By Hazel Denother

This November, a team of four students in Lindenwood’s Advertising Campaign Management class learned that they had placed 6^th in the Digital Marketing Competition, an international contest for university students. Undergraduate students Clara Oliveira, Alexa Pressley, and Mia Tebbe and graduate student Jose de Gregorio competed against teams from 85 universities across five countries, producing a stunning digital advertising campaign that impressed the competition judges.

Dr. Kristy Tucciarone, affectionately called ‘Tucc’ within the Lindenwood community, is the course professor and the Advertising and Strategic Communications program chair in the School of Arts, Media, and Communications. She explained, “This course offers a comprehensive study of the processes involved in the development and deployment of successful advertising campaigns.” Dr. Tucciarone decided to incorporate the competition into the class’s curriculum to give her students the opportunity to acquire hands-on advertising experience by helping a real client with a real marketing issue. She stated, “I am an advocate for my students working on real client projects, as it simulates how they will perform in industry and campaigns they will produce.”

For their Digital Marketing Competition entry, the students had to solve a marketing problem for ChangEd, a venture that appeared on Shark Tank and aims to help people pay off their student loan debt. They created and monitored a high-quality digital advertising campaign tailored to the client’s needs, all while sticking to a budget. This authentic business experience allowed the team to utilize skills that they had acquired in their Lindenwood courses, and it helped prepare them for their future careers. Dr. Tucciarone remarked, “…for Advertising and Strategic Communications, the goal is to integrate students as much with professional industry as possible so they can experience, develop connections, and feel confident to enter industry upon graduation.”

Throughout the competition, the students displayed remarkable teamwork and problem-solving skills. They were thrilled about what they were able to accomplish, and they all agreed that it was an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience. Clara Oliveira, a double-major student pursuing degrees in Mass Communications and Interactive Media and Web Design, was grateful for the opportunity to practice skills that she would be able to employ immediately upon graduation. “I think my favorite part was to do real work for the brand,” she reflected. “What we did is pretty much what professionals in the industry are used to doing. It felt good to know that we were capable of doing it by ourselves. This experience certainly helped me prepare for the future.”

Oliveira was also thankful for the intelligence, guidance, and dedication of Dr. Tucciarone. She said, “I have had other classes with ‘Tucc,’ and she has always been amazing. She knows a lot about the industry, and she is always encouraging us to think for ourselves and be better students.” Mia Tebbe, a student double-majoring in Advertising and Public Relations (Corporate Communications), expressed the same sentiments about the professor: “‘Tucc’ is hands-on 100% of the time and is always checking up on the status of everyone’s progress, while offering constructive criticism to make our campaigns better. She also pushes us to go the extra mile. ‘Tucc’ is, in my opinion, one of the best professors I’ve had here at Lindenwood.”

Tebbe claims that her Lindenwood University education has been integral to her success. She remarked, “I love Lindenwood—my education here has been top-notch. The university is personal, and it allows students to really grow and thrive…I think it’s important to have professors who care so deeply, while also challenging us and pushing us to be our absolute best.” Furthermore, she is passionate about her degree program, and she has greatly enjoyed her studies at the university: “The program has really kindled my love for advertising.”

This was the first time that Lindenwood has ever participated in the Digital Marketing Competition, which makes this victory all the more impressive. Dr. Tucciarone is so proud of her students’ accomplishments, and she enthused, “It makes me feel like I have prepared them for their future careers! Potential employers will be impressed to see a real campaign during the interview process, because it demonstrates that Lindenwood students will be contributing team players from day one!” She noted that the competition provided a wonderful chance for students to gain practical experience, and she plans to continue incorporating it into the class’s curriculum in the years to come.

Through their collaborative efforts and outstanding performance in the Digital Marketing Competition, these Lindenwood students proved themselves to be skillful, creative problem-solvers and bright young professionals. Dr. Tucciarone explained, “Placing 6^th is a testament to the education students receive at Lindenwood University in the Advertising and Strategic Communications program.” Lindenwood provides students with an abundance of fantastic real-world opportunities like this one, allowing them to learn, grow, and succeed. The students’ Digital Marketing Competition triumph is a reflection of the university’s noble mission statement: Real Experience, Real Success.