The St. John’s University Advertising Competition Team provides impassioned upper-level marketing and advertising students with an in-depth understanding of integrated marketing communications planning and execution through participation in the American Advertising Federation (AAF)-sponsored National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). The team spends two semesters (Fall/Spring) working together to plan, develop and implement a marketing communication recommendation that is presented to NSAC judges and industry recruiters as part of a regional competition in April. Winners of regional competitions then compete for the national title in June.Working individually and in functional teams, students conceive and execute a comprehensive plan, delivering solutions via a formal presentation that will expand, leverage and test their understanding of previous coursework and their familiarity with current industry best practices in advertising and marketing communications. Fall Semester: Research and Planning The fall semester involves intensive experiential learning in the areas of marketing research and strategic planning. Students conduct primary and secondary research based upon the assigned NSAC campaign brief and develop a strategic and tactical plan for the client-sponsor that lays the groundwork for implementation in the spring semester.Spring Semester: Campaign Development and Presentation Tasked with developing and executing strong creative and media approaches based on the previous semester’s research and insights, the students will create a strategic advertising plan for the NSAC client sponsor. Working in functional teams to develop solutions that include an integrated advertising campaign, media plan and a clear demonstration of the intended target audience, students will become proficient in developing their leadership skills, working through the creative process, project planning and a variety of communication duties. As a professional ad team, students will share their final recommendations - including digital, print and broadcast executions, to judges and recruiters.