University of Kentucky American Marketing Association members answered the call to stay informed and competitive in the rapidly advancing marketing environment by placing second in a regional marketing competition. 

To begin the activities on Friday, November 9, 2018, Carlos Lewis, Freddie Mack, Jerod Warren and Melissa White traveled to the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business to participate in a two-day American Marketing Regional Conference. On Friday, the students toured three of the top marketing agencies in the city: 84.51°, Cincinnati Bell and Empower. 

“Seeing how the marketing environment is changing in an agency setting connects what I am learning in class with the expectations of the industry and what I should be looking for when applying for jobs upon graduation,” White said. 

Saturday the students heard key note speakers, participated in breakout sessions and competed in marketing competitions. The speakers shared industry advice and expectations with the up and coming professionals. 

Seniors Warren and White were runner-up in the marketing strategy competition. The competition required teams of two to develop a marketing strategy for a new product given limited information. Teams had 20 minutes to prepare for the seven-minute strategy pitch. The pitch was given to marketing faculty from around the region, who asked the students in-depth industry related questions at the end of the presentation, “Having the opportunity to participate in a competition like this as an undergraduate student gives me an idea of the caliber of applicants I will be competing against for employment. Placing second makes me confident that I can get a great job,” Warren said. 

In April members of the American Marketing Association will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana for the International Collegiate Conference.