CapU students earn top two finish in Case Competition at the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference
Capilano University earned second place in a fierce competition of 320 teams of marketing students at the American Marketing Association’s case competition at the International Collegiate Conference, March 11-19, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. CapU students and faculty lead Andrea Eby were thrilled to be able to attend the event in person following a two-year hiatus.
“The Client Collegiate case competition is a full-year initiative whereby students prepare for and deliver a business case for product marketing a business service. It involves work equivalent to an undergraduate thesis,” said Andrea Eby, CapU faculty lead and instructor in the School of Business and Professional Studies.
CapU’s team delivered a compelling and detailed pitch presentation for client Amazon Prime on a proposed offering called Prime Student, a targeted marketing campaign to promote and sell Amazon products and services to post-secondary students across North America.
Led by business students Nadine Frankowski, Amanda Phillips, Noah MacInnis, Vishal Jagarapu, Svitlana Shapotkina and Eduardo Gevenez, the team began work on the project in May 2021 in the hope that Canadian COVID-related travel restrictions would open up in time for the competition. The presenting team was supported by fellow students Oscar Blue, Gimena Machado, Vy Nguyen, Hoang Le, Devon Kular and Ariel Xu – all active members of the CapU Marketing Association (CAPUMA).
Case competitions challenge CapU students to compete against globally known and respected, mostly American, colleges and universities, including those with well-known business schools supported by deep resources. The CapU team came in as runner-up only to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
CapU’s team brought together a diverse group of students – many of whom are balancing family and work commitments outside of school – who rose to and met the high expectations of the competition. The experience offers each team member opportunities to contribute, showcase talents and broaden skills they can take forward into the workplace.
“The work pushed us to be resourceful and never stop asking questions,” said Team Leader Nadine Frankowski. “Curiosity will drive critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be applied to almost any situation outside of school. Delivering a professional and comprehensive written report and polished presentation has given me perspective on what I can contribute and how I can become a valued employee after leaving CapU.”
In April, the students delivered their award-winning 25-minute presentation again for an audience of classmates and faculty at CapU. The team spoke about hundreds of hours of extensive research, report writing, and presentation rehearsal time that went into preparing for the competition. Preparation akin to actors memorizing lines for a performance included a grueling two-day lock-up session of solid rehearsing to ensure a crisp and professional result on competition day.
“Their commitment to the process, having the vision, the goal and the drive to succeed is so wonderful to see. I am inspired by these students for overcoming challenges, pushing forward and achieving this success,” said Dennis Silvestrone, dean of Business and Professional Studies.
Frankowski encourages fellow marketing students to participate in a future Case competition: “You will be challenged – you will work hard, and you will have an amazing sense of satisfaction and pride in your finished work.”
Supporting student learning through Case competitions is a passion project for Eby, who serves on the Board of Directors for the American Marketing Association: “I love teaching and I love this competition. This work is what I love most about working at CapU.”
Submitted by: Communications