Student business team among finalists in AMA competition, again

February 14, 2024 – DENTON – The team is only 2 years old, but it’s batting a thousand.

For the second straight year, the Texas Woman’s American Marketing Association student chapter was named a finalist in the organization’s year-long challenge: the AMA Collegiate Case Competition. 

Out of the 11 finalists from across the United States and Canada, the TWU student chapter was the only one from Texas. Among the finalists are seven teams that have previously won the competition and four that are returning from last year. 

The all-female team from TWU’s College of Business will present its marketing plan at the 2024 AMA Collegiate Conference in New Orleans in April. Ciara Easterling ( president), Judith Vega (vice president), Taylor Reid ( treasurer) and December graduates Rebecca Lembrino-Crowe and Ruby Adame worked together to create a unique and creative approach for their case analysis. 

All chapters were given the same business challenge by the sponsoring organization, The Sheth Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support emerging scholarship in marketing. The foundation has significant global reach, societal focus and thought leadership. 

The TWU student chapter is advised by assistant professors Fernanda Muniz, PhD, and Andrea Bennett, PhD.

“This was a highly dedicated team,” Muniz said. “The case competition demands considerable effort and commitment to deliver an outstanding report. While balancing their courses, jobs and other responsibilities, they invested substantial time, work and dedication into this project. We are immensely proud of them.”

Chapters were tasked with crafting a strategic integrated marketing communications (IMC) plan aimed at fostering sustainable thinking and action among individuals, companies and industries.

“We emphasized authenticity into our strategy, which we believe set us apart from other teams,” chapter President Ciara Easterling said. “While it was a bit risky to diverge in this direction, we felt it was crucial to highlight how genuine business practices can amplify sustainability initiatives and enhance brand reputation. We took care to explain how research shows that authenticity is integral for businesses aiming to make a meaningful impact in sustainability.”

Easterling believes the chapter’s success last year was instrumental in preparing them for this year’s competition. 

“Witnessing the winning presentation from Montana State provided us with valuable insights into what makes a successful presentation, from delivery to visual aesthetics,” Easterling said. “We were able to observe firsthand the level of preparation and professionalism required to stand out.”

“We recognized the need to simplify and streamline our approach for this year,” Easterling said. “We learned that clarity and conciseness are key to effectively conveying our message. By focusing on painting a vivid picture with our words rather than overwhelming the audience with information on slides, we aimed to create a more memorable and impactful presentation.”

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The AMA Collegiate Case Competition

The AMA Collegiate Case Competition is a year-long event that brings together top marketing students to work on a business challenge submitted by a sponsoring organization. The case sponsor provides a detailed marketing problem and AMA students develop a marketing strategy in this nationally recognized competition.