This annual report provides the details of the overall steady progression of the American

Marketing Association chapter of Bowling Green State University.

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

AMERICAN MARKETING ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL REPORT 2012 - 2013

1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Mission Statement: The Bowling Green American Marketing Association (BGAMA)

strives to develop all members professionally for post-graduation by enhancing their

leadership, communication, creativity, problem-solving skills, and marketing knowledge

by combining academics with business experience.

BGAMA uses a S-M-A-R-T system for our goals and objectives for everything we do.

Making sure that our goals and objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant,

and timely helps to ensure that our organization is run as efficiently as possible. We want

our members to be well prepared for life after graduation, to grow outside of the

academic world, and to gain confidence. We offer our members invaluable resources by

having them network with students and marketing professionals with similar interests,

goals, and opportunities. We encourage their participation in BGAMA events while

inspiring them to embrace the world of marketing. Our intentions to inspire each member

creates a simple yet powerful phrase that BGAMA keeps close to heart: “Inspire.

Connect. Succeed.”

The BGAMA Annual Report includes a detailed summary of the programs for the 2012–

2013 year. Through our actions and the many activities and opportunities we have

provided to our members, we feel satisfied with our performance and standing on the

BGSU campus and within the BGSU College of Business. We have a tremendous

support staff consisting of the many dedicated faculty and staff members within the

college who have continued to help us attain our goals and objectives.

To highlight the BGAMA 2012–2013 academic year and our many achievements, we

have used a five-star rating system that we developed to evaluate each program. These

criteria included attendance, goal achievement, program quality, and the feedback we

received from our sponsors and participants. Those programs that have yet to take place

will not have a rating.

The program has been planned but did not take place with no plans to reschedule.

The program has fallen short of our expectations and goals.

The program has satisfied our minimum criteria but has room for improvement.

The program has satisfied BGAMA criteria and has met its predetermined goals.

The program has satisfied all BGAMA criteria and exceeded goals and expectations.

2

Table of Contents

Professional Development .................................... 3

Community Service ............................................... 6

Fundraising ........................................................... 7

Membership .......................................................... 8

Internal/External Communication .......................... 9

Chapter Operations ..............................................11

BGAMA Executive Board Organization Structure ........13

Conclusion ...........................................................14

Financial Results ..................................................15

3

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The professional development of general members is a primary function of BGAMA and has been one

of the most important parts of our organization. This past year we held these highly productive

professional development events:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRIPS

GOAL: Provide the BGAMA chapter with the opportunity to travel on a professional development trip

during both the Fall and Spring Semesters. Increasing participation among BGAMA’s general

membership is another goal of professional development this year. It would be ideal that at least five of

the participants on these trips be general members.

OUTCOME: Unfortunately we were not able to attend our planned fall trip to Chicago, due to

unforeseen financial circumstances. However, the spring semester saw BGAMA travel to Cleveland for

a professional development trip and the trip of February 15–16, 2013. We were able to meet with a

public relations firm called PR2020, which is based in Cleveland. This firm gave our participants

knowledge about “Hybrid Marketing Professionals,” a concept that calls for marketers to develop a

uniquely new set of marketing skills in order to become more productive in an increasingly

technological age. We were also able to meet with Dash Yost and Kevin Gunn from the Tom James

Company, one of our corporate sponsors. From this trip we were able to see the inner workings of real

companies, how they function in their day to day business operations, and had the chance to network

with the employees which were all extremely valuable experiences for our members.

On our trip to Cleveland we not only had the participation of our Executive Board; we were able to meet

our goal of having at least five participants from our general members. This year we were more

equipped to reach out to our general membership regarding this opportunity, and this led to greater

participation rates and a more successful trip.

A FEW BGAMA MEMBERS AT PR2020

4

Professional Development Workshops

GOAL: To provide BGAMA with at least one workshop per semester that will help members further

develop their professional skills.

OUTCOME: BGAMA successfully hosted two professional development workshops during the 2012–

2013 academic year. Our first workshop was held on October 17, 2012, and was an interactive

workshop on ePortfolios and the proper utilization of the LinkedIn social media platform. Our general

members were shown the ePortfolio software provided by Bowling Green State University and how to

effectively utilize it as a self-promotion tool to target prospective employers. The second half of the

workshop dealt with proper use of LinkedIn and social media. Members were shown highly effective

profiles of various Executive Board members and were also shown the proper way to connect with

different types of individuals. If they had not already done so, the general members were encouraged to

sign up on LinkedIn that night, which many of them did. They were also able to connect with others at

the workshop, which helped to start their crucial online professional profiles.

