Every student dreams of one day working with a major company on a national campaign, but few ever get the chance. However, three students here at Pitt have been able to do just that. Meet Ivy Kolpon, Annie Bohlander, and Angelica Wroblewski, three senior Marketing majors who have been able to work exclusively with Mazda this semester on a marketing campaign for the All-New 2014 Mazda3.
The ladies have gotten this opportunity by participating in Projects in Marketing, a course in which students act as a marketing agency for a major client. This semester the client is Mazda and Pitt is one of seven universities competing in this unique challenge to create a brand new strategy for Mazda to reach Generation Y consumers. As department heads of non-traditional advertising, public relations, and traditional advertising, Ivy, Annie, and Angelica have earned their spots as this week’s campus celebs!
HC: What has been your favorite thing about this project so far?
Ivy: I’ve really enjoyed being part of the leadership within our agency. I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to manage effectively.
Angelica: This project has made me realize how great of a brand Mazda is and how advanced their technology is. I didn’t know about the Mazda3 before, but now I love it.
Annie: I think it’s been really awesome to hear people talking about our campaign around campus. To see our ideas come to fruition is definitely my favorite part of this project; I love that we created a buzz around campus!
HC: What has been the best thing about this experience for you guys?
Angelica: I’ve had more responsibility and real-world experience in creating this campaign than I have had in any other internship or professional opportunities; what’s not to love about that?
Annie: I agree with Angelica! Specifically for the PR department, writing press releases and communicating to local press has been both challenging and rewarding. Also, it’s been a great opportunity to present our work in front of Mazda executives and to receive their feedback.
Ivy: I just think it’s incredible that we’re working with a brand that is so recognizable. We have the opportunity to communicate to our peers about the experience of driving a Mazda, and aspects of our campaign could potentially be used in Mazda’s future marketing efforts, which would be so cool.
HC: What is the biggest thing you guys have done so far?
Annie: I think we can all agree that the main campus event, CARnival, which was on November 7th at the Union was probably our greatest accomplishment. We had around 4,000 guests. Students could see The All-New Mazda3 and experience the car and all of the features that it has.
Ivy: And a lot of our other campaign efforts were designed to create hype and attract attention for that event as well.
HC: Do you have something coming up?
Angelica: We are currently conducting our post-campaign research. I’m excited to be able to finally see the results of our campaign. Other than that, we’re preparing for our final presentation to Mazda and we will find out on December 6th if we’re one of the top two schools in the competition.
Ivy: If we are, several students from the agency will be travelling to their offices in New Jersey to present our campaign.
Annie: If we win, the university will receive $3,000 on our behalf!
HC: How can other Pitt students get involved?
Annie: The campaign continues on our social media pages. People can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Vine to find out more about the car and learn more about our campaign! We love to hear what students have to say and encourage everyone to interact with us at @PittMazda3
HC: One last question, since your campaign tagline is “What Drives You?”…what is your answer to that question?
Angelica: I’m driven by the feeling of being accomplished and successful and finding happiness in everything that I do.
Ivy: I’m driven by giving back to the environment and the community. I like to see other people smile.
Annie: They both took my answers….what they said!
Photos taken from the Pitt Mazda3 Facebook page.