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W. P. Carey students pursue excellence in digital marketing, professional sales, and sports business

The Department of Marketing within ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business supports undergraduate students interested in pursuing specialized roles in digital marketing, professional sales, and sports business.

Sharon Liu

2025-01-14

The Department of Marketing within ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business supports undergraduate students interested in pursuing specialized roles in digital marketing, professional sales, and sports business. We provide comprehensive degree programs and opportunities to gain practical experience. Our faculty members, industry experts, and career coaches provide mentorship to help students thrive in their chosen paths.

From researching consumer behavior in the Robert B. Cialdini Behavioral Research Lab to developing commercials for the W. P. Carey School's Lions in the Desert brand building competition, we offer various experiential learning opportunities for students to foster their strategic thinking and creativity.

This article highlights a few of the unique ways that Department of Marketing undergraduate students can gain real-world industry experience that aligns with their career goals and interests and build lasting skills and connections.

Empowering digital marketing students

Students who enjoy being both creative and analytical have the potential to thrive in a digital marketing career. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is projected to grow eight percent between 2023 and 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. Digital marketing career paths include digital marketing strategist, content manager, social media manager, and SEO specialist roles.

The Department of Marketing within the W. P. Carey School assists students in exploring the digital marketing field with a practical degree in digital marketing and access to experiential learning opportunities. Our marketing professors help students stay on top of the latest digital marketing trends within the classroom and through advising student organizations.

To complement your classroom studies, get involved in a student organization to learn more about digital marketing and network with industry professionals:

• AdWorks connects students passionate about advertising, digital marketing, and design with top-tier advertising agencies and brand creative groups. Students can build their skills and expand their portfolio by working on projects for well-known brands such as Andy's, Dove, and Circle K. They gain valuable experience through mentoring and workshops led by industry experts. AdWorks is guided by Bret Giles and Nancy Gray, professors in the Department of Marketing, who provide leadership and support to this student-led agency.
• The American Marketing Association (AMA), guided by marketing professor John Eaton, offers students hands-on opportunities to learn core marketing principles while developing essential professional skills. AMA provides unique networking opportunities with industry professionals, allowing students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings and gain valuable insights into the marketing field.
• The Entertainment Business Association (EBA) is for students passionate about the business of creativity, including digital marketing for films, music, and visual arts. Marketing professor Elise Riker serves as the faculty advisor. A key draw for students is connecting with the entertainment industry via guest speakers, networking events, and opportunities to workshop and exhibit their creative abilities.

Another avenue for applying the latest digital marketing strategies is through competitions where students work on projects for actual companies. Marketing professor Dani Dong has helped students achieve notable success through her Social Media and Content Marketing course for the Digital Marketing Competition, an international competition for undergraduate students to pitch digital marketing strategies to real-life clients.

Competing against approximately 200 student teams, our students reached the final round in Spring 2023, placing 4th overall for their innovative go-to-market strategy and bringing valuable recognition to the skills they're developing in the Department of Marketing. They also received the "What's Trending" award for their dedication to showcasing impactful marketing trends and techniques. This distinction highlights the talent of our students and our commitment to teaching the most current marketing practices. "I'm so incredibly proud of how far we've come as a team and as individuals," says Natalie Jenq (BS Marketing '23) about her competition experience.

Once a year, the Department of Marketing hosts Agency Day, where internship-seeking or soon-to-be graduating marketing students are given an exclusive chance to learn about the amazing opportunities that exist for them with agencies focused on digital, media, strategy, account services, creative, social media, influencer, analytics, project management, and consulting. In 2024, hundreds of short informational interviews were conducted via Zoom with agencies located in Arizona, LA, and NYC, among other locations.

Students interested in studying abroad have the opportunity to be part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest and most influential festival of its kind. Marketing professor Nancy Gray and international programs coordinator Jasmin Hunter lead the program. Over three weeks in France, 20 students study how brand and agency leaders from top global companies execute brand strategy and connect with others passionate about brands and creativity. "After attending the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in France last summer, I realized that agency life was definitely for me. The workshops and talks were inspiring, and being around all that creativity made me sure this is where I belong," says Lindsey Lavine (BS Marketing '24) about her experience studying abroad.

Empowering professional sales students

Students who enjoy interacting with others and creating solutions are likely to excel in a professional sales career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of sales managers is projected to grow six percent between 2023 and 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. Sales career paths include sales manager, account manager, business development manager, and business analyst roles.

The Department of Marketing within the W. P. Carey School assists professional sales students with academic and professional experiential learning opportunities. We have a dedicated Professional Sales Corporate Board and Sales Advisory Council. These industry partners contribute to course design for our degree in professional sales, assist with strategic initiatives, and advise sales faculty members.

