WMU digital marketing students named world champions in 2025 Digital Marketing Competition | Haworth College of Business

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University digital marketing students clinched first place in the 2025 Digital Marketing Competition, hosted by Purdue University Northwest College of Business, after completing 11 intense weeks of competition. The field of 193 competing teams, including 60 from colleges and universities outside the United States, was narrowed to just six finalist teams, with three of the finalists from Western and coached by Dr. Scott Cowley, associate professor of marketing.

Earning first place were Madyson Brady from South Rockwood, Michigan, Taylor Cook from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Laura Koch from Chelsea, Michigan. Cook served as the team captain.

Earning third place and a What’s Trending Innovation Award were Jorge Aguilar-Mendez from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Henri Cornell from Middlebury, Indiana, Maya Hamood from Dearborn, Michigan, and Samantha Strasler from Gladstone, Michigan. Cornell served as the team captain.

The client for the competition was Plantennas, a company that produces biodegradable plant pots equipped with sensor technology embedded in each pot, providing real-time, plant-specific data to enable precise plant care. 

Students were asked to develop an all-digital, six-month campaign designed to sell 20,000 units for the early-stage company. Teams were able to identify the target market, focusing either on business-to-business or business-to-consumer sales. Depending on the campaign target, students spoke to plant growers or industrial commercial growers.

The winning team targeted medium-sized commercial greenhouse growers, typically managing 3,000 to 5,000 square-foot spaces. 

“This segment was large enough to make an impact but small enough to need a practical, affordable automation tool like Plantennas,” says Brady. “Our strategy centered on a blend of paid and owned media to guide customers from awareness to decision. LinkedIn ads, Google retargeting, thought leadership content and lead scoring helped us nurture high-value buyers. Our goal was clear: build credibility and drive real sales.”

A plan that could drive real sales is just what Plantennas was hoping for—and what Cowley wanted for students, always seeking experience-driven learning opportunities where students can apply their digital marketing skills. In fact, Cowley embedded this experience as a capstone project for his Advanced Digital Marketing Strategies course, coaching 13 teams all with different approaches.

The third-place team grew their digital marketing skills, with an idea that got special notice from the judges for innovation. “We targeted cannabis growers as a key audience,” says Hamood. The team’s campaign cultivated a strong sense of community among growers, driving engagement through in-app features they developed spotlighting growers. The team was called out with the What’s Trending Award for their relatable influencer content, including unboxing videos. “These tactics allowed us to authentically connect with our millennial and Gen Z audiences, and the judges saw that our strategy was both fresh and aligned to marketing fundamentals,” says Hamood.

Cowley emphasizes that fundamentals are key to any successful campaign. 

“I tell students in the beginning of this journey that the teams who win are the ones that do what other teams aren’t willing to do. Students are sometimes surprised to learn that developing a great digital marketing campaign often starts by walking into a home and garden store to find an inventory buyer or cold-calling commercial farms to understand how they might use the client’s product. The teams we compete against are so good that we have to bring deeper customer insights and more nuanced expertise.”

“We treated Plantennas as a real client,” says Cook. “We dove into industry research, interviewed commercial growers and analyzed the digital landscape to understand how to position a tech-driven startup in a traditional industry. The greatest opportunity was getting to build a B2B marketing strategy from scratch for a product with strong sustainability potential. The biggest challenge was narrowing our audience because commercial growers range widely in size and tech adoption, so we had to make sure our strategy balanced a creative approach with realistic key performance indicators.”

Their campaign was both realistic and compelling, with the team taking a decisive victory. 

“In the most competitive year of this event yet, winning first place is a reflection of the strong support and preparation we’ve received throughout our time in the digital marketing program,” says Cook. “Being part of this win means more than just a trophy; it’s proof that the hands-on, real-world learning at WMU works and prepares us for success beyond the classroom.”

The fast-paced, high-pressure environment of the competition highlighted cross-functional collaboration and the importance of rooting creativity in data, helping students refine their professional point of view. 

“What made the experience so meaningful was our team,” says Brady. “We started this competition as strangers and left as friends. The bond we built, through late nights, Zoom calls and lots of laughs meant everything. We’ll always be proud of the work we did, but even more proud of the support, growth and genuine connection we shared along the way.”

View the first-place team presentation.

Learn more about the digital marketing program at WMU.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.