4/3/06
David M Granger, 334/844-9999 (grangdm@auburn.edu)
Katie Wilder, 334/844-9999 (wildeka@auburn.edu)

AU BEATS BAMA IN SNICKERS MARKETING COMPETITION FOR MTV

A team of students from Auburn bested their counterparts from the University of Alabama in a six-week academic challenge to create a marketing campaign for their client, Snickers.

The teams were charged with creating an event on campus that tied Snickers brand into the tagline “Snickers Satisfies.” Executives from Snickers chose the winner after each team made a presentation.

The competition was filmed as part of the show “Quad Squads,” which airs on mtvU, a television network for college students that broadcasts to more than 700 college campuses across the country.

Quad Squads pits two teams of students against each other to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and apply it in real-world scenarios. Their work is featured in four episodes.

The AU team includes Vincent Harris, a mass communications major/marketing minor from Birmingham; Megan Moore, a marketing major from Auburn; Lance Ingram, a public relations major from Huntsville; and Tracy Miller, a marketing major from Opelika.

The four AU students were selected following a casting call in December and they received their assignment to prepare a marketing campaign for Snickers on Jan. 22. The team only had two short months to perform research, plan and execute their event before making their final presentation March 19. The final episode of Quad Squads aired April 3.

After surveying more than 500 students, the Auburn team decided to create a stand alone event called Snickerfest that featured interactive games and creative displays. The event was held on the concourse beside the eagle’s cage on Feb. 28. The games included a pie toss called the Snickers Pie Smash, a football throw called the Snickers Toss and a basketball throw called the Snickers Shot.

The team also held a dessert competition involving local chefs who created desserts featuring Snickers. Some of the AU football team’s coaching staff served as judges for the competition.

“We also thought that if we got students involved with the event, it would help them remember the Snickers message,” Miller said.

Students from AU’s graphic design department created ads featuring the Snickers Satisfies slogan and students from AU’s School of Architecture constructed a replica of the Toomer’s Corner oak tree out of Snickers bars and used the wrappers in lieu of toilet paper to roll the tree.

More than 1,000 students were on-hand for Snickerfest and Moore said the team was pleased with the turnout for the event.

She said the team dynamic contributed to their success.

“We were all committed 100 percent and everybody did a good job,” she said. “Being able to work together and keep team unity really made the difference.”

The team said they were also grateful for the help and support they received from other students – more than 100 volunteers helped with Snickerfest – as well as their professors.

As a reward for their hard work, Harris, Ingram, Miller and Moore each received a $2,500 scholarship and a year’s supply of Snickers.

To watch AU beat Bama in the Quad Squads competition, visit http://www.mtvu.com/on_mtvu/quad_squads/