On Monday night, Adam Pitzen, R&A’s Director of Client Services and Strategy, was sitting in Constant Hall awaiting the six teams competing in Old Dominion University’s first-ever Monarch for Monarchs Marketing Competition. As a guest judge for the event, Pitzen was selected to evaluate sophomores and juniors who crafted marketing plans for small businesses created by current or former students. “I was eager to listen to these students and give them feedback on their ideas,” said Pitzen, an ODU Alumni. “It was exciting to see how they are applying their academic for real-world scenarios.”
The inaugural competition includes three rounds. In the first round, the student teams compete, preparing a short presentation which is judged by an instructor and esteemed marketing professional (Pitzen). If a team makes it to the second round, two finalists from each award category will be selected by two different judges and then in the third ‘Championship Round’ those teams will pitch their ideas center stage in front of a panel of judges to deem a winner. Some classes are adapted to fit the content of the course, such as the Social Media Marketing class in which students provided social media plans instead of full marketing plans.
As the marketing professional for the Marketing Principles class, Pitzen was charged with listening to the six teams present their marketing strategies and evaluate them on a series of factors, such as the structure of the plan and research for situational aspects. “I needed to look at their exploration process critically to see if they took the time to build a solid foundation for the recommended tactics,” said Pitzen. “It was a good discussion, and everyone was open to the feedback I provided – I think I got them thinking about different opportunities!”
R&A’s Owner and President, Ashley Knepper, was excited to have agency representation at the ODU Marketing Competition. “As a community-focused small business, we welcomed the opportunity to support this program and provide expert insight to future marketers,” stated Knepper.
The competition will run from April 3 – April 19, 2017. Visit the Old Dominion University website to learn more about its Marketing Program.