Student chapter of national marketing organization provides MSU students a path to success

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Members of the Montana State University student chapter of the American Marketing Association at the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference, which was held April 11-13, 2019, in New Orleans. Submitted photo.

BOZEMAN — Words matter. That’s what Eric Van Steenburg said to the 13 students who first met in December 2015 to discuss starting a chapter of the American Marketing Association at Montana State University.

“I told them that there was a big difference between being a local club and being a chapter affiliated with a worldwide organization,” said Van Steenburg, assistant professor of marketing in the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship who helped start the AMA chapter at MSU and has served as its adviser since its inception. “And the difference is the amount of commitment, desire and professionalism required.”

Starting that day, the students decided anyone calling AMA a club would have to forfeit a dollar. And in the three years since it was founded, the American Marketing Association student chapter at MSU has worked to prepare students for their professional careers, help community nonprofits with their marketing efforts and develop a strong networking community for marketing students and professionals. The students do so by running an organization that gives them the hands-on skills to accomplish just about any business-related responsibility.

“When interviewing for jobs after graduation, there wasn't a single question I couldn't answer that didn’t relate back to an experience I had with AMA,” said Vanessa Bakken, the chapter’s founding president and a 2017 MSU graduate. “Not only did AMA give me the leadership experience I wanted, it also opened the door to better opportunities and higher paying positions.”

Since that first meeting, they’ve become an official chapter of the Chicago-based American Marketing Association, hosted educational and networking events and worked on numerous projects. For example, last fall, the chapter selected Sacks Thrift Store – the revenue source for the Bozeman Help Center – as a local nonprofit for which it would provide pro bono marketing. The chapter completed a full marketing plan, developed three 30-second TV advertisements that ran on local ABC and Fox stations, created a three-minute company video for the Help Center and volunteered a total of 35 hours at the thrift store and for Help Center events.

“I didn’t expect our chapter to be doing all the things we’re doing so quickly and so well,” Van Steenburg said. “I’m just constantly amazed that the students are always exceeding expectations. And the reason why is their drive, their desire and their intelligence. It amazes me.”

The MSU chapter has also featured new events and competitions to engage members, such as sales competitions that award winners a $500 scholarship to fund their trip to the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans where they compete with other chapters. Those efforts appear to have paid off: AMA at Montana State has grown its general membership to a record 63 members in just three years, according to Krista Lauring, who served as the chapter’s president during the last academic year. The chapter is led by a nine-person, elected executive board.

Van Steenburg said he’s particularly proud of the chapter’s strong performance at the annual competitions taking place at ICC. For example, in its first year ever competing in the difficult AMA case competition in 2017, MSU finished third out of more than 100 universities entered, allowing the team to present to marketing executives from sponsor Mary Kay.

And this past spring, the chapter placed in the top 20 for best overall chapter out of 388 AMA student chapters worldwide. It also placed in the top 20 for best overall chapter in 2018, and in 2017 – its first year competing – the AMA student chapter from MSU placed in the top 25. In order to be named a top 20 or 25 chapter, the chapter is evaluated in six areas of its annual report: professional development; community and social impact; fundraising; membership; internal and external communications; and chapter operations.

In addition to the top 20 and 25 finishes, MSU students have enjoyed strong individual and team finishes at the competition. During the last conference alone, two MSU students, Lauring and Lena Johansen, won the marketing strategy competition, a multi-round, multi-day event in which a two-person team creates a marketing strategy for a different client each round in 20 minutes or less and then has seven minutes to present recommendations to a panel of judges. Lauring also won the marketing research competition for her poster presentation summarizing consumer behavior research she conducted in 2018 and was named runner-up for National Marketing Student of the Year.

Emma Jacobs, who served as the chapter’s vice president of fundraising last year and who will serve as president next year, said that being a part of the AMA chapter has helped her start to envision herself in the role of a business professional.

“It has also empowered me to take the initiative toward my future career by exploring the marketing opportunities available to me after college,” said Jacobs, who earned a third-place finish out of hundreds entered in the national sales competition at ICC last spring. “I have learned the importance of self-motivation and preparing for the future while I am still pursuing my bachelor's degree at the university.”

She added that students interested in joining AMA should be aware that there is “tremendous value” in growing with other students who are passionate about learning and gaining expertise in marketing and other business fields. 

Van Steenburg said he’d like prospective students to know that the sooner they get involved with the organization, the more opportunities they will have. Those opportunities include gaining experience, networking with business professionals, building their resumes and getting great jobs when they graduate, he added. In fact, one not need even be in marketing. Membership in the AMA at MSU is open to all students of any major.

“Coming from the film program, AMA gave me a fantastic opportunity to learn and gain practical experience with marketing, sales, business and organizational leadership – things I never would have had otherwise,” said Duncan Williamson, founding board member and 2017 MSU film graduate. “When I started a video production company after graduation, the knowledge and influence from my time at AMA gave me a strong advantage in building a successful brand and business.”

Mark Ranalli, dean of the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, noted that the success of the AMA chapter has helped raise the profile of all the organizations within MSU’s business college. The college directly supports seven student groups covering every major and business interest.

“Organizations like the AMA chapter play an integral part in student success,” Ranalli said. “Students, especially those who take on leadership roles, gain additional skills outside of the classroom that position them for career success. We are so proud of our students and can’t wait to see them apply what they’ve learned throughout their future careers.”

More information about the AMA at Montana State is available at amamontanastate.org/.