Our second professional development workshop took place on January 30, 2013. This workshop was

presented to our general members as a preparation session for the upcoming BGSU Career Fair, which

took place on February 6, 2013. At this workshop, the general members were given a fictitious resume,

cover letter, and Google search for a prospective job-seeker. They were asked to split into small

groups, analyze these fabricated documents, and determine which elements were particularly strong

and which were not. After some careful examination, the general members were asked to perform a job

interview with these prospective candidates, who were portrayed by the various members of the

BGAMA Executive Board. The purpose of the workshop was to give our general membership a fresh

perspective regarding the career search process. Instead of having their resumes, cover letters, and

interview skills critiqued, they were able to play the role of the hiring manager. They got to see some

strong elements and some weaker elements of the career-search process in this highly interactive

workshop.

SOME BGAMA MEMBERS WITH PR2020 TOM JAMES COMPANY SPEAKING AT A MEETING

5

Summer Planning Retreat

GOAL: Participate in a planning retreat during our summer break from BGSU to focus on goals and

objectives for the upcoming academic year.

OUTCOME: The Executive Board completed a day-long summer planning retreat, which we held on

Saturday August 4, 2012. The Executive Board discussed and determined the objectives of the

organization for the upcoming academic year, as well as prioritized the programs that would be slated

for the coming year and ideas on how to make the organization better.

BGAMA Sales Club (Bonus Activity - Not included in Chapter Plan)

GOAL: To start a supplemental organization within BGAMA, focused primarily on students within the

College of Business who are interested in developing professional sales skills.

OUTCOME: We held our first meeting in December, which included nine members. We developed

goals, assigned officers, and framed out an action plan. Our first workshop is scheduled for April 2. The

Tom James Company will lead a skill development session geared toward first-year sales people in

their organization.

Sales Competition

GOAL: BGAMA will partner with our Premier Sponsor, Marathon Oil, to host the Annual BGAMA Sales

Competition.

OUTCOME: The purpose of this competition is to promote sales as a career and to give BGSU

students the opportunity to develop selling skills in a competitive environment. Ten students, one

faculty member judge, and eight industry representative judges were involved in the sales competition.

Two students and two alternates are now studying the national case in preparation for their trip to

Georgia. All four students, some of which are BGAMA members, will be traveling to the 2013 National

Collegiate Sales Competition at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, on March 1–4,

2013. The BGSU student team will compete against other top sales students in the country. BGSU

holds the number fourth ranking in best overall record in the country at this competition from 1999-

2012.

TOP 3 BGSU SALES COMPETITION WINNERS FOR 2012

6

COMMUNITY SERVICE

The goal of BGAMA community service is to give back to the Bowling Green, Ohio, community while

further developing our members’ marketing skills and teaching our members the value of being servant

leaders. We planned, promoted, participated in, and/or sponsored the following community service

projects:

Freshmen Move-In

GOAL: BGAMA will lend a helping hand to BGSU and offer assistance to the class of 2016 and their

families to get situated in their dormitories.

OUTCOME: BGAMA helped with the incoming freshmen move-in on August 17, 2012. Each Executive

Board member signed up for two-hour increments at the campus dormitories to assist the class of 2016

and their families. We had the chance to network with the students and their families and got to talk

about the organization and encourage students to attend our meetings and join BGAMA.

BGSU Career Fair LinkedIn Photographs

GOAL: Our goal is to offer the service of taking a headshot photograph of students that can be used for

their LinkedIn profile picture.

OUTCOME: Providing this service to students attending the career fair turned out to be very

successful. Over 100 students took advantage of this service. It was also beneficial for BGAMA

because of the interaction we had with students from all parts of campus. As a result of this event, we

saw an increase in attendance at meetings and received thanks and praise.

Business & Leadership Conference

GOAL: On October 24, 2012, the CBA and College of Education held a joint Business & Leadership

Conference for high school students. During the conference, students had the opportunity to attend

workshops on various topics.

OUTCOME: Leading this workshop for high school students was exciting and rewarding. BGAMA

Executive Board members spoke on the topic of marketing to various groups of 25–35 high school

students with an interest in marketing. Throughout each workshop, BGAMA leaders conducted various

marketing-related activities, including marketing games and an in-depth Q & A about marketing- and

college-related topics. We were also able to inform them about the various career paths and

opportunities in the marketing field.

