Marketing EDGE ECHO Challenge

Introduction

Students create a marketing plan for travel tour company Collette

 
 
 
 
 
Dear Professor ,
Looking for a marketing project for this spring with real-world implications for your students? Marketing EDGE’s Collegiate ECHO Challenge provides students with hands-on learning and real-world experience in marketing research and creating a marketing plan proposal. Sponsored this year by Collette, an international guided travel company headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the Challenge allows student teams of 2-5 members to combine knowledge, research, creativity and professionalism – on an assignment from their client, a corporate leader. 
The Challenge is offered in both the fall and the spring. Fall semester teams focused on enticing the client’s target audience of Baby Booomers to plan Collette guided-travel vacations.  Spring teams will focus on Generation X.  The theoretical budget is $5 million. All entries will be judged together in May and June.
 
Faculty advisors use the Challenge as a teaching tool, where all elements of market research and an integrated marketing campaign come together in one course, student capstone project or advertising club project.  Recent Challenges included
  • FACEBOOK: create a marketing campaign to business-to-consumer marketing decision makers to increase use of their Customer Audiences product with a budget of $5 million.

  • DIRECTV: create a marketing campaign targeting customers in the U.S. to increase participation in their "Refer-A-Friend" program with a budget of $1 million. 

  • DOMINO’s PIZZA: With a $250K budget, create an integrated marketing campaign to increase the number of orders driven through the Domino’s Mobile App. 
Support for the Challenge includes the following complimentary resources: 
  • Faculty Teaching Guide 
  • Student E-Learning Module
 
Finalists will be chosen from among all entries. Overall winners will be chosen from this pool. 

Undergraduate and Graduate campaigns are judged separately.  In both divisions:
  • 1st Place Gold: Team members are eligible to split a $2,000 award.
  • 2nd Place Silver: Team members are eligible to  split a $1,000 award.
  • 3rd Place Bronze: Team members are eligible to split a $500 award.
  • Each Gold, Silver and Bronze-winning teams’ school will receive a Collegiate Gold, Silver or Bronze ECHO trophy, respectively. 
  • Each team member on an undergraduate or graduate winning team and, if applicable, their faculty advisor will receive a certificate suitable for framing. 
  • Honorable Mention certificates may be presented for: Market Research • Marketing Strategy • Media Plan • Creative Execution • Budgeting/ROI • Executive Summary • Visual Summary •  Innovation • and more!
  • In addition, students from teams that submit entries are eligible to apply for Marketing EDGE scholarships, as well as jobs and internships from Marketing EDGE supporting companies.

Get Started today at faculty.collegiateECHO.org.

Student teams can be directed to www.CollegiateECHO.org for details tailored to them.
Best regards,
Jeff
Jeff Nesler 
Senior Program and Web Manager | Marketing EDGE