News / Article
AU Students Take First at DMAW/EF Oral Case Competition
Katherine Nau Stinton
Dec 6, 2022
A team of AU undergrads presents a winning marketing strategy.
American University undergraduate students Sophie Myers, James Simpson, and Sarah Yuan, with direction from Dr. Michael Clayton, took first place in the Direct Marketing Association of Washington Educational Foundation’s (DMAW/EF) Fall 2022 MAXI Case Competition on Friday, December 2, 2022.
The competition, held biannually, tests students on their ability to address real-world challenges faced by a predetermined organization. This semester’s organization was the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a nonprofit that engages students across the US in national conservation efforts, which presented teams with two potential goals: to re-engage SCA alumni or to increase second gift conversion. Judges included Emily Cooper of MWD, Jaime Grams of PMG, and Sydney Paner of Fuse Fundraising.
Myers, Simpson, and Yuan’s winning strategy for second gift conversion primarily targeted Baby Boomers and included considerations for Millennials and Gen Zers. The team was commended for their attention to detail, which included advising SCA to use environmentally-friendly paper in the proposed direct mailers as well as padding the budget to offer flexibility later in the fundraising campaign.