MARKETING STUDENTS TIE FOR THIRD

A team of Southern marketing students tied for third place in the recent American Marketing Association 2012 international collegiate case competition. The Southern team was among 10 finalists in the competition, which included college students from around the globe.

Standing, from left:  Peter Romas (Secretary), Nicholas Gallicano, Marina Virgalla, and Daniel Morales; Seated, from left:  Dr. Ellen D. Durnin (Dean), Emily Burkhardt (Vice President), Cassandra Cortese (President), and Dr. Robert Forbus (Advisor)

The competition involved the development of a marketing plan for an academic publishing company. Four of the business students who worked on the plan presented it during the AMA's 34th annual International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans.

"Our students represented themselves and our university well, tying for third place," says Robert Forbus, associate professor of marketing, who worked with the team. Second place went to the University of Pennsylvania, while the British Columbia Institute of Technology took first place.

Forbus says, "I've seen many 'real-world' marketing presentations, and a few really good ones, but only one or two of those I've seen have been of the calibre of the Canadian students.  Interestingly, the Canadians had a team of 25, and they worked 6 months on their project (over the summer break).  Our students produced their work fall semester, and with only seven students working on the team.  Comparatively, our students performed extraordinarily well."

Forbus adds that this performance by the Southern students is "exceptional for for a group that was reconstituted in fall 2010, after having gone dormant, and by a group with no previous experience competing at this level. It was a terrific experience for them."

Next year's competition will be a social marketing campaign focused upon organ donation, Forbus says.  A team will soon assemble and begin to work on the campaign.