Student marketing group recognized at annual conference

This past academic year was one of growth for the Northeastern University Marketing Association student group. From increasing membership to expanding its services, the NUMA board worked hard to take the group to the next level.

For its efforts, the group won four awards at the 37th annual American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference last month in New Orleans, including Outstanding Chapter Planning, Outstanding Membership, and Outstanding Communications.

“We worked hard to expand our presence on campus and put our marketing skills to use for the greater college community,” said Marjorie Bogart, president of NUMA.

NUMA—a student group sponsored by the D’Amore-McKim School of Business—works to help all Northeastern students expand their marketing knowledge outside of the classroom through networking, talks by industry experts, and participation in real world projects with business partners.

For this conference, groups submitted a chapter plan at the start of the academic year that outlined their goals and expectations. Then, in February, they submitted an annual report. The groups were judged on how well they met their goals.

This year, NUMA launched a pilot mentorship program in which students who had already completed a co-op counseled younger students on what to expect from experiential learning. Among other tips, they also offered advice on living in Boston and picking classes at Northeastern.

“We wanted to create more of a bond within the club, and these mentors serve as resources,” said Fiona Gilmore, vice president of membership.

The group also expanded its online communications presence, particularly through its BostInno blog. NUMA leveraged that platform to promote its Beyond Boston event, where marketing co-ops discussed their experiences working outside of Boston, by having those students write articles.

Soon NUMA will launch a web series on the D’Amore-McKim website that will feature videos highlighting the work of other DMSB student groups. Bogart said the group is also planning to compete in next year’s AMA case competition, in which students will create a marketing plan for Hershey’s Ice Breakers brand.

NUMA is open to all Northeastern students and meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in 109 Robinson Hall.