.png)
Words by: Gabs Cawili, Psalm Choco, Andrea Ebdane, Alexa Thea Garcia, and Lia Javier
Art by: Ali Fordan, Sam Julian, Triste Norberto, and Rachel Ogsimer
We are living in the age of the new normal: an age that demands for adaptation and innovation. Every semester, UP JMA holds a university-wide application process introducing students from various disciplines to the world of marketing. In this process, applicants are met with different tasks to develop their marketing competencies, promote relevant causes through actionable solutions, and build meaningful connections. With this, shifting the application process to an online setting was one of the many ways UP JMA has adapted to the new normal—providing new experiences, while offering the same excellence through our thrusts: Academics, Service, Socials, and Sports.
Academics
To develop the applicants’ skills in Integrated Marketing Communication and event-mounting, the organization traditionally conducts various Marketing Activities for the applicants; then at the end of the semester, they hold their own event. This semester, UP JMA introduced the Marketing Education Program (MEP) to equip applicants with the skills needed to execute relevant and innovative ideas in the business world despite remote learning.
The MEP modules included a Political, Economic, Social and Technological (PEST) framework analysis analysis, a market segmentation, a "big idea" pitch for prominent companies in the country, and their very own event pitch. Despite the outputs being grounded in marketing concepts, applicants from non-business courses were also able to navigate their way through the modules with ease. The different prompts of the MEP, as well as the Zoom talks given by JMA members to further acquaint the applicants on what concepts to apply, ensured that the learning process was as smooth and immersive as possible given the current online limitations such as connectivity issues.
Despite these setbacks, they were able to deliver substantial outputs and successfully pitch their big idea presentations in front of a panel of judges. When asked about her experience working in her group, Asianna Taulava, a Sports Science sophomore shared: “Doing the MEP taught me people skills—how to be more considerate, how to be more empathic, [and] how to be more accepting of other people’s ideas. It’s not really your idea that’s going to win the pitch—it’s going to be a combination of everyone’s ideas.”
The MEP modules also taught applicants how to apply marketing concepts in their classroom learnings and in their everyday lives. According to Aly Castillo, a Public Administration freshman: “One of my key takeaways is that empathizing with and analyzing your market is one of the most important steps in order to efficiently sell your product. I also learned how important it is to always think out of the box and step out of your comfort zone from time to time to make the most out of the opportunities given to you... I also gained a brief understanding of creating big ideas, which must be succinct in capturing the essence of a marketing campaign,” she shared.