WMU Haworth digital marketing students repeat as world competition champions
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A team of Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business digital marketing students has claimed first place at the 2026 Digital Marketing Competition, hosted by Purdue University Northwest’s College of Business. This is the second consecutive year that Western students have placed first, with four other WMU teams ranked in the top 25, reaffirming WMU’s standing as one of the top digital marketing programs in the world.
The team was made up of Medina Azookari of Pittsford, Michigan; George LaForce of Flat Rock, Michigan; Brooke Ricketson of Hudsonville, Michigan; and Storm Rowles of Battle Creek, Michigan. The students were coached by Dr. Scott Cowley, associate professor of marketing and director of WMU’s digital marketing program. Competing against 294 other teams at colleges and universities from the U.S. and abroad, the team distinguished itself through rigorous preparation and an innovative strategy.
A real-world challenge
The case study for this year focused on Frozen Garden, a smoothie company with an emphasis on whole foods and sustainability. Competing teams were tasked with identifying a new target market and building a full-funnel campaign with a $250,000 budget. Teams pitched their ideas in a video summary, with the top six finalists moving on to present virtually to the client.
Preparation began months before the competition, as the students worked through the complexities of marketing an early-stage company with limited existing data. “We did a lot of research, talking to people in the industry and really understanding our target market,” Azookari says. “One of the biggest opportunities was getting to build everything from the ground up, but that was also the hardest part. There wasn’t much existing data, so we had to rely on primary research and make sure our numbers actually made sense.”
A bold strategic direction
After extensive data collection, user testing and brainstorming, the team made a decisive strategic choice. Rather than pursuing a traditional business-to-consumer model, they pivoted to a business-to-business (B2B) approach, targeting luxury senior living communities based on feedback Frozen Garden was already receiving from that market.
“We chose this because it aligned with their product benefits of whole-food nutrition, convenience and consistency while also syncing with their goals of reaching a higher-value market,” Ricketson says.
For LaForce, the strategy carried personal significance. “Early on, we decided that taking a B2B approach would help us stand out so we chose to target senior living communities based on reviews Frozen Garden was already receiving. On a personal level, I have a grandmother who struggles with getting proper nutrition, which led me to start researching common nutritional challenges among seniors.”
The team identified a meaningful opportunity in the growing luxury senior living segment and built their campaign around reaching facility decision-makers. Azookari explains, “From there, we built out a full funnel strategy to reach decision-makers and move them from awareness to actually booking calls and converting."
Coaching a championship mindset
Cowley has long emphasized to his students that winning at this level requires going beyond the expected. “I tell students early on that they will only get to the top by doing things that other teams aren’t willing to do and by digging for insights and unique strategies that go beyond what I’m teaching in class. Our team had all of those things this year in a niche B2B campaign with specific details, custom mock-ups and samples backed by great research.”
The students’ dedication to that standard was evident throughout the process. “It feels incredible to represent WMU and win a global title at the Digital Marketing Competition,” LaForce says. “We were all really proud of the work we put in. All the prep work, revisions, practice presentations and late-night FaceTime calls truly paid off.”
The competition demanded not just individual skill, but a level of trust and coordination that pushed team members to lean on each other. For Rowles, that dynamic was one of the most meaningful parts of the experience. “This competition pushed me to rely on my teammates and draw on their strengths. It was a massive undertaking that required a true team effort from everyone involved. As a transfer student, being part of this team helped me fully embrace my pride in being a Bronco.”
Cowley hopes the students carry this win with them as they go on to their careers. “How many students will ever be able to say that they’re the best in the world at something? That’s a uniquely special claim, and I love that these students are getting to experience that for themselves. In the future, I hope they’re motivated to aim high, knowing that they’re capable of it with the right help and preparation.”
Watch the winning presentation.
Learn about digital marketing at WMU Haworth.
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