marketing case study deca

Marketing Management

Students are challenged with analyzing a real-world case study situation involving marketing and/or management. Environments may include, but are not limited to, place/location marketing, transportation marketing, charity/event marketing, marketing research, strategic marketing planning, distribution strategies, target marketing and Internet marketing.

Participants

Written entry page limit, appear before a judge, 1 case study, 2nd for finalists, interview time, sponsored by:.

Essential Elements

Related resources.

You are the director of marketing research for WATERFORD PROPERTIES, a real estate development company. WATERFORD PROPERTIES recently purchased an aging suburban office park that was built in 1982. The office park was built to house the corporate headquarters of TOY MANIA, a retail chain that sold toys and other merchandise until its bankruptcy in 2000.

You are the director of marketing for COUNTRY ACRES, a company that sells gift baskets online. COUNTRY ACRES has a rich history, starting out in the 1970s as a retail store in malls. The COUNTRY ACRES retail stores sold primarily summer sausages, smoked meats, cheeses and crackers.

You are the director of marketing for DO WELL INDUSTRIES, a nonprofit organization that provides community-based programs and job training for people that have circumstances that might prevent them from gaining employment, such as developmental disabilities, criminal record, or lack of education. DO WELL is funded by a large network of retail thrift stores that operate as nonprofits, as well.

In an attempt to raise voter turnout in the next elections, WASHER COUNTY election officials have hired you to create a promotional plan that will encourage 18-24 year-olds in the county to register to vote and to vote.

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Get the latest news, important notifications, weekly case study and more delivered in your inbox.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

PREPARING EMERGING LEADERS + ENTREPRENEURS

Career development resources for marketing, finance, hospitality, management, entrepreneurship and personal financial literacy.

Innovative Career Development Resources

Aligned to National Curriculum Standards and Career Clusters®, DECA+ offers case studies, exams and project exemplars to easily incorporate into classroom instruction and help DECA members learn industry-validated knowledge and skills standards. These learning standards are current, relevant and aligned to what business says is important for success in the workplace.

Learn more about DECA+

Take a look for yourself.

View the video to get a preview of all the features DECA+ has to offer. Share with your administration how DECA+ is an instructional resource that integrates into your classroom instruction.

CLASSROOM INTEGRATION

Bring your classroom to life.

• done Nearly 100 case studies and exams to easily incorporate into classroom instruction
• done Exemplar research projects, business plans, integrated marketing campaigns, project management plans and more
• done Aligned to National Curriculum Standards and Career Clusters®

STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING

Learn anytime, anywhere, at your own pace.

• done Explore career fields and industry trends
• done Master key industry terminology and key performance indicators
• done Learn strategies for test taking, executive summaries, presentations and more

Competition Prep

Everything you need in one place.

• done Get help selecting a competitive event that will motivate you
• done Access all the 411 for your competitive event in one place
• done Engage in interactive preparation tools

NEW, GAME CHANGING PRICE

$295 annual subscription per deca chapter.

• done Includes 2023 association and ICDC exams (14 total), 2023 association and ICDC scenarios (81 total), and sample entries from 2023 ICDC written event winners (31 total) — a previous value of over $600 — plus so much more!
• done Members can simultaneously access the resources on multiple devices
• done All subscriptions expire June 30 of each year 

DECA+ ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY ‍ A DECA+ subscription is required for each DECA chapter wishing to access the resources within the DECA+ site. The login is to be used only by the chapter and its members, and the login cannot be shared beyond the chapter. Under no circumstances may any of the content, including but not limited to exams, scenarios or sample written entries, in whole or in part, or any item within be published or posted on any website. Under no circumstances may any of the content, including but not limited to exams, scenarios or sample written entries, in whole or in part, or any item within be shared or distributed beyond the specific DECA chapter that has purchased the subscription.  Any chapter(s) which violates the DECA+ distribution and use policy will not be allowed to participate in the current school year’s chartered association conference or the International Career Development Conference. If any exams or scenarios are posted on a chapter or chartered association website in way outside of the distribution and use policy, the chartered association will not be eligible to purchase exams or receive scenarios from DECA Inc. for a period of one year for the first offense. Furthermore, further access to DECA+ by the chapter(s) in violation will be prohibited effective immediately for a period of no less than three years.

Your DECA Role-Play Roadmap

Many of you are already starting to prepare for the upcoming DECA competitions in hopes of eventually making it on state during #DECAICDC!

You may have found yourself wondering the best way to ace your role-play. Well have no fear, because I have outlined my top role-play tips that you need to know when walking into the competition room!

Here’s a role-play template you can use as a guide, plus some extra tips and tricks you can use to impress your judge.

Role-Play Presentation Outline + Tips

1. introduction (0.5 minutes).

• Firm handshake, eye contact, smile
• Introduce your name, position, and purpose of your presentation
• Sit up straight, keep your hands on the desk (never on your lap)
• Thank the judge for their time

2. Roadmap (0.5 minutes)

• Tell the judge what you will be talking about (this prepares them for the content of your presentation)
• List out all five to seven performance indicators in order, and how they relate to the case study at hand
• Tell them that at the end of the presentation, after you’ve talked about the PI’s, you will give your thoughts on what should be done to solve the case study

3. Performance Indicators (2.0 minutes)

• I highly suggested to go in the order that is presented to you on the case study sheet
• Always answer the questions: “Why does this performance indicator matter to the judge? Why does it matter to this particular case study?”
• Present your solution for the case study
• Use the performance indicators you talked about to back up your choices
• Why do you believe your solution is the best solution for the company?

