Pennsylvania State University_2013_2014_Annual Report

Penn State University Smeal College of Business Annual Report 2013-2014PSMA

Marketing Our Future

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PSMA | Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business - Annual Report 2013-2014

Chapter Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !Professional Development . . . . . . . . !Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !Chapter Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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PSMA | Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business - Annual Report 2013-2014 1

To our members, faculty, alumni, and the American Marketing Association,

The Penn State Marketing Association is celebrating another incredible year as a collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association. In October, we mapped out a plan to become better marketers, better mentors and better citizens, and our results have far exceeded expectations.

Our first initiative was to restructure our organization to promote collaboration and efficiency. Our new Consulting division brought in over $1,300 in revenue and worked with 4 new clients, using marketing research and advertising efforts to analyze business and drive sales. Additionally, we created two THON chair positions that worked alongside each division to create at least one unique fundraiser. Our dedication to the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) and the Four Diamonds Fund allowed us the privilege to sponsor a second child, Austin Wagner, a 9-year old boy diagnosed with a brain tumor. The restructure, paired with Austin’s inspiration, helped us double last year’s efforts and raise over $20,000 to improve the quality-of-life of families affected by pediatric cancer.

Once again, our focus stands at providing our members with professional development opportunities that align with the goals and objectives of both AMA and the Smeal College of Business. We hosted our 4th annual AMA Regional Conference, “Marketing for Sustainable Success”, to support Smeal’s five-year strategic plan of increasing our college’s dialogue about sustainable business practices. We are dedicated to organizing countless avenues for our members to interact closely with companies, which translate into internships and full-time positions. Our semi-annual career fairs brought in at least 30 different companies and over 400 students. In March, we will host our 5th annual Sales Competition, which has proven year after year to be a favored recruiting method for our sponsoring companies that hire for sales positions.

This year, we experimented with new methods and improved existing ones to enhance the professional and personal development of all 206 members. We support a culture that encourages mentorship and feedback, helping us continue gaining more active members in our large organization. PSMA thanks you, our valuable partners, for helping us find success year after year. !For the glory,

Brittania Gaspar President, The Pennsylvania State Marketing Association

A Letter from the President★ Raised $20,565.58 for the Four Diamonds Fund through

marketing-based fundraisers, doubling last year’s efforts. !★ Revamped our website, wearepsma.blogspot.com, to

make it easier to use and update. It now receives almost 3,000 unique hits per month. !

★ Restructured the executive board to create the Consulting division, allowing PSMA to provide a cross-functional service to our clients. !

★ Utilized membership levels to ensure active members are involved in all areas of PSMA, reaching 51% active membership at this time, with 37% at Associate levels. !

★ Welcomed 25 companies and over 280 students to our Fall 2013 Marketing Career Fair, raising almost $6,000. !

★ Hosted PSMA’s 4th annual AMA Regional Conference, one of only two sustainability conferences held at Smeal. !

★ Improved overall chapter operations by implementing a performance appraisal process and formal officer training period to better manage the leadership development of our executive board. !

★ Created the bi-monthly Faculty Newsletter to provide all members of the marketing department with PSMA news. !

★ Increased attendance at general body meetings by 58% by theming each one with unique and topical information.

Key Highlights

Project Evaluation Score CardThroughout the report, you will see a grade for each project, evaluating our performance and ability to meet the specified goals. This allowed us to measure progress and determine which projects should be repeated in the future. The criteria are listed below:

The project met all goals, included the majority of members, followed the specified budget and added value to members. The project met most goals, included multiple members, followed the specified budget, and added value. The project met some goals, included multiple members and did not greatly exceed budget. The project did not meet its goals, had little member engagement, and went over budget. No score. This project is still in its planning phase or could not be completed due to outside factors.

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OVERVIEW


2014 Organizational Goals

OVERVIEW

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!To improve our understanding of and involvement in the American Marketing Association. !!!!!!!!!To increase and improve our philanthropic impact in both the Penn State and State College communities, and raise $25,000 for various charities. To foster a supportive culture throughout the organization and unite our large membership despite differing interests."!!!To have 50% of our membership reach Associate levels and improve overall retention throughout the year.

This year, our main objective was to spread AMA's message throughout our large organization and encourage our members to take advantage of these opportunities. We themed our October general body meeting “All About AMA” to provide an overview of all the AMA competitions our chapter would participate in and what other benefits they could utilize on their own time. We executed 4 AMA programs and are competing in 4 competitions at the AMA International Collegiate Conference. We built new relationships with the Temple University chapter and the Penn State Harrisburg campus, which does not yet have a chapter but is learning more about AMA through our partnership. Nine members participated in the Take 5 case competition and placed in the semi-finals for the first time in three years.!!One of our key restructuring efforts was removing our THON division. Instead, each division was responsible for creating at least one charitable event per division, utilizing members’ promotional and consulting skills to execute relevant and effective fundraisers. This helped us to nearly double our THON total last year.!!For the past three years, PSMA has struggled with decreasing the gap between leaders and members. To improve this, we started by restructuring our executive board, condensing it from nearly 30 down to 19 members. The President and Vice Presidents regularly attended weekly division meetings to increase face-time with members and answer questions. While a qualitative measure, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from returning members about the restructure and the shift in culture. !Feedback from last year indicated that the point system was not clearly communicated, so we heavily stressed the membership levels and benefits this year. However, we lacked explanation on how project managers should track and record points each week, leading to discrepancies. Since identifying this, we’ve seen point levels increase in the spring. At this time, 37% of active members are considered Associate level, and we still have two months worth of point opportunities remaining. About 35 active members are only 1 point away from reaching an Associate level, putting us at 77%.

