Published: May 20, 2007 08:19 pm            

EDUCATION: Marketing contest to take place Wednesday

Students from across Niagara County devise ads, business cards as part of competition

Students from across Niagara County will take part in the inaugural Marketing Madness competition next week at Niagara County Community College.

The contest is meant to be a business equivalent of the school’s Tech Wars inventing competition, the 11th edition of which will take place in January.

“We have a lot of success with that tech competition,” said John Craig, NCCC’s director of tech-prep education. “Business teachers in local schools said they don’t have any of that excitement.”

Hoping to foster an idea that sparked almost two years ago, Craig set out to find a sponsor around which the marketing contest could revolve. Several potential sponsors backed out, citing corporate concerns, so the focus was shifted to local not-for-profit agencies.

“I like the nonprofit piece of it,” Craig said. “Nonprofits ... don’t really have a huge marketing and advertising budget.”

The Niagara Area Foundation was chosen. The group has been around since 2000 and raised upwards of $3 million for scholarships and to help groups across the county, but saw the contest as a chance to boost its visibility.

“We’re certainly in no position to hire a consultant to do a total marketing plan for us,” NAF executive Tom Weeks said. “The name recognition isn’t countywide yet. We’re growing, but we’re not growing in leaps and bounds yet.”

Taking part in Wednesday’s event are students from the Barker, Lewiston-Porter, Lockport, Newfane, Niagara Falls, Niagara-Wheatfield, North Tonawanda and Starpoint school districts.

Students have submitted NAF-themed materials in a number of categories, including company letterhead, business card, print ad and radio/television commercial. While judges weigh the merits of those materials, students will have a live exercise to complete the day of the event. After they present the results of that exercise, the scores will be combined and a winner crowned.

NAF is allowed to use any of the materials presented, Craig said, but is not bound to do so.

Plans are already under way for next year, with the group seeking a business sponsor for the 2008 competition, Craig said. The hope is to make Marketing Madness a mainstay in the years to come.

“The kids are always looking for competition,” he said. “It’s a nice opportunity for some of them to showcase some of the things that are going on (in their home districts).”

        

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