The University of Guelph’s Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) student chapter won the 2021 National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Student Marketing Competition held remotely last month.
The team, consisting of nine Ontario Agricultural College students, competed against 23 other North American schools to grab top prize.
The annual competition challenges students to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for a new agricultural product or service to improve producer income or productivity.
This year, U of G’s CAMA team presented an immune-enhanced yogourt, ImmuniGo, that uses milk from cows with higher levels of antibodies called immunoglobulin. These antibodies provide higher immune function that is transferred to the cow’s milk.
Since September, the students have worked with their faculty adviser, Dr. Mike von Massow, and industry partners including Semex to develop the product concept and marketing plan.
“I always admire how much work the students put into this competition and it feels awesome to win,” said von Massow, a professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics. “It’s a reflection of their hard work and commitment. They were extremely prepared and had a polished presentation.”
In addition to the team win in the marketing competition, team member Radine Kruisselbrink placed third in the NAMA Collegiate Sales Competition, a first for a U of G student.
“I’m so proud of my team and the dedication they gave to this year’s project,” said Faith Fullerton, team president. “Competing in the NAMA competition is such a large undertaking, especially to do it all virtually. It’s incredible that we pulled it off, but winning was the cherry on top.”
Watch the recording of the students’ winning presentation here.