4. Solution (4.0 minutes)

5. summary (1.5 minute).

• Briefly sum up the performance indicators
• Summarize the highlights of your proposed solution

6. Outro (1.5 minutes)

• Thank your judge for their time
• Formalities: “I hope my proposed solution will help elevate your company; I wish you well in the future,” or something of that nature
• Politely ask the judge if they have any questions (they will almost always have questions)
• When answering questions, think while you talk – do not pause for too long to think of an answer
• Final handshake, and remember to push in your chair

Here are my top five tips and tricks when it comes to doing role-plays:

• Wearing a watch allows you to keep track of your time during preparation and the actual presentation.
• Make use of scrap paper! Organize your notes so you can easily access information you’ve written down.
• Give yourself 30 seconds at the end of the prep to review everything you have before meeting with your judge.
• Props are 100% personal preference. Some people have done extremely well with them, and others have done well without them. Only use them if you know they will enhance your presentation. (Graphs/charts can be useful in visually presenting your ideas) Remember that no props can be pre-made! You must create your props during your role-play preparation time.
• Bonus: Keep up with recent news! There’s always something you can use for role-plays.

I hope that these tips and tricks help you all own your next DECA role-play!

Discussion Questions

Classroom connection, career cluster:, instructional area(s):, performance indicators:.

Get Ready for Round Two of the DECA Virtual Business Challenge

The DECA Virtual Business Challenge (VBC) is an official competitive event free to high school members and hosted by Knowledge Matters. The event is based on the Virtual Business series of simulations and offers over $20,000 in scholarship money.

Test Your Skills with the Stukent Social Media Marketing Challenge

Do you have what it takes to be a successful social media marketing professional? The Stukent Social Media Marketing Challenge is your chance to compete using a social media marketing simulation.

Participate in the Knowledge Matters Digital Presentation Skills Challenge

The DECA/Knowledge Matters Digital Presentation Skills Challenge will test your skills at creating and delivering a digital presentation.

Demonstrate Your Knowledge with the Unreal Campaign Video Challenge

The Amazon and INTA Unreal Campaign Challenge provides the opportunity for students to speak directly to their peers about the dangers of counterfeit products.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

WMU finance student wins international scholarship from DECA

Natalie Ferriell

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University student Natalie Ferriell, a finance major from Grand Rapids, Michigan, has received a $5,000 international scholarship from DECA. The Anderson Business Advisors Scholarship was awarded to just two college students in 2024.

Involved in DECA during high school, Ferriell decided to continue participating at the collegiate level. DECA at WMU provides valuable hands-on experiences for students, including competitive events, so they can build their business skills using real contexts and challenges.

Career development opportunities and overall self-assurance are prime reasons that many students become involved, including Ferriell.

“DECA at WMU has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally,” she says. “I took on a leadership position in our organization, which taught me a lot about myself and how I work with others. In addition, I have learned to have a lot of confidence in myself as a professional.”

Forging relationships with students across the college through DECA has been a high point for Ferriell, who has worked with peers to grow the membership by more than 100% in the 2023-24 academic year.

Ferriell, along with 93% of the DECA at WMU members, qualified for international competition this year, with the competition taking place in late April. Heading into the competition, the scholarship announcement gave her a surge of pride and motivation, she says.

“I was overwhelmed and excited when I found out I was awarded the scholarship,” she says. “It was very competitive and required an extensive application. The funds will help me financially in my senior year, taking away some of the stress that the cost of college creates. It’s a great feeling to see your hard work recognized, and I am even more determined to show all WMU can do in the international competition.”

Ferriell has been a dynamic force within DECA at WMU, according to chapter leaders.

“I was absolutely thrilled to see Natalie recognized with this award,” says Scott VanAvery , manager of recruitment and outreach for WMU Haworth and co-advisor for DECA at WMU. “Winning this scholarship is a testament to her hard work, dedication and exceptional talent. Natalie's success reflects not only her brilliance but also the strength of our DECA program and the support system we've built here in only two years. It's moments like these that truly validate the impact that WMU Haworth has on the development of the next generation of business leaders. Natalie's award is a source of inspiration for our entire DECA team, and I couldn't be happier for her.”

Pairing a finance major with minors in accountancy and general business, Ferriell has been on the dean’s list every semester of her college career. This past February at the Michigan DECA State Career Development Conference, she placed first in the corporate finance individual case study event and in the top six in the sports marketing team case study event. In 2023, she finished in the top five in the managerial accounting case study event at the DECA International Career Development Conference.

She is the vice president of the Financial Services Association, treasurer for DECA at WMU, a member of Delta Sigma Pi and a voting member of the Western Student Association. She has completed internships at Centric Brands and Zhang Financial. Ferriell works as a financial planning assistant at Zhang Financial and a business operations assistant for the Division of Student Affairs at WMU.

After graduation, she aims to work for a wealth management firm, obtain her CFP license and pursue a master's degree in economics.

Learn more about DECA at WMU .

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