7

FUNDRAISING

BGAMA has been in the process of becoming self-reliant for its funding, and what better way than

internal fundraising? Here are the activities we used to generate funding:

BGAMA/Spirit Splash T-Shirt Sales

GOAL: To complement our fundraising efforts, we wanted to sell t-shirts to the other organizations on

campus.

OUTCOME: This was a huge breakthrough for us this year, in comparison to last year, as we earned a

$3,400 profit. We combined our fundraising efforts with the fledgling Sales Club to create demand with

multiple student organizations on campus. Our target markets include larger organizations, fraternities,

and sororities. We outsourced production to a BGAMA alumnus. This is, by far, our biggest fundraiser.

It not only brings in revenue, but it gives members valuable sales experience.

Corporate Sponsorship Package

GOAL: BGAMA will obtain a new corporate sponsor and maintain at least 75 percent of our previous

sponsors.

OUTCOME: We get the bulk of our funding from our corporate sponsorships, and BGAMA has used

these sources to support most activities. The sponsorship packages we offer include four levels of

sponsorship: Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000), Bronze ($250), and one exclusive Premier Sponsorship

($5,000).

We were able to maintain three of our six previous sponsors. BGAMA is still feeling the post-

recessionary pressure in Northwest Ohio. Many companies have cut or eliminated their recruiting

budgets; unfortunately, this starts with our organization. Even in this environment, we were still able to

hold on to our top sponsors: Marathon Petroleum, Libby Glass, and the Tom James Company.

AMA 5K

GOAL: Host a 5K run that will generate funds and awareness for a charity, which has yet to be

determined.

OUTCOME: BGAMA will host a 5K run on April 20, 2013 that will generate funds for and increase

awareness of the cause of the important charity we choose. We will donate two-thirds of the funds to

the charity; the other third will be used for funding our organization.

BGAMA Auto Expo

GOAL: BGAMA will continue to host its annual Auto Expo and raise $500.

OUTCOME: The Auto Expo is an annual event hosted in the University Oval (the most travelled

location on campus). We sell campus space to our community’s car dealerships to showcase their cars.

The event will be held on April 13, 2013, and we will bring in cars from five different dealers. Executive

Board members and general members will form a committee to acquire the dealerships’ agreements,

campus negotiation, and advertising. Promotional methods will include the BG News, flyers, banners,

television monitors, chalking, and Facebook.

8

MEMBERSHIP

In order to be a competitive organization on the BGSU campus, BGAMA must have a strong strategy in

place in order to gain members.

Increase Membership

GOAL: To increase our membership by 10% from the 83 paid members we had last year in 2011–

2012.

OUTCOME: Unfortunately, we did not reach this lofty goal. We had 62 BGAMA members this year,

which is still up significantly from the 44 members during the 2010–2011 year.

Directorships

GOAL: Each Vice President on the BGAMA Executive Board will appoint at least one general member

to a director position.

OUTCOME: Our directorship positions are offered to paid members and are our bench for next year’s

Executive Board. Each Vice President has a director to assist with special projects and learn the role

for a potential future executive appointment.

Meeting Reminders to General Members

GOAL: To make the meetings more interactive with our general members, and to increase attendance

and participation.

OUTCOME: This year BGAMA added many more general members to our Facebook page and were

better able to connect with them. We also encouraged members to attend events through e-mail and

Twitter. During our general meetings, we included more activities to get the members interacting with

each other more than they have in the past. Executive Board members were not allowed to sit with

each other. We scattered ourselves among the general members and were able to form great

relationships with many of them. Attendance has increased at our meetings. We also have bi-monthly

surveys of general meetings, which have proven to be very beneficial in understanding the needs of our

members.

9

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Internal Communications

BGAMA’s website (www.bowlinggreenama.weebly.com)

GOAL: To use the website as a way to communicate events and opportunities to our members

throughout the year. This site is also used to for allowing prospective members to learn about BGAMA

and to inform corporate sponsors of activities.

OUTCOME: The BGAMA website is maintained throughout the year to inform BGAMA members,

prospective members, and corporate sponsors of our events and updates. This website has a click-

through link to connect to the calendar events, contact information, and Executive Board member

profiles.

