DBU Places Second in the National Collegiate Digital Marketing Championship

This year, Baylor University's Business School hosted the inaugural National Collegiate Digital Marketing Championship. DBU Professors Sandra Crawford Williamson and Dr. Kyle Allison hand-picked five DBU marketing students to compete, and Dr. Allison coached the team leading up to the event and traveled with them to Waco.

Professor Williamson shared how the DBU team was formed, "I have a detailed understanding of our College of Business students, and I assessed students that have taken the critical courses, such as Digital Marketing, Marketing in the Start-Up, and Social Media in Business, for their grades and certification assessment scores. I interviewed those students to gauge their interest and commitment and passed the shortlist to Dr. Allison to interview. After those steps, these five students were offered spots on the inaugural DBU Digital Marketing Competitive Team." The students selected were Rachel Gerich, Kaden Vaughan, Alec McKisic, Karsyn Bennet, and Akobir Hodjihanov.

The first round of the event was called Presentation Pro. In this game, the students acted as a marketing agency and prepared a pitch for a client. They were instructed to focus on advertising and digital strategies to improve the client's Key Performance Indicators. It was a bracket-style tournament, where each team competed until one was left standing, and a panel of judges determined this round's winner. DBU fought hard but unfortunately lost to Baylor in the first round. 

"We heard the news about our defeat during lunch. Feeling defeated, the DBU team was slightly discouraged, but through a 'Locker Room/Halftime' pep talk at lunch and after praying for strength and resilience, the team was reinvigorated to go out and compete in the remaining events with enthusiasm. After all, we still had a good shot at winning some crucial points!" — Dr. Kyle Allison.

As soon as the afternoon games commenced, the DBU team began to soar. "I think the spirit of our Lord, their motivation, and our team chat sparked in them a desire to compete and regain their winning attitude,” said Dr. Allison. The next round was Quantum Quiz, where the students answered cognitive questions on digital marketing. After four rigorous rounds, DBU came in first place!

The next round was Quantum Quiz 2: Marathon. This game wasn't a team vs. team format but was all students for themselves. After answering questions similar to those in the first round, DBU student Rachel Gerich came on top and won first place in this competition! DBU was on fire and had sparked a winning streak. The team reignited their momentum and were prepared to finish the day strong.

The final competition was Man vs. Machine, where the students were tasked with managing a digital advertising budget. This competition was also individual, and their performance was measured based on the money spent and key marketing metrics. The team was ecstatic when DBU student Akobir Hodjihanov won first place in this competition!

After DBU dominated each competition in the afternoon, the top-performing students were named. The number one top-performing student in the entire competition was Akobir Hadjihanov! In addition, Alec Mckisic placed ninth, and Rachel Gerich placed fourteenth. 

The final scores were determined by each school's performance in the competitions and by each student's individual ranking. In the end, DBU earned second place out of seventeen schools! DBU started the day with a tough loss, but they took the afternoon by storm and continued fighting until the end. "I am proud of their hard work, diligence, faith in the Lord, but more importantly, their commitment to resilience, confidence in self, and fantastic team collaboration. This was truly the best day, and this moment showcases the top talent of business students at DBU"— Dr. Kyle Allison.

DBU student Alec McKisic reflected on his experience following the competition, "The team succeeded because we know our education doesn't stop in the classroom. I don't know any other school with professors caring about their students outside of class like DBU. DBU is full of students overflowing with Kingdom values and a responsibility to do something with the education God has given them at DBU."

Rachel Gerich added, "Being a part of the business school here at DBU and also a part of the Digital Marketing Competition team has been something I will value forever. The professors here set you up for success. Professor Williamson and Dr. Allison selflessly serve this school, pouring into every student to ensure we thrive in the business world."

DBU's first year competing in the National Collegiate Digital Marketing Championship was an overwhelming success. Professor Sandra Crawford Williamson and Coach Dr. Kyle Allison are proud of how well the students competed, conducted themselves, and represented Christ throughout the competition. They look forward to preparing a new team for next year's competition.

"DBU stands out in marketing education by blending traditional academic rigor with a faith-based perspective. We prioritize ethical considerations and social responsibility in marketing practices, offering students a well-rounded understanding of the field and fostering practical learning experiences, internships, and industry connections. We aim to ensure our graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in today's competitive marketing landscape" — Professor Sandra Crawford Williamson.