A team of Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business digital marketing students won first place at the 2026 Digital Marketing Competition, according to an April 24 announcement. The event was hosted by Purdue University Northwest’s College of Business and included teams from colleges and universities across the United States and abroad.
The achievement highlights the university’s continued strength in digital marketing education, as this marks the second consecutive year WMU students have secured first place. Four additional WMU teams also ranked among the top 25, reinforcing its reputation as one of the leading programs worldwide.
The winning team consisted of Medina Azookari, George LaForce, Brooke Ricketson, and Storm Rowles. They were coached by Dr. Scott Cowley, associate professor of marketing and director of WMU’s digital marketing program. The competition challenged participants to develop a full-funnel campaign for Frozen Garden—a smoothie company focused on whole foods and sustainability—tasking them with identifying a new target market using a $250,000 budget.
Azookari said, “We did a lot of research, talking to people in the industry and really understanding our target market. 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.” After extensive research and brainstorming sessions, the team chose to pursue a business-to-business strategy targeting luxury senior living communities rather than following traditional approaches.
Ricketson said their decision aligned with Frozen Garden’s product benefits: “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.” LaForce added personal perspective: “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…”
Dr. Cowley emphasized his coaching philosophy: “I tell students early on that they will only get to the top by doing things that other teams aren’t willing to do… Our team had all of those things this year in a niche B2B campaign with specific details…” Rowles reflected on teamwork: “This competition pushed me to rely on my teammates… As a transfer student, being part of this team helped me fully embrace my pride in being a Bronco.”
Western Michigan University fields 16 Division I varsity sports as part of its membership in the Mid-American Conference according to its official website. The university supports inclusive excellence for all students according to its official website, promotes sustainability through LEED-certified buildings and award-winning landscaping according to its official website, has earned national top-100 rankings for several graduate programs according to its official website, enrolls more than 17,000 students according to its official website, and emphasizes learner-focused education that is both research-oriented and globally involved according to its official website.
Cowley concluded about his hopes for his students’ futures: “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… In the future I hope they’re motivated to aim high knowing that they’re capable…”