Innovation
Challenges

Check back soon for announcements about the Direct Effect Innovation Challenge in 2022.

The Direct Effect^®
Innovation Challenge

Direct Effect Innovation Challenges are experiential learning events that bring together students from multiple colleges to design and develop integrated marketing campaigns in response to real-life marketing challenges, all in a single day.

Faculty

Assemble student teams to attend a Direct Effect Innovation Challenge and coach them on-site
Get in touch if you’re interested in holding a Challenge at your school, or even in your classroom using our Innovation Challenge Facilitator Guide and supporting resources.

Students

Apply their knowledge to real-world business scenarios
Gain experience creating a mail campaign, including the basics of mailpiece design and copywriting

Get Involved‍‍

Think you might like to host near-by schools for a Direct Effect® Innovation Challenge? Would your organization like to serve as a live-client, or support an Innovation Challenge as a sponsor? There are plenty of ways to get involved. Get in touch by emailing:

team@directeffectinnovation.com

Past In-Person Challenges

Cincinnati Direct Effect® Innovation Challenge

Six student teams from four colleges in the greater Cincinnati area were prompted to create an integrated marketing campaign to address Cincinnati Bell’s primary marketing concern: help the regional telecommunications company competing against larger national competitors by
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Targeting the Millennial and Gen Z consumer populations with an enticing advertising campaigns

Recruiting local businesses to thecompany’s broadband internet service

Cincinnati Bell’s live-client challenge, developed for the Innovation Challenge event, was packaged for use in the classroom. To access the live-client challenge and its associated resources, please visit the Classroom Tools page.

Participating Schools

Winners
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Xavier University

Miami University of Ohio

Past Virtual Challenges

SUNY Farmingdale Innovation Challenge
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Seven student teams from six colleges across the country competed virtually to see who could create the best integrated marketing campaign in response to live-client Mohawk's business challenge: help the international paper company grow their virtual audience and opt-in lists while their primary lead generation source, The Mohawk Maker Quarterly, is temporarily out of service due to COVID restrictions.
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Hosted by SUNY Farmingdale, this virtual Innovation Challenge was supported by the Direct Effect® Innovation Challenge Facilitator’s Guide, a free resource for schools to use when running their own Innovation Challenges, found on the Classroom Tools page.

Participating Schools

Winner - Farmingdale State College

Direct Effect
Innovation Challenge Videos

Meet our live clients, hear from participating faculty, and experience student-generated campaigns through our series of Direct Effect^® Innovation Challenge videos.