Click here to subscribe today or Login.
PLAINS TWP. — Wilkes University on Tuesday was declared the winner of a statewide competition to design an integrated marketing campaign for the America250PA program.
Students from eight Pennsylvania colleges and universities were named finalists in the America250PA Innovation Challenge and they presented their marketing plans to a committee at the Wilkes-Barre Connect Conference at The Woodlands. The conference showcased the transformation of Northeastern Pennsylvania into an innovation hub.
The Wilkes University team included Madison Kaminski, Daniel Kultys, Logan Rock, Aaron Smith, Sal Purpura and McKaylah DeKay. The academic advisor was Lisa Reynolds.
“We are thrilled,” Reynolds said. “These students competed against students in programs across the state. We are very proud to have been selected.”
Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250PA, said the committee came away extremely impressed by the talent that represented colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania.
“This has really opened our eyes,” Coleman said. “The talent out there is amazing and we hope to continue working with them as America250PA goes forward.”
Wilkes-Barre Connect is the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber’s entrepreneurial and economic development arm.
“The America250PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge is Pennsylvania’s largest co-creation project ever,” said Joe Boylan, executive director of Wilkes-Barre Connect, who helped create the conference.
The final round, which followed increasingly selective campus and regional rounds held over the past few weeks.
The America250PA finalists hail from diverse academic programs, including marketing, business, design, and communications at the following institutions: Community College of Philadelphia (Philadelphia), King’s College (Wilkes-Barre), Lycoming College (Williamsport), Messiah College (Mechanicsburg), Millersville University (Millersville), Point Park University (Pittsburgh), Robert Morris University (Moon Township), Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre).
Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250PA, said finalists earned their spots through standout performances at four regional competitions held in Pittsburgh, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia in late October. During those regionals, student teams selected to represent their schools developed integrated direct marketing campaigns designed to help launch America250PA statewide in 2020.
America250PA — www.america250pa.org — is a statewide program to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States that will be occur in 2026.
For the finals, teams were asked to refine their winning regional campaigns, which leverage the power of integrated digital and print marketing channels, create a budget and a mockup of their direct mail component, and polish their presentations.
Each team delivered a 5-minute oral pitch to a judging panel composed of America250PA representatives, marketing industry experts, and U.S. Postal Service officials. The judges were: Coleman, Vince Galko, America250PA Budget and Finance/Audit Chair; Colleen Doyle, general counsel, McCarthy Tire Services; Pam Smith, special assistant to the Secretary (Pedro Rivera), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education; Ashleigh Axios, Chief Experience Officer and partner, &Partners, president-elect, AIGA; Victoria Stephen, director of Mailing Services, U.S. Postal Service; Jake Zoller, president, RRD Pittsburgh; Mike Shirakawa, president, RRD Philadelphia.
