WMU Home > About WMU > WMU News

WMU News

WMU takes fifth straight top 10 finish in marketing

Dec. 12, 2007

KALAMAZOO--A team of Western Michigan University students has finished in the top 10 of a leading marketing competition that attracted 50 teams from universities across the nation.

This marked the fifth consecutive time that a WMU team has finished in the top 10 in national case study competitions sponsored by EdVenture Partners. The most recent contest, held this fall, was called the EdVenture Partners Chevrolet College Marketing Challenge Case Study Competition and marked the first time EdVenture Partners had worked with Chevrolet on a national case study competition. Previous competitions were held in the spring and involved Cadillac. The WMU team's exact placement in the fall contest was not announced. Only the top five teams were invited to the final level of the fall competition.

In the contest, small teams of students within a class are challenged to consider and answer a number of analytical questions regarding a client's brand positioning, a communication strategy or any other current strategic situation as identified by the sponsoring client.

WMU's team was composed of seniors majoring in the University's Advertising and Promotion program. Members were Amanda Meister of Fruitport, Mich; Paris Jackson of Kalamazoo, Mich.; Kristen Ross of Brownstown Township, Mich. and Danielle Ross of Harbert, Mich. The team, named Detonate, developed an integrated campaign for Chevrolet that accurately targets the vehicle buyer, aged 18-30, who is interested in a vehicle with a fuel-efficient solution, such as a hybrid. The team's "Envi-Smart, Envi-Cool" campaign was designed to increase awareness of Chevrolet as a preferred option and motivate consumers to become a brand loyal Chevrolet buyer.

The team's advisor was Dr. JoAnn Atkin, WMU professor of marketing, who uses the competition as the advertising and promotion major student's capstone project in the class called Integrated Marketing Communications Campaigns. The students won the right to represent WMU in the competition by beating three other student teams in the class.

"This was a brand new case for us to work on, and we are proud that our students, once again, finished in the top 10 nationally," Atkin says. "What the students do for this competition mimics what they will face when they enter the advertising industry. Developing a campaign from start to finish, as well as competing against other teams of advertising students in the nation, is an extremely valuable experience."

Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
(269) 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/wmu/news