Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) College of Business earned recognition as the inaugural champion of the Direct Effect Fall Marketing Blitz competition, scoring 1,766 points—more than double the second-place team.
Students in EKU’s Essentials of Marketing and Principles of Marketing classes competed against universities across the country in a United States Postal Service initiative designed to drive innovation in direct mail marketing. Working in teams, students created campaigns that combined direct mail with digital strategies and presented their ideas to judges.
Damarcus Winn, a junior majoring in accounting and finance from Covington, Kentucky, said the competition improved his creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
“My professors prepared me for the Marketing Blitz competition by using real-world projects to practice creating marketing plans,” said Winn. “They also helped us understand how to combine digital marketing with direct mail and gave feedback on our ideas so we could improve our strategies before the competition.”
Students also earned industry-recognized credentials they can add to résumés and LinkedIn profiles, giving them a competitive edge in the workforce.
“Hopefully, this competition leaves students with the lasting impression that they are capable of anything,” said Dr. Heather Damron, faculty member in EKU’s College of Business. “Education and hard work can be both fun and creative. Putting in hard work has a great reward and payoff.”
EKU’s College of Business has also won the past three national championships for the Direct Effect Marketing Madness competition, two national championships for the Summer Series Challenge and a Direct Effect Innovation Challenge.
EKU offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Finance, General Business, Management, Risk Management and Insurance, and Marketing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median pay of $159,660 for advertising, promotions and marketing managers in 2024 with a faster-than-average job outlook over the next decade.
By: Jake Hall
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