Social Media

GOAL: Increase the awareness among BGSU students, sponsors, and alumni by promoting programs

and meetings through social media.

OUTCOME: Most of our promotions are through Facebook, Twitter, and BGSU’s Campus Updates.

The Campus Update is an e-mail that goes out to all of the BGSU students about the different events

going on during the week. The Facebook page is a place where BGSU alumni have posted job and

internship opportunities to the BGAMA members, and it has been a successful tool. Facebook and

Twitter are also places where we post pictures of our professional development trips and other events.

This allows others to see what BGAMA is doing and what we are all about. These different social media

outlets allow BGAMA members to be informed about all of our events in a modern and immediate

manner.

External Communications

University Promotional Events

GOAL: Participate in BGSU sponsored events throughout the year, aimed at informing the students of

different advantages of being part of the BGSU community.

OUTCOME: BGAMA participated in numerous BGSU events, which included:

Campus Fest

BGAMA participated in the BGSU annual outdoor event called Campus Fest on August 30, 2012. Over

175 organizations attended. This event gave the Executive members the chance to talk one-on-one

with people who were interested in joining and promoted our brand.

10

Paint the Rock

Paint the Rock is a BGSU student organization tradition. Student organizations take turns painting a

huge rock on campus with their organization’s colors and logo. It is an opportunity for BGAMA to

promote its organization and have fun while doing it, which we did on October 8, 2012.

Discovery Day

The BGSU College of Business hosts a Discovery Day each year to prospective business students. On

January 18, 2012, BGAMA worked with the Marketing Department to promote Marketing as a

specialization and also the new Sales & Service Marketing specialization.

BGAMA Branding

GOAL: The BGAMA logo and slogan were developed four years ago and will continue to be used

extensively to help generate brand awareness and recognition.

OUTCOME: We included our logo on all promotional items. This was able to create brand awareness

for our organization.

Chalking

GOAL: To increase awareness among the BGSU student body of our meetings and events throughout

the year.

OUTCOME: We put handwritten announcements on the classroom whiteboards and blackboards of the

Business Administration building and the adjacent Olscamp Hall. This continues to be one of our most

effective promotional tools for communication to general and prospective members. In the days leading

up to a meeting or event, BGAMA members write the day, time, location, and topic of the meeting to

ensure it is seen and understood by everyone.

11

CHAPTER OPERATIONS

The goal of operations management was to ensure the proper execution of the organization’s plans,

objectives, and goals. All goals and objectives have been implemented and completed, and the results

reviewed by the entire BGAMA Executive Board.

GOAL: Create a more efficiently run organization, eliminating waste and ensuring focus on the central

objectives of our organization.

OUTCOME: The organization showed great execution in improving efficiency and dealing with

adversity. With the mid-year loss of our EVP of Finance and the resignation of the VP of Finance, other

members stepped in to fill the gap, attending financial seminars and ensuring that our finances were in

order.

GOAL: Leverage the assets of our new Dean, Ray Braun (former Chief Executive Officer, Cogdell

Spencer, and President of HealthCare REIT), in aiding growth and development of our general

members and organization value.

OUTCOME: Dean Braun spoke at a BGAMA meeting very early on in the process and discussed the

values of leadership and the road to being a corporate executive. The turnout for the event was

outstanding, and our organization gained valuable insight. Also, through other channels, our VP of

Corporate Relations, Jane Swartz, has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council, and also as a liaison

between the Dean and BGAMA.

GOAL: Increase alumni relationships and foster continuing opportunities for our officers and general

members.

OUTCOME: We were able to have BGSU alumni speak often at BGAMA meetings. Dash Yost of the

Tom James Company and Christina Seville of Marathon Petroleum have both been on campus multiple

times and always draw large crowds to our meetings. The BGSU Marketing Department is building on

our success and will have a marketing alumni day. There will be over 30 alumni talking with BGSU

marketing students as guest speakers in class and during breakout sessions.

Organizational Structure

GOAL: Create general member involvement opportunities through the structure of our Executive

Board.

OUTCOME: The BGAMA Executive Board has consisted of one Vice President per position starting in

the 2011–2012 year, as opposed to the two per position it had been previously. This encourages the

Vice Presidents to obtain and train directors, and to develop committees to help with the planning and

implementation of programs. This provides more opportunities for general members to get involved and

work alongside the Executive Board to learn the specifics of the organization.

