by Isabella Maradiaga Molina | Jun 25, 2020 | Alumni Spotlight, AMA, COBA Events, Current Students, Professional Development, Uncategorized
The ACU chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) hit the ground running as they began their second year back on campus. One of the goals of the AMA chapter is to equip students through professional development and provide real-world experiences. With this goal in mind, the chapter officers and advisors have set a goal to have an annual spring trip to the DFW area where they engage with alumni to visit their workplaces and show students what the life of a marketing professional in different fields looks like.
Even though this year’s trip had to be canceled due to the current pandemic situation, the officers and advisors didn’t want members to miss out on such an opportunity. As the team joined to brainstorm ideas to provide a similar experience to students, they used technology to their advantage and decided to plan the first AMA virtual event. There were a few challenges to take into consideration as the event was being planned, “I think there was a lot of uncertainty about the event during the beginning. Questions like, would students attend something like this? How long should the event be? Would it be weird to do it via zoom? How do we make it personal?” Lindsay Palmer commented. The faculty and staff advisors, Dr. Jennifer Golden and Lindsay Palmer, partnered with ACU alumni who could tell students about their marketing experience and personal branding, from the comfort of their homes. After reaching out to professionals from various industries and marketing areas, four alumni joined with ACU AMA to tell students their stories. The panel included Jay Swinney from Indeed, Katherine Hall from Schaefer Advertising, Rachel Gilliam from Lev, and Reagan Morgan from PFSweb.
Alumni Panel: Jay Swinney (’09), Katherine Hall (’13), Rachel Gilliam (’13) and Reagan Morgan (’08)
On June 8th, ACU AMA members and students from the College of Business Administration joined these alumni on Zoom for the virtual event, “What Now? Five Ways to Brand Yourself During a Crisis”. The event was kicked off by Dr. Jennifer Golden, who shared five ways for students to continue working on their personal brand during COVID-19 and stand out amongst job applicants. ACU AMA also partnered with COBA’s Professional Development office to offer additional opportunities and resources for students. Then, the alumni panel was introduced and each professional shared about their roles in their respective companies. From data analysts to account directors, each of the alumni had a different experience and perspective to share that was valuable for the wide range of interests of the students attending the virtual event. To provide a personal networking experience, students entered into break-out virtual rooms of 5 as one of the alumni guest speakers conducted a Q&A session.
Besides learning practical ways to grow their network and develop their personal brand, students were able to connect with alumni and peers on LinkedIn with the information provided by the ACU AMA advisors. Social distancing did not limit the ability to connect with marketing professionals and learn insightful skills for the future. The alumni who willingly shared their time and experience with the students, once again, showed how ACU’s community is still valuable long after graduation. “We have such awesome alumni at ACU and in COBA specifically. They were all so willing to give up some of their time to advise and pour into current students. Overall, the event was a huge success in my opinion. It was cool to see how engaging the students and alumni were with each other. I think this event also helped bring a new opportunities to our students. I can’t wait to see what else AMA does.” Lindsay added.
Students joined by ACU Alumni for the virtual event via Zoom
The ACU AMA chapter is looking forward to another year of professional growth and events that empower students to fulfill their career goals. As the year was kicked off with an incredible event, the new officers and advisors hope to provide similar opportunities to all members throughout the 2020-2021 academic year.
Click here to check out the landing page created for the event with the bios of participating alumni. Follow ACU AMA on Instagram @ama_acu to hear about our next event. If you have any questions about membership, please email ACU AMA advisor, Lindsay Palmer.
by M. C. Jennings | Aug 9, 2019 | Academics, AMA, Careers In..., COBA Staff, Current Students, Uncategorized
Written by junior marketing and art major, Isabella Maradiaga
With over 30,000 members, the American Marketing Association (AMA) is “the essential community for marketers” that offers national conferences, events, and professional training. As marketing continues to play an integral role in the business world, the demand for a similar community has grown in educational institutions. For this reason, AMA now has 390 college chapters and 14,000 student members across North America. Students are joined in collegiate chapters by faculty and staff who share their passion to grow in their field. ACU’s College of Business Administration wishes for students to have the same opportunity to be a part of this association and has officially re-joined this professional association with our own student chapter.
