DANBURY, CONN. — The Western Marketing Association (WMA) at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) earned a Top Ten Finalist spot at the international American Marketing Association (AMA) Collegiate Case Competition for the first time last month. The Case Competition is one of 17 competitions and activities in which the WMA traditionally participates at the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference. Out of 172 total collegiate chapters, 118 competed. With fewer than 25 members, the WMA is considered a small chapter of the AMA, and competed against 47 other small chapter entrants, earning the Top Small Chapter title. Including large chapters, the WMA placed ninth overall.
The WMA submitted its finalist presentation virtually, and competed against 10 other finalists in the 2020 AMA International Collegiate Conference, which took place March 12 through 14 in New Orleans. Alejandro Calderon, Natalie Carnazza, Fatima Izzat and Albert Oliveira represented WCSU during the presentation of their case to executives of Cotton Inc., which will determine the overall winner of the Case Competition later this year.
WMA Co-President Natalie Carnazza, a senior from Ridgefield majoring in Digital and Interactive Marketing, said of WMA, “It was a true honor being a part of this team. I’ve never seen students so dedicated to a school project in my entire life. We worked relentlessly and put in several all-nighters to produce an excellent report. Being a member of this team and having my name on this report is one of my greatest accomplishments at WCSU.”
WMA Co-President Anna Adebambo, a junior from Danbury majoring in Digital/Interactive Marketing and Financial Accounting, said, “It’s astounding to see seniors who’ve transformed from only spending their time on campus in classes, to finding something they’re passionate about. All of the sudden they’re staying on campus later; they’re starting to get engaged more and more. At the end of the year, they’re tearfully saying, ‘Wow, joining this club has changed my life.’”
Adebambo continued, “Preparing submissions for competitions such as the Website, T-Shirt and Annual Report served as introductions to the various applications of our course material. I recommend participating in WMA for non-marketing majors, too. I’ve seen how students have gotten jobs and received opportunities from people they met through the club, and it’s wonderful to see students helping each other succeed. They want to learn, and they want others to learn with them.”
The WMA conference team is currently made up of WCSU juniors and seniors from around Connecticut. Joining Adebambo and Carnazza are: Collin Blewitt, of Prospect; Alejandro Calderon, of Danbury; David Cawley, of Bethlehem; Allison Frenz, of Greenwich; Helen Heyse, of Norwich; Fatima Izzat, of Bethel; Albert Oliveira, of Sherman; Tatiana Rodriguez, of New Milford; and Estefani Sosa, of Ridgefield. The team developed marketing campaigns for Cotton Inc., the competition’s 2019-20 sponsor, incorporating AMA’s theme of “Greater Together.” The case advisers for the team are WCSU Marketing Department Chair Dr. Ronald Drozdenko and Professor of Marketing Donna Coelho.
According to the website, 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 is looking to gain the perspective of AMA students. They develop a marketing strategy in this nationally recognized competition.”
For more information, contact Drozdenko at drozdenkor@wcsu.edu or the Office of University Relations at pr@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.