Goals Results

Four PSMA members pose as first place winners of our AMA Regional Conference.

Executive board members having fun at Bounce Funplex during our Spring Exec Retreat.


AMA Events

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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4th Annual Regional Conference Goal: To raise $1,000 in corporate sponsorship, welcome 4 chapters, and increase PSMA participation by 10%. Result: This year, the theme of our conference was “Marketing for Sustainable Success” as a nod of support to the Smeal College of Business’s growing focus on this trending topic. Two professors from the Smeal Sustainability Council spoke and were well received by both students and faculty. Eight teams competed in a case competition to create a marketing plan for Clorox's sustainable brands, with a PSMA team winning first prize. We welcomed 9 marketing students from Penn State Harrisburg and were excited at the opportunity to spread AMA’s mission to this other campus. We also welcomed one student from the Temple University chapter. We invited two new Smeal professors and two marketing professors from Penn State Harrisburg to judge the case competition, strengthening our relationship with the marketing department. This event was initially scheduled for November, but was postponed until February to avoid conflict with the Smeal Sustainability Council’s annual conference, also in November. The conference strengthened our relationship with Smeal through our alignment with its main goals and objectives.

AMA Case Competition Goal: To place in the top 10 and qualify to present our recommendations at the International Collegiate Conference. Result: PSMA is proud to have placed as a semi-finalist out of the 86 chapter submissions for the first time in 3 years. Our team of 9 enthusiastic members conducted surveys, focus groups, and other research to find that consumers enjoyed or preferred Hershey’s Take 5 candy bar, but most simply weren’t aware of the brand. Because of this, our IMC consisted of a two-fold campaign combining awareness and sampling portions. They even produced a commercial characterizing the candy’s five signature ingredients. The case competition gave our members an invaluable learning experience in performing primary market research, developing and preparing a full IMC, and pitching an idea.

Regional Conference Teams Goal: To send teams to 2 other AMA Chapters’ regional conferences, building new relationships with these chapters. Result: PSMA sent 3 members to Temple University’s “Digital Marketing” conference, with one student competing in their case competition. Unfortunately, plans to send a team to Pace University’s conference conflicted with the Thanksgiving holiday. Next year, we plan on releasing the full list of chapter conferences earlier in the semester. This will help us identify more conferences that members are interested in attending, and create a back-up plan in case of conflict.

AMA Certificate Programs Goal: To certify 50 members in Career Development and Market Research. Result: For the second year, we promoted these certificates to our members. Group sessions will be led by our VP of Professional Development and our Associate Director of Market Research in order to get more members to take advantage of the program at once. Over 30 students are currently in progress of completing the Market Research certificate. Career Development sessions will begin in March.

Goal: To prepare every PSMA member for their future careers by advancing their professional skills through networking events, case competitions, and marketing conferences.

PSMA consulted with over 25 companies and organizations this year to create dozens of networking and resume building opportunities for our members. Additionally, our Corporate Partner Packet, explained on page 10, helped PSMA raise $13,500 in sponsorship.

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AMA-Sponsored Competitions PSMA will send 13 members to the AMA International Collegiate Conference to compete in SABRE, Chapter Exhibits, T-Shirt Competition, and Marketing Strategy.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTCorporate Visibility

5th Annual Sales Competition Goal: To register 40 students to compete in presenting a functional pitch to a potential client and gain immediate feedback. We hope to raise $3,000 and welcome 6 corporate sponsors this year. Result: Our sales competition will take place on Saturday, March 22. We are expecting 40 students to register for the competition, as we have also invited Smeal’s Personal Selling course students to participate for extra credit. At this time, PSMA has secured $2,000 in sponsorship from TEK Systems, Altria, Dow Chemical, and Mondelez International. Students will compete in selling the PSMA Marketing Career Fair.

Professional Development Spotlights Goal: To welcome 6 companies to speak to our members about hot topics and opportunities in their organization; to increase attendance by 30% and steer topics around members’ current interests. Result: In an effort to increase attendance, we held only one spotlight per month - 6 speakers total - in order to emphasize exclusivity. Despite this, our average attendance remained at about 20 people per event. Next year, we will bring in more speakers to weekly division meetings to take advantage of our captive audience.

Google Luncheon Goal: To invite 20 of our top members to a networking luncheon and information session to learn more about opportunities with Google. Result: This is the third year hosting an event with Google. As per their request, we opened this October event to all marketing students. Google representatives provided a light lunch to an session of 80 students, where they discussed the company’s innovative and unique opportunities for recent graduates. They also discussed the unique “Google-ness” that they look for in potential candidates.