Our industry partners are also heavily involved with student organizations, providing networking and professional development assistance to active members of the ProSales Club and Sales Scholars program. The ProSales Club, advised by marketing professor Detra Montoya, offers students opportunities and experiences to help them launch successful sales careers. You'll interact with industry executives from the Professional Sales Corporate Board during speaker panels, professional development workshops, and career fairs.

While the ProSales Club is open to any business student interested in pursuing a career in sales, the Sales Scholars program is by application only. This exclusive program, advised by marketing professor Julie Nelsen, offers students networking and practical learning opportunities. Members of the Sales Advisory Council serve as mentors for Sales Scholars and help them with personal branding and career development. You'll attend skills-based focused workshops and speaker panels.

Both the ProSales Club and Sales Scholars program provide direct access to numerous collegiate sales competitions, where students sharpen their skills and network with recruiters from leading sales organizations. The Department of Marketing hosts a Speed Selling Competition, the Sun Devil Sales Pitch Competition, and the Arizona Collegiate Sales Competition (ACSC).

At our Speed Selling Competition each semester, students must complete a sales role play in under three minutes with an audience of industry representatives who serve as judges. The allotted time is even shorter at the invite-only Sun Devil Sales Pitch Competition. Top professional sales students give 2-minute pitches to a panel of judges from a sponsor company in a room full of sales recruiters and managers.

Our annual ACSC features student competitors from 15 universities, a corporate networking event with industry partners, a team presentation competition, and an individual sales role-play competition. The 2024 ACSC premier sponsor was Canon. In 2025, Canon will once again be the premier sponsor when the competition celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Beyond competitions run by the Department of Marketing, our sales students have competed in the International Collegiate Sales Competition, National Collegiate Sales Competition, Steel City Sales Challenge, Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up, Pacific Northwest Sales Competition, Global Bilingual Sales Competition, and more. In many of these events, they have earned recognition as high-achieving competitors, including several notable top-3 finishes.

Empowering sports business students

Students who appreciate the community aspect of sports and are interested in studying what makes teams and players stand out might enjoy a career in the rapidly growing sports industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for sports and entertainment occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations between 2023 and 2033. With opportunities related to sports business intelligence, sports revenue generation, sports brand marketing, and global sports events, sports business students have a variety of career paths available to them.

The Department of Marketing within the W. P. Carey School sets sports business students up for success with academic and professional experiential learning opportunities. With input from industry partners, our degree in sports business and experiential learning opportunities provide students access to real-world projects and networking, giving them a competitive edge when applying for internships and jobs. Undergraduate students who are actively involved in two major student organizations focused on sports business — the Sports Business Association (SBA) and the Sports Business Scholars (SBS) — gain valuable hands-on learning experiences.

The SBA is a student-led organization for students interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry. SBA works closely with Elana Kutz, the sports business program managing director of student and external affairs. You'll have the opportunity to meet new people and obtain internships and jobs by attending speaker panels, watch parties, job fairs, and outreach trips.

As a member of the SBA, you can attend an annual Sports Business Association Symposium where expert panelists discuss trending sports industry topics and their career paths. You'll gain industry knowledge while networking with sports professionals and your peers.

While the SBA is open to all students, the SBS is an exclusive program by application only for sports business students. The SBS offers targeted professional development and intensive mentorship opportunities. Accepted scholars are matched with a board member from the Department of Marketing's Sports Business Advisory Board or another sports industry executive to be their mentor.

A significant benefit of joining SBS is the opportunity to attend regular outreach trips, where you'll meet executives from the NFL, NHL, PGA, NBA, ESPN, and more. These executives share insights about how they arrived at their current positions and what daily operations look like in their organizations.

Our faculty, industry partners, and career coaches provide local, national, and global experiential learning opportunities through strong ties with sports organizations. Sports business students learn about the industry at all levels, with opportunities ranging from interning with the Arizona Cardinals or Phoenix Suns to pitching at the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC) to working guest services at the Super Bowl.

The annual NCSSC tests students on their sales skills in a sports setting and their ability to meet industry expectations during 20-minute role-play scenarios. "I hadn't previously considered a career in sales, but after doing this competition, I realized this is something I am good at and enjoy," says former finalist Kira Stanley (Sports Business/Marketing '22) about her sports sales competition experience.

A tentpole event that sports business students had the opportunity to experience through the Department of Marketing was the Paris Olympic Games. Twelve students learned real-world insights about global branding and sports marketing strategy on-site from industry leaders at companies like Visa, Airbnb, and Coca-Cola. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I could only dream of as a sports business major," says Paige Nielsen (BA Sports Business '25) about her educational journey abroad.

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