General Member Meetings

GOAL: Host bi-weekly meetings for all BGAMA general members.

12

OUTCOME: Bi-weekly meetings are held for general members to give updates on programs and to

inform them about how they can become involved. This year we have incorporated a theme into each

general meeting. Examples include career expo preparation, introduction to the organization and the

executive positions, and tips on how to sell yourself to potential employers.

Officer Staffing and Transitioning Process

GOAL: To use our hiring-process transition period to select new Executive Board members.

OUTCOME: The BGAMA Executive Board is selected through a formal hiring process that begins with

the announcements of the positions, followed by the distribution of applications. The faculty advisor

examines the applications for President, interviews each applicant, and hires the individual who will

serve as the President. The President-elect and the faculty advisor interview and hire the Executive

Vice President(s). The President and EVPs utilize the same process to fill the Vice President positions.

Once the President-elect has hired the 2013–2014 Executive Board, the transition period begins. This

process will begin in February due to the high turnover of graduating seniors currently holding a

position on the Executive Board. This process begins with the incoming board members shadowing the

current board members, prior to the American Marketing Association International Collegiate

Conference. The transition period will consist of mentoring the new board with one-on-one meetings

between positions, a leadership-development training session, and a review of BGAMA programs and

processes. Following the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference, the

incoming Executive Board will begin to run the BGAMA.

13

BGAMA Executive Board Organization Structure

President: Daniel Kertis

EVP of Finance: Derek Gingerich

EVP of Operations:

Tom Skuggen

• Kevin Cowgill VP of Professional Development

• Matthew Hanke VP of Promotions

• Craig Shaffer VP of Community Service

• Ashley Pulkownik VP of Graphic Design

• Jane Swartz VP of Corporate Relations

• Eric Rayner VP of Fundraising/President of Sales Club

• Samantha Farley VP of Alumni Relations

• Heather Mauk VP of Membership

BGAMA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2012-2013

14

CONCLUSION

Looking back on this 2012-2013 year, BGAMA can say that we are proud of ourselves as an

organization. As outlined in this report, we have met and in some cases exceeded many of the very

lofty goals we set for ourselves in our Chapter Plan.

Our Professional Development efforts were once again great, as this is an area of high focus for us.

The fruits of our labor are shown by being selected to present at the Intercollegiate Conference in New

Orleans March 21-23, 2013 in the Professional development section. From our performance in this

area, not only have we contributed to our personal growth, but to the enhancement of our relationships

with the BGSU College of Business, the Marketing Department, and corporate entities outside of the

university. Our Community Service efforts were rewarding for the Bowling Green and surrounding

communities and they contributed to the tradition BGAMA has of giving back. Fundraising proved to be

another continued success for us through our extensive efforts this year. It not only provided our

organization with the financial means to be able to accomplish our goals, but it continues to be the

backbone of our networking opportunities and the relationships with our corporate sponsors. Our

membership dropped slightly but our current members know the benefits BGAMA gives them. We’ve

learned over the years that we would rather have a smaller, active membership base rather than a

bunch of people that sign up and don’t contribute. Our brand is strong and well known across the

university. Our reputation for being a top organization on campus and within the college continues to be

well known. Through our new and enhanced communication efforts, this allows us to reach more

people, more efficiently, more effectively, and in a more timely manner than ever before. And last but

not least, our chapter operation continues to evolve and change with our organization to make us as

much like the business world as we can to better prepare our members for management roles.

Many thanks are given to our Executive Board, student directors, and all the general members. Their

leadership and active participation is the key to our successful planning and implementation of the

multiple events we put on throughout the year. To our Faculty Advisor, Mearl Sutton, there are not

enough thanks for his never-ending guidance, encouragement and counseling. We would also like to

extend our thanks and appreciation to Ray Braun, College of Business Dean, Dr. Bob Wu, Marketing

Department Chairman, Mr. George Jenkins, Dr. David Reid, Director of the Sales and Service Institute,

and Ms. Christine Seiler, Professional Sales instructor and mentor. We are extremely grateful and

appreciative for our relationships with the College of Business and the Marketing Department and the

resources they are able to provide BGAMA. This was another successful year for us and we are excited

to see the future success of our organization and what that will bring to not only BGAMA but to the

entire university and community.

15

FINANCIAL RESULTS

EXPENDITURES REVENUES

* Expense/Revenue not yet incurred. Based upon reasonable projections

16