Ethics Week Goal: To invite 4 companies to speak about industry-specific importance of being ethically responsible; to have an average of 20 students in attendance. Result: This was PSMA’s first Ethics Week event, held in conjunction with the Smeal College of Business’s Honor Code signing in mid-September. Six companies joined us with an average of 23 students attending each speaker. We look forward to hosting the event next year and plan to invite Smeal’s own Dean Whitman to speak as well. In the future, we see Ethics Week as a way to annually align Smeal’s values of honor and integrity with the values of PSMA.

Altria Leadership Development Program Goal: To partner with Altria and 4 other business organizations to participate in an annual development program for freshmen and sophomores. Result: Our 15 top-performing sophomores and juniors engaged in seven workshops throughout the year, learning about networking, personal branding, and much more alongside 4 other business organizations. Altria renewed their $3,000 annual PSMA sponsorship and we assisted them in promoting Altria's other information sessions on campus.

Career Fair Prep Week Goal: To invite 4 companies to host preparation workshops during Career Fair Week, averaging 20 students per event. Result: Three companies were scheduled to present leading up to our spring Marketing Career Fair, held on a Wednesday. Johnson & Johnson and TJX each led a a session of an average of 15 students about how to write resumes and prepare for interviews. TEKsystems held their session during the week of the rescheduled Career Fair date (described below), leading a session of 18 students about LinkedIn.

Students line up to speak with companies at the Fall 2013 Marketing Career Fair.

Fall and Spring Marketing Career Fairs Goal: To continue to increase student and company attendance, and establish PSMA as Smeal’s resource for top marketing recruits. Result: The fall Marketing Career Fair yielded at least 278 students and 25 companies, remaining the largest student-organized career fair in the Smeal College of Business. Originally, 23 companies were scheduled to attend our spring Marketing Career Fair, but the event was postponed due to inclement weather. In a streak of bad luck, the rescheduled date was also affected by a snowstorm and only 14 companies could attend. We still welcomed 131 students to the spring fair. PSMA is one of the only Smeal student organizations to host our own career fair and generate over $7,000 each year. In recognition of the Marketing Career Fair, we received the Student Organization Corporate Involvement award from the Smeal College of Business for the second year in a row.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT


Industry SpecificFashion & Lifestyle Blog Goal: To increase site visitation by 5% each month in order to expand and enhance PSMA’s presence on campus and in the local community. Result: TrendState.weebly.com was launched by the retail division in October. The blog features four categories: Hair & Make-up, Fashion, Recipes, and Do-it-Yourself. Daily posts are written and published by PSMA members using the Weebly webspace. We also created business cards which were distributed at downtown retailers in exchange for featured posts on the site. Since inception, TrendState has over 280 “likes” on Facebook and over 40 Instagram followers.

Retail Speaker Series & Store Tours Goal: To invite at least 2 professionals to interact with members about what it takes to succeed in the industry, and visit 2 retail locations for members to directly observe business processes at work. Result: Three companies came to visit our retail division this spring. Representatives from Target and Mondelez International discussed internship and full-time opportunities at their companies. A representative from Macy’s also spoke with members about “dressing for success.” Unfortunately, we were not able to accommodate any store tours this year due to scheduling conflicts.

Planning & Allocation Mini Case Competition Goal: To register 3 teams to simulate a retail business process. Result: Burlington Coat Factory will be visiting the retail division on March 26, 2014. Four teams will be given scenarios regarding popular items and make decisions about how to efficiently distribute those products across the country. The representatives will then explain Burlington’s actual planning and allocation processes to see how the members’ answers compare.

PSU Basketball Market Research Goal: To conduct market research around the poor ticket sales of men’s and women’s basketball games, and present our findings and suggestions to the PSU Basketball Marketing Department. Result: This project is still ongoing. Our team created a survey in November to identify what students like about games. They also found out how many students currently have season tickets and how many would be more likely to buy flexible season ticket packages. Over 100 students have been surveyed, and we are still accepting responses.

PSU Hockey Consulting Goal: To enhance the fan experience during men’s and women’s hockey games at the new Pegula Ice Arena. Result: PSMA partnered with the PSU Hockey Marketing Department and the student Hockey Management Association to promote 3 major events: Pittsburgh 3 Rivers Classic, women’s Halloween game, and women’s THON benefit game. Our members promoted the events on social media, handed out flyers and spoke to classes at State College Area High School. On game days, the members also got to distribute giveaways at the gates.

Golf Networking Outing Goal: To invite 5 representatives from a sports marketing company to host a networking event with 20 members. Result: This event is currently scheduled for Friday, April 4, 2014. Although we do not yet have a corporate guest locked in, we have been discussing the event with Dick’s Sporting Goods with the hope that they will join us. We will be opening this event to all marketing students in Smeal, and look forward to welcoming at least 40 students to this event.

Open Skate Night w. PSU Hockey Goal: To welcome 100 people to skate alongside athletes of the PSU hockey team, promoting both the team and the new Pegula Ice Arena. Result: This event was cancelled because there was no available date accommodating the schedules of both the Pegula Ice Arena and the men’s or women’s hockey teams. This project team worked on the “PSMA Color Wars” project instead, described on page 12.

