The talented students from NC’s School of Business and Management recently showcased their exceptional skills at the Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition (OCMC), held at Georgian College in Collingwood on November 16 to 17. The team’s dedication and expertise were on full display, earning them an impressive third place in the overall competition.
The OCMC offers a student-focused learning experience that provides participants the ability to demonstrate their essential, vocational, and employability skills before industry professionals and showcases the best marketing students in Ontario.
In September, fifteen students were selected to participate in this year’s competition from various programs including, Sales & Marketing two-year diploma program, the Business Administration – Marketing (Co-op) three-year advanced diploma program and one student from the Business two-year diploma program. Each student underwent rigorous training as a team before receiving individual coaching leading up the competition.
The coaching staff, which included members from the School of Business and Management, played a pivotal role in preparing the students for the various challenges. The dynamic team including, Terri Champion, Chris Treschak, David Pastirik, Monique Finley, Patti Aubry, John Sustersic, Chris O’Connor, Stefan Johnson, Paula Reile, Stefan Johnson, Susan Ehlert, and Maria Brigantino helped guide students towards success in the competition.
The two-day competition was filled with energy, excitement, and intense challenges, which concluded in a gala awards dinner where individual honours and overall college rankings were announced. Niagara College secured third place overall, surpassing competitors from Algonquin College and George Brown College, with Conestoga College and Seneca College claiming second and first place.
Competition events included:
- Two individual events
- Includes sales presentations and job interviews that students prepare for in advance.
- Nine case study events where students compete in pairs.
- Case categories include Marketing, Retail, Entrepreneurship, Market Research, International Marketing, Direct Marketing, Prospect Pitch, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Advanced Marketing. Case studies outline a challenge facing an organization, where students must preform complete case analysis and deliver a PowerPoint presentation. Students know in advance the overall category of the case study, however, are unaware of the specific topic until the competition itself.
- One team event
- A team of four compete in a Quiz Bowl (a Jeopardy-style game where correct answers are buzzed in).
The NC team not only met these challenges head-on but excelled in several competition events, showcasing their versatility and skill.
Below are event results and Niagara College students who competed in each:
- Job Interview:
- First place – Fay Mattus
- Prospect Pitch Case:
- Third place – Brooklyn Balanowski, Elora Morrison-Burgess
- Integrated Marketing Communications Case:
- Third place – Fay Mattus, Keith Guevarra
- Entrepreneurship Case:
- Third place – Jill Kosior, Dario Spiteri
- International Marketing Case:
- Fourth place – Gabriela Martinez, Estefania Arroyo Segovia
- Sales Presentation:
- Fourth place – Catherine Ball
- Quiz Bowl:
- Fourth place – Deb Pearce, Erica D’Amore, Mia Guanzon, Floribelle Manginsay
- Retail Case:
- Fifth place – Floribelle Manginsay, Jill Kosior
- Advanced Marketing Case Event:
- Catherine Ball, Javier Carranza
- Direct Marketing Case:
- Keith Guevarra, Mia Guanzon
- Marketing Research Case:
- Elora Morrison-Burgess, Ana Maria Granda Ospina
- Marketing Case:
- Dario Spiteri, Erica D’Amore
Reflecting on her experience as a coach, Champion expressed immense pride in the team’s performance.
“We are so proud of how our students represented NC and the School of Business and Management, showing poise and grace under pressure in their respective events as well as support for the team as a whole,” Champion said. “Participating in OCMC has a profound effect on everyone involved. Through intense team training and individual coaching, students develop the confidence to apply their learning and critical thinking skills to real-life marketing challenges and enhance their communication and presentation abilities. The transformation that takes place is just amazing and a compelling reminder of the benefit that experiential learning can bring to the learning environment.”
Second-year student Dario Spiteri reflects on his invaluable experience competing in the OCMC, highlighting its role in preparing him for real-world marketing challenges. Initially self-conscious, Spiteri left the competition with newfound confidence in his business skills.
“At first, I was unsure about my ability to analyze a case within 30 minutes, let alone present it effectively. However, as the competition approached, presenting and analyzing cases became second nature. Applying what I’ve learned in lectures to real-world cases has deepened my understanding of marketing as a whole.”
Spiteri attributes much of his success and personal growth during the competition to the support of his coaches and teammates.
“The most significant learning experiences came from collaborating with my coaches, Terri Champion and Christopher Treschak, who dedicated themselves to sharing their extensive knowledge throughout our training. My case partners, Erica D’Amore and Jillian Kosior, also contributed significantly to my learning. Hearing their perspectives, ideas, and feedback during our analysis and presentations allowed me to broaden my thought process.”
Congratulations to all the students and coaches who participated in this year’s OCMC, exemplifying great hard work and dedication on behalf of the College.
