackling Goodwill Industries International’s (“Goodwill”) challenge to come up with marketing plans addressing the organization’s need to educate young professionals about the community work that it does.
Judges were Patrick King, AMADC President; Andrea Smith, AMADC Vice President of Membership; Ryan Kuhn, Goodwill®; and Kaelyn Banks, CoSo Cloud, LLC. The Howard University team featured students Sydney Jones, Jovoney Morton, and Eric Rattray, and the University of Richmond featured Ciara Campbell, Saul Osorio, Mihir Shroff, and Natalie Wittstock.
The competition had multiple moments for each team to shine. Beginning with a virtual poster presentation, judges quizzed the students about their plans, each team presented its case then answered questions from the judges who focused on learning more about the concrete goals, outcomes, and underlying strategy from each presenting team.
Each team approached the case from a different angle with the Howard team emphasizing a social media push and the Richmond team focusing on in-person interactions. The Howard University team was particularly impressive in how it integrated the written plan, poster, and presentation into a cohesive marketing proposal. “The talent and thoughtful work of the presenting teams impressed me and the other judges,” said Ryan Kuhn, Goodwill Industries International’s head of brand management. “They brought a depth of creativity and understanding to their marketing proposals that made the event a success, not only for the valuable learning and practice they experience but also for the real insights and potential solutions they presented to Goodwill.”
At the close of the competition, The Barber Home Group announced Howard University’s win and the University of Richmond was awarded runner-up. “As a Realtor in the metropolitan area, I thought I have seen and witnessed it all on some facet of the life spectrum,” said Kevin M. Bullock, chief financial officer of The Barber Home Group and event sponsor. “However, I was not prepared for the intelligence and strategic wherewithal that these teams presented at the AMADC Case Competition. I was blown away with the due diligence and the in-depth research these young people exerted for their case study. I am forever reassured that the next generation is set to take the helm and lead the country into a bright future.”
Many people contributed to the success of AMADC’s first Collegiate Case Competition: Jeananne Nichols from AMA Pittsburgh provided valuable insights on creating such a competition; Suzanne Naylor and Adam Stiska from Goodwill helped draft the marketing case with Collegiate Co-chairs Jennifer Adach and Nick Fornadel, along with AMADC’s Vice President of Communications Aimee Stern who helped review the case.
Planning for the 2021-22 Case Competition is already underway. Want to be involved? Reach out to collegiate@amadc.org to learn more about how to sponsor the event or how to get your college team involved.