2nd Annual Mr. & Mrs. Smeal Pageant Goal: To recruit 8 student leaders to compete again for the title of Mr. & Mrs. Smeal, increasing attendance by 20%. Invite a corporate sponsor to judge and fund the competition. Result: Eight Smeal students were selected to compete for the crown on March 19th. Contestants will display their Elevator Pitches, Business Attire, Talents, and Q&A to a panel of judges including reps from our sponsor, Kohl’s. The organization that brings the most members will win a pizza party.

Umpire TV App Market Research Goal: To become more proactive about social media and smartphone research as an exponentially growing trend about marketers. Result: During the creation of our Chapter Plan, PSMA was in a bid for the opportunity to work on this project. Ultimately, the client decided to have a marketing research class take on this project instead.

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COMMUNITY SERVICE


Hunger Bites Goal: To collect 30 non-perishable items to donate to the local State College Food Bank around Thanksgiving and during the spring semester. Result: During the first three weeks of November, PSMA members collected 110-pounds of non-perishable food donations for the State College Food Bank. We placed collection bins in the office of Smeal’s marketing department in order to increase visibility amongst faculty and encourage them to donate items as well. This easy initiative allowed members to feel directly connected to the Penn State community by giving dozens of families a Happy Thanksgiving. In March, we will hold a second Hunger Bites drive and hope to collect 130-pounds of food.

Holiday Mail for Heroes Goal: Write 25 letters and cards via the American Red Cross to be given to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world. Result: By bringing arts and craft supplies to our December general body meeting, we were able to write and send 55 holiday cards to military members via the Red Cross. We made the cards during our last meeting of the fall semester when students were most in the holiday spirit. We look forward to continuing this initiative next year and perhaps expanding the event by creating holiday care packages as well.

We Are... State College Goal: To have at least 30 members volunteer to clean up areas of State College on two Sunday mornings in the Fall and Spring semesters. Result: Unfortunately, this project was canceled by no fault of PSMA. The State College Borough has recently altered some of its policies regarding volunteer clean-up committees and we could not schedule an appropriate date that worked well with both parties. We will continue to work with the Borough in order to strengthen this relationship and improve PSMA’s visibility in the State College community. We look forward to bringing back this initiative next year.

Marketing Education Outreach Goal: To continue our partnership with State College Area High School to educate prospective students about various avenues of marketing and the AMA. Result: Eight executive board members visited four business classrooms at State College Area High School on October 16, 2013. Our members spoke to prospective marketing students about PSMA and the American Marketing Association as well as current industry trends. Members also offered insight regarding the job market for marketing students and shared their own personal internship experiences.

Educating Abroad: DOORS Drive Goal: To fill two full boxes of donated items and send them to the DOORS school in Uganda. Result: During the first two weeks of November, PSMA collected 40 school supplies and hygiene items for the DOORS Drive in conjunction with our Hunger Bites campaign. The DOORS Ministry is a school in Uganda which inspires youth education in the Namuwongo slum community. The school began in April 2012 with 60 children in an abandoned building. Our donations supplied a majority of the resources needed to keep the school running and to aid in teaching efforts. The school now has 11 teachers and provides shelter, two meals a day, and basic medical care to its students.

Goal: To instill in our members the importance of corporate social responsibility and engagement within the community.

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Donation bins in the Marketing Department

One of PSMA’s four organizational goals was to increase our member’s involvement in community service and the Penn State Dance Marathon. This year, we raised over $21,000 in funds and donations benefitting our community near and far.

Students of the DOORS school in Uganda


The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon

COMMUNITY SERVICE

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Penn State broke another record this year, raising $13,343,517.33 benefiting the Four Diamonds Fund. This year, PSMA alone raised $20,565.58 through eight fundraising efforts and over $200 in corporate donations. PSMA personally sponsors two families affected by pediatric cancer: the Eric Krushinski family and the Austin Wagner family. PSMA is proud to stand up in the fight against pediatric cancer and dance for the kids and for the cure.

Pasta Night, For the Fight Goal: To raise at least $300 for the Four Diamonds Fund, with at least 75 people in attendance of a home cooked pasta dinner held downtown. Result: This year, over 100 people came to the Abba Java Cafe raising $398 for THON. Members solicited businesses for donations of pasta, sauce, and salad.

4 Diamonds Recycling Effort Goal: To involve 30 members and collect 15 bags of materials to recycle. Result: PSMA members collected 18 bags of recyclables benefitting the Four Diamonds Fund.

THON Canning Weekends Goal: To raise $10,000 over 3 weekends. Result: We sent 40 members on canning trips to four different locations. We raised $1,996.46 on the first trip, $3,224.94 on the second trip, and $2,944.57 on the third trip. Canning weekends are also a great way to foster friendships in the organization.

THONvelopes Goal: To have 40 members send out 10 solicitation letters to friends and family. Result: This year, 25 members mailed THONvelopes, raising over $3,000 toward our fundraising total.

Store Partnership Event Goal: To build a relationship with a downtown retailer while raising at least $150 to donate to THON. Result: The retail division hosted a fundraiser at Campus Jeans in February. Unfortunately, the project timeline was delayed and caused issues with our advertisement schedule. Despite this setback, we still raised $100 for THON.

Five Guys THON Fundraiser Goal: To raise $100 for THON. Result: We raised $56.53 at Five Guys Burgers and Fries in this fundraiser organized by the Entertainment Division. This project replaced the Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast, as the chain no longer does such fundraisers.