Reagan Morgan (’08), Director of Marketing for PFSweb, discusses marketing and customer service with AMA members
Marketing majors have been looking for real-world experience in their field and the American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter is back on campus, looking to provide opportunities for students to learn and grow. A few years ago, this student organization was very popular for organizing events like branding workshops and working along with faculty to develop marketing plans for the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference where students traveled to join over 1,700 marketers in New Orleans. At this competition, students presented their marketing plans on a case study determined by AMA to compete with other universities. AMA also provided students with the opportunity to have hands-on experiences, participate in networking events, and meet professionals in their field. Last spring, the newly formed AMA officer team hit the ground running to launch the return of this organization. In April, a group of five students led by AMA sponsor and Enrollment & Student Development Manager, Lindsay Palmer, went on a field trip to visit companies PFSweb, LiveArea, and American Airlines. In visiting these organizations, students had the opportunity to learn about the internal procedures that lead to successful marketing decisions and to meet with ACU alumni who are currently serving marketing roles in these companies. Because of the time volunteered by our alums, our students were able to learn about different areas in their field, such as: digital channels, customer loyalty programs, global marketing, channel strategy and customer service.
AMA members meet with Kelly Lytle (’12), Senior Analyst for American Airlines Premium Guest Services
At their visit to the American Airlines office, students were briefed on all of the different loyalty and customer service programs that American Airlines offers as well as having the opportunity to visit the Admiral’s Club, where they were able to observe the importance of the smallest marketing decisions, including things like partnerships with hand soap and printer brands, and how those decisions impact the customer experience.
After such a significant networking and learning experience, AMA’s officer team is working on a plan to provide similar opportunities to all of its members. This student organization wants to encourage students from every major to consider the chance to set themselves apart in the marketplace, gain some digital marketing skills, and enjoy networking events with business professionals. AMA’s President, Kaman Turner, says, “Everyone should be a part of AMA, especially marketing majors. The vast network and real life experiences AMA provides is THE place for young professionals to grow and build their own brand; while also working with others to impact the community and make a difference right now.”
Make sure you check out the ACU student chapter for AMA this fall and start gaining some real-world experience! For questions, contact Lindsay Palmer at lindsay.palmer@acu.edu.
by Neely Borger | Mar 25, 2015 | Academics, AMA, Current Students, Uncategorized
COBA’s AMA student organization attended the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans on March 19th-21st. The theme for the conference this year was AMAze Yourself, inspiring students to find their passions and discover ways they can use those passions to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Assistant Professor Jennifer Golden and eight current and new student officers, including Cheyenne Rawlings, Allison Phillips, Neely Borger, Carolyn Heard, Bridgett Fuessel, Noah Bastable, and Josh Maday were able to see other AMA organizations that are active in their universities as well as hear from prominent speakers from across the country. Speakers were from leading companies around the world and included Jeff Schmitz and Rachel Lewis from The Hershey Company, Daryl Weber from The Coca-Cola Company, and Ian Dallimore from Lamar Advertising Company. The conference also included multiple breakout sessions each day, hosting discussions on topics such as social media management, resume building, networking opportunities, and suggestions for improving a university’s AMA chapter.
Every year, AMA provides a case study for each AMA university chapter to compete with one another. Groups must provide a full marketing plan with objectives, strategies, implementation ideas, and a budget for the case study. This year, the product for the case study was Coca-Cola’s Vitamin Water. At the conclusion of the conference, the chapters were able to see the winning team present their marketing plan, gaining insight and real experience for how a marketing plan should be implemented.
The AMA conference is a great event opportunity for students to learn, network, and find ways that they can set themselves apart in the marketplace. AMA is excited to be back on campus and working on future ideas to build their own personal brand as well as the brand of COBA.
“After going to the conference and hearing from other AMA organizations, I am really excited to get involved with the organization. I learned how important building my own personal brand really is,” says junior marketing major, Carolyn Heard.