Committee Meetings Goal: To make THON efforts easy, accessible, and fun for all members. Result: We held two meetings each month to coordinate THON events. About 15 members attended regularly.

Our dancers, Natalie and Lynnie, with Eric Krushinski and his dad.

Our dancers, Natalie and Lynnie, with Austin Wagner on the THON stage.

Coins 4 Kids Goal: To increase enthusiasm about THON among members by collecting change during division meetings. Result: We raised $50.96 over two weeks in October. As a reward, the top fundraising division got to pie their division directors in the face at our November general body meeting.

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Athlete Date Auction Goal: To have 325 students attend and raise $3,000 for THON. Result: This year, we raised $1,769 with over 100 people bidding for the chance to win a date with athletes from 10 Penn State teams. Although we did not reach our goal, this project received a perfect score for its dedicated team, creative marketing, and effective planning.

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THON Apparel Goal: To increase PSMA members’ enthusiasm and participation in THON by designing shirts to show support. Result: Over twenty members bought PSMA THON t-shirts to wear during canning trips and THON weekend.

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FUNDRAISING


Abba Java Goal: To reposition Abba Java among students as a desirable space to study and hold fundraisers for their student organizations. This project will raise $85 in revenue for PSMA. Result: Upon the start of this project, the team realized that brand awareness was extremely low. To improve this, members handed out free coffee and flyers on three chilly mornings. Visitors to the coffee house increased about 80% within 6 weeks. They also created social media pages, which the cafe did not previously have, generating 69 Facebook likes, but only 5 Twitter followers and 2 Instagram followers. However, the team successfully established brand loyalty among consumers, as exemplified through Facebook reviews. The team will submit a status report and recommendations to Abba Java’s marketing team so they can sustain their recent growth.

Collegiate Pride Inc. Goal: To establish Collegiate Pride as the go-to printing apparel retailer for student clubs and organizations printing apparel, raising $200 in revenue for PSMA. Result: Using the results of a survey yielding 89 respondents, the team recommended website improvements and created promotions and coupons. Team members emailed coupons to Penn State student leaders and also distributed them at the Spring Involvement Fair. They created distinctive advertisements for specific markets, such as Greek Life. As a result, Collegiate Pride experienced increased sales this fall and winter, had its busiest THON season to date, and was operating at maximum capacity during the entire month of February. In April, the team will submit a plan for a marketing campaign focusing on Penn State pride and the State College community to be implemented and executed during Fall 2014 and Spring 2015.

Cold Stone Creamery Goal: To maintain a positive relationship by continuing to drive sales through seasonal promotion campaigns, and raise $350 in revenue for PSMA. Result: Our two-year relationship with Cold Stone Creamery strengthened even more this year. In-store traffic increased 15-20% during each week our team ran promotions. The most successful promotions were “Free Chocolate-Covered Pretzel with Any Like-It, Love-It, or Gotta-Have-It Purchase” and “Free Chocolate-Covered Strawberry” to celebrate Valentine’s Day. We also promoted a Halloween gift card giveaway through Facebook that increased the page’s likes by 56%. Another promotional event raised $75 for PSMA's THON efforts. The team will now focus on increasing Twitter followers, and will create a blue and white mystery flavor for Penn State’s Blue and White Weekend in April.

Consulting: Sales, Market Research, and Advertising

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Goal: To provide members with industry-specific marketing experiences by maintaining and expanding our client network, and creating projects for members to practice product, price, place, and promotional strategies.

One of our main restructuring plans this year was to consolidate the previous Sales, Market Research, and Advertising divisions into one cross-functional Consulting division. This proved to be extremely successful in improving the quality of the projects to provide our clients with a multi-faceted marketing plan. Overall, we raised over $22,000 through our fundraising efforts this year, including two charitable donations.

FUNDRAISING


My Hero Zero All Ages Concert Goal: To have 70 people attend an all ages event at a downtown nightclub to build an under-21 fan base for a favorite band of the State College bar scene. Result: As per the client’s request, this event transformed into a THON fundraiser held on campus. The event, called “Highlighting Hope”, was neon and blacklight themed and featured My Hero Zero and 5 student a cappella and dance troupes. It was hosted by the 2014 Mr. and Mrs. THON pageant winners. The team marketed the event for six days in the student center and sent personal invitations to over 40 other student organizations, such as THON committees and greek life. However, there were several unforeseen conflicts on campus (exam week, a guest speaker hosted by another organization, THON Captain meetings at the same time as our event) which challenged our attendance. Still, about 50 people attended and $250 was raised for THON.

Retail, Sports, and Entertainment

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PSNtv Goal: To grow PSNtv’s accessibility and awareness to Penn State students. This project will raise $300 in revenue. Result: PSNtv is Penn State’s only student-run television network. The network reached out to us last spring asking for our help to analyze their product and recommend improvements to increase viewership. We sent out 1 survey regarding general TV habits. It yielded 146 responses and showed that students prefer comedies and watching TV shows online. We held 3 focus groups showing PSNtv videos to understand students' likes and dislikes in order to suggest improvements to the shows. Based on results, we suggested that they shorten its videos, make the shows more relatable to Penn State, and increase the overall quality. Our team also analyzed its social media outlets and recommended that they keep all their accounts more updated and consistent. We also recommended that they create a Vine account to show clips of its shows. PSNtv is pleased with our analysis and is starting to implement recommendations.

Student Book Store Goal: To grow Student Book Store’s textbook business by 5%. This project will bring in $450 in revenue for PSMA. Result: Our team took up the challenge of increasing sales in the textbook industry, which is experiencing a 10% annual decline as more students are purchasing e-books or not at all. The team created an online survey and a condensed written survey to understand how students were currently buying textbooks. Over 200 survey responses were recorded and analyzed, identifying that the majority of students already buy at the Student Book Store, but price plays a major role in decision making. Based on this, the team created 10% off coupons emphasizing the Student Book Store’s discounted used books and rental program. 500 printed coupons were distributed. This promotion led to an increase in overall textbook sales by 3%. Although we did not reach our goal of 5%, our client was extremely thrilled with the results given the struggling industry.

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Student a cappella group, The Pennharmonics, belt out Katy Perry's “Roar” for the crowd.

Corporate Partner Program Goal: To develop a 15-page corporate partner packet to educate recruiters about our organization and generate $7,000 in sponsorship. Result: PSMA sent a 15-page corporate partner packet to over 200 recruiters in both the fall and spring. As a result, we were able to obtain $13,500 in corporate funding and establish relationships with 10 new companies.!

Student Planner Initiative Goal: To partner with University Directories to develop a 95-page planner and distribute to 6,000 students, raising $1,250 for the organization. Result: This year was the seventh year partnering with The AroundCampus Group, formerly University Directories. We distributed 6,000 planners in just five days, handing them out at involvement fairs. We have renewed this relationship for next year.

University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) Funding Goal: To obtain $5,000 in sponsorship from the university. Result: PSMA requested funding from UPAC in December to raise money for the AMA International Collegiate Conference. We received the full $5,000 eligible for student travel requests, allowing us to send 13 members to the conference.

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PSMA Apparel Goal: To facilitate the design and sale of apparel that members can purchase to spread brand awareness, while raising a minimum of $200. Result: The team designed a t-shirt, long sleeve, and sweatshirt, and created a 49-second commercial to advertise the sale. The promotion generated $536 in merchandise sales, but less than $100 in revenue. Designs were based on surveys distributed to the entire organization to determine preferences, yet only about 15% of members purchased apparel. Because of this, team members will now conduct focus groups to determine how PSMA can best meet its members’ apparel needs next year in order to increase sales potential.

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OrderUp Solutions Goal: To promote the rebranding of popular food-ordering website, Lion Menus - now called OrderUp - and drive the creation of user profiles. Result: In order to increase student awareness of the popular State College online ordering service’s recent rebranding, members handed out hundreds of promotional items including t-shirts, plastic cups and bottle openers. They also distributed coupons for OrderUp’s “Eat Cheap Week” at the end of October. However, communication and collaboration with the client were very difficult. Keeping our members’ interest in mind, we decided to premature end our relationship with the client and made $100 in revenue for our services.

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Powderpuff Tournament Goal: To host 10 teams of 8-12 girls to compete, while raising $500 for a charity. Result: This event will be held on April 6, 2014. Teams will be charged $50 each. The winning team will be awarded the opportunity to donate the revenue to the charity of their choice.

Volleyball Tournament Goal: To host 8 teams of 6-12 players and raise $400 in revenue for PSMA. Result: This event will be held on March 23, 2014. Teams will be charged $50 each and compete to win a $150 prize. We will be targeting PSMA members as well as greek organizations to create teams.

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FUNDRAISING


Two of our team members set up in the student center to hand out

OrderUp promo items.


MEMBERSHIPAs of March 2013, PSMA had 229 members with 66.8% at the Active Member level. Goal: To recruit 250 members with 50% of our membership achieving an Associate level membership.

Top Member Discount Goal: To encourage past members to renew their AMA membership next year. Result: 18 of last year’s top members were eligible to receive free chapter dues for returning. Of those, 8 members renewed their membership. We plan to reward 10 members with the discount next year.

Recruitment and RetentionSmeal Big Event Goal: To recruit 150 marketing majors of all ages and interests. Result: The Smeal Big Event is the business school’s own spring involvement fair for its 38 student organizations. We recruited 60 marketing majors, since we no longer required high recruitment in the spring.

Student Involvement Fair Goal: To recruit 50 new members of all ages, majors, and interests. Result: We reserved a table at the Fall Involvement Fair in the student center during the first week of classes. We successfully recruited over 80 students of all majors.

Member Incentive Program Goal: To increase active membership by 10% from last year and provide tangible reasons to reach higher membership levels. Result: We revamped our incentive program to reward members with certain gifts and privileges for reaching each membership level. The detailed program is listed on the next page. We communicated these incentives heavily at general body meetings and division meetings early in the fall. Each month, our Member Relations chair emailed each member their current status and reasons to achieve the next level.

Membership Levels Goal: To encourage members to increase participation within the organization. Result: These levels require activity in professional and community service events. We refined last year’s program to make points easier for members to understand. According to a survey of 70 members, 93% of respondents felt comfortable with the point system and knew how to attain each point level. This was a huge improvement from previous years. Still, the system isn't perfect: 44% of active level members would have reached associate levels had they earned community service points.

Membership Form Goal: To maintain a database to track contact information, AMA number, and continued membership. Result: This is our second year using an online membership form and it has once again proven extremely successful for our chapter. Students are instructed to pay their AMA dues before completing the form in order to include their AMA number. We also collect demographic information like year and major which is used to report to Smeal’s student organization manager. The survey format also allows us to ask members who referred them and why they joined.

Involvement

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One of our organizational goals this year was to increase the amount of activity amongst our membership, rather than increasing recruitment. PSMA has collected chapter and AMA dues from 206 members. At this time, 51% are considered active, of which 10.5% are Junior Associate, 8.9% are Senior Associate, and 2.4% are Senior Executive Associate members. We still have two months worth of point opportunities remaining. Additionally, about 35 active members are only 1 point away from reaching an Associate level, which would jump membership to 77% of active members considered Associate.

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15%2%

9%

10% 63%

Active MemberJunior AssociateSenior AssociateSenior Executive Associate Executive Board

Membership Levels (Active)

28%

20% 37%

15% EntertainmentSportsConsulting Retail

Division Membership

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MEMBERSHIP


Internal Networking Socials Goal: To host 4 informal networking socials each semester to support the visibility of our exec board among the 250 members. Result: We held 2 socials each semester after our general body meetings to encourage our members to meet each other. However, we found that members were often eager to grab a slice of pizza and leave after the hour-long meetings. Informal socials has always been an area of struggle for our chapter given our large membership, but from membership surveys, we found that small pizza socials are what our members want. These were convenient for our members to take part in rather than hosting an additional event during the week.

Mentorship Program Goal: To provide members with personal support systems and coaching on possibilities for growth in the organization and within their industry of choice. Result: Last year, we automatically paired all new members with returning and executive board members. This method caused confusion and a lack of interest on both sides. This year, we allowed members to opt in to the program via the membership form. We paired 10 members with an executive board mentor based on matched goals and interests. The small group of mentees found the program very beneficial, and most achieved associate level membership.

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EngagementPSMA Color Wars Goal: To create an engaging event for members at the end of the year to meet new people and have fun. Result: Since we did not have as many networking socials as we had originally planned for, the Entertainment division is planning a Color Wars event for Sunday, March 30. Members will be put into teams of 10 to compete in tailgate style games like corn-hole and ladder golf. Food will be catered by Jimmy John’s and exec board members will bring homemade desserts. The event will be held on the Business Building lawn, which will allow visibility to non-members. We have announced the event at division meetings and have already begun to get sign-ups.

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Member Benefits

- Opportunity to gain real-world tangible marketing experience - Leadership opportunities

- Corporate and alumni networking events - Resume book sent to over 200 recruiters

- PSMA mentorship program - Opportunity to participate in simulations and case competitions

- Semi-annual marketing career fair !Junior Associate Level Benefits

- Free PSMA t-shirt (while supplies last) - Higher quality resume material

- Greater exposure for PSMA project management position !Senior Associate Level Benefits

- Eligible to interview for PSMA Executive Board Position - Letter of recommendations from PSMA Executive Board members !

Senior Executive Associate Level Benefits

- Eligible to attend the AMA International Conference in New Orleans - First invited to participate in case competitions - Highest recognition among corporate recruiters

Member Incentive Program Membership Mix

5%9%

85%

MarketingUndecidedOther

vs. 69% of marketing majors in 2013

29%

40%

20%10% Freshman

SophomoreJuniorSenior

vs. 44% of juniors and 17% of seniors in 2013

35%

65%

ReturningNew

2013 statistics not available


COMMUNICATIONS

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General Body Meetings Goal: Hold 7 monthly meetings throughout the year, welcoming 75 members each. Result: We held 6 monthly meetings this year averaging 120 members each, more than doubling last year’s attendance rate. One of the problems last year was that members felt as though the information was redundant and there was little incentive. To relieve this, we gave each meeting a unique theme, such as PSMA THON and All About AMA, to ensure that members received new and relevant information. We also offered door prizes to members who were engaged on our social media pages, giving the meetings a fun atmosphere.

Internal Communications

Goal: To maintain efficient and creative channels of information for members and strengthen professional relationships externally by providing engaging communication strategies.

Blog and Weekly Newsflash Goal: To update blog weekly, and increase traffic with a newsflash of highlighted information emailed to members every Monday. Result: The new blog format has been extremely successful for our chapter. The newsflash is sent to 291 students, which is viewed about 62% of the time. On average, the blog receives 2,764 unique hits per month. This year, we will be purchasing a domain name to improve our search engine optimization.

Social Media Goal: To increase Twitter followers by 10%, Facebook friends by 5%, and create an Instagram account with 100 followers by March. Result: Each month we held small contests to engage and incentivize new followers. Our Facebook likes increased by over 12% and our Twitter followers by 14%. Our new Instagram currently has 65 followers, and we are still trying to identify what types of posts members would like to see.

External CommunicationsFaculty Newsletter Goal: To improve PSMA’s visibility amongst Smeal faculty, and improve likelihood of reaching new students. Result: We sent five 2-page newsletters to all marketing faculty in order to increase PSMA’s visibility to the marketing department. The first page included a letter from the president, list of upcoming events and an overall chapter update. The second page included “Last Month's Highlights” which announced the results of major competitions, fundraisers, and events. The newsletter replaced last year’s Advisory Board, as we felt this would reach a wider audience and require less commitment from our busy faculty. At the time of this Annual Report, we still have two issues remaining.

PSU Student Organizations Goal: To participate in at least one event each semester with other business organizations to expand our member’s networks and interact with non-business majors. Result: The president attended 8 monthly Smeal Student Council meetings (formerly Business Roundtable) to network with other organizations and promote PSMA’s events. In the fall, PSMA partnered with Women in Business to create our first float in the Homecoming parade. In the spring, we collaborated with the Smeal THON Coalition, consisting of reps from each organization to coordinate our THON efforts. We also promoted relevant events of other organizations to PSMA members via our blog.

Retail directors getting pied in the face at a General Body Meeting, a reward for

our members in the Coins 4 Kids fundraiser.

The January issue of PSMA’s faculty newsletter.

Our Homecoming 2014 parade float, with members from Women in Business

and PSMA.

PSMA’s communication team consists of a Vice President, Member Relations chair and Brand Strategist chair. This year, we created a blog (wearepsma.blogspot.com) to make delivering and receiving current information easier for all of our members.

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CHAPTER OPERATIONSGoal: To define procedures and templates to improve communication, track project progress, and ensure target deadlines are met by providing executive members and project managers with tools for success and transition.

Weekly Executive Board Meetings Goal: To engage executive board members in open dialogue to share successes and struggles, promote collaboration and give chapter updates. Result: This year, our executive board met two Sundays of each month. We began each meeting with brief updates from divisions and departments to keep all members engaged in and involved with all facets of our organization. Executive board members also submitted written reports prior to meetings, which the President and Executive Vice President used to plan relevant meetings and address pressing matters as a group. Additionally, we coordinated two executive board retreats to foster team building and relationships in an informal setting.

Project Manager Handbook Goal: To provide leaders with an execution template, contact information for relevant support, and guidelines for achieving goals and leading a team. Result: The 10-page user-friendly handbook was distributed to all project managers at the beginning of the year. The handbook includes internal procedures, leadership tips for success, a list of potential marketing channels, and useful contact information. It also outlines how to set goals and schedules for their own projects. Our Executive Vice President led a workshop to discuss the handbook, address questions, and reiterate the importance of our Project Managers’ roles.

Project Review Board Goal: To have project managers deliver a report at the conclusion of their projects to be scored on various elements. Result: The President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Communications, and Vice President of Finances held four Project Review Board sessions throughout the year to discuss and evaluate 28 projects and initiatives. The formal presentations included project goals, planning strategies, project timelines, strengths and weaknesses, project budgeting, and recommendations for next year. This provided members with the opportunity to improve presentation skills and the executive board with the ability to track projects so improvements can be made in the future.

Weekly Office Hours Goal: To give all members the opportunity to personally address issues with the president, vice president, and faculty advisor. Result: The President, Executive Vice President, and faculty advisor each routinely dedicated two hours per week every week to discussing projects and initiatives with executive board members, project managers, and general members.

Performance Appraisals Goal: To coach executive board members throughout the year to develop leadership skills and meet goals. Result: For the first time this year, PSMA held formal evaluations in order to reduce job drift and help our board stay on track. Each board member completed a self-evaluation document, noting items such as personal accomplishments, contributions to the organization, and goals for the rest of the year. The President and Executive Vice President then held one-on-one appraisal meetings in November with each member to discuss these items and to create a plan of action toward reaching their goals. We followed up with each member to make sure that they were on track and address any additional needs.

Leadership Transition and Shadowing Goal: To ensure that incoming board is fully prepared to lead members and implement new strategies. Result: After our new executive board is selected in March, incoming and outgoing officers will go through a month-long formal transitioning and shadowing process to better prepare them for their positions and create stronger incoming officers. These 40 members will attend our Officer Transitioning Workshop in March and participate in a leadership development seminar. After the group session, we will have one-on-one breakout meetings where the outgoing officers will pass along their project documents and advice for next year.

Project Scorecard Goal: To earn an A on 60% of projects, a B on 30% of projects, and a C on 10% of projects. Result: After each Project Review Board presentation, we determined a grade for each project, judging on criteria such as number of goals met, number of members involved, adherence to budget, and the amount of value added to the organization. Sixty-nine projects in this report are graded. Overall we performed extremely well, with 83% of projects receiving an A — 16% higher than last year. 12% of projects earned a B and only one project received a C. Three were unable to be scored.

This year, improving communication and increasing support through the organization were our top priorities regarding chapter operations. To achieve this, we implemented two new tools and improved five existing ones to track progress and provide continuous feedback. These tools helped our 19 executive board members and 30 project managers set smart goals, create a plan of action and stay on track to succeed all year long.

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BUDGET


Beginning Balance: $ 33,884.21

Projected Net Income: $ 6,054.00 Actual Net Income: $ 6,221.47

* Indicates best estimate as some projects are still in progress or expecting revenue

Pennsylvania State University_2013_2014_Annual Report

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