Liquid Interactive, a premier marketing and tech agency in the Lehigh Valley, recently concluded its sixth annual Liquid Digital Marketing Award competition, a special event that allows Kutztown University students to apply their digital marketing know-how. This year’s winner was junior Brittany Arentz, a marketing and finance major pursuing a minor in social media theory and analytics.
Top-three finalists included senior Erica Bottjer and junior Alisea Munshower. This year’s competition was held virtually.
Each year, Liquid partners with one of its clients to present Kutztown University students with a real-world challenge that they must respond to with a digital marketing campaign. This competition gives students an opportunity to put their classroom skills to the test, think outside the box and meet and network with agency and business professionals.
Students first submit a written campaign plan, which includes goals, target audiences, identification of campaign channels and how they will be used, and lastly, how they plan to measure the campaign to show impact. Three finalists are chosen by Kutztown University faculty, who then move onto a final round in which they present and do Q&A with a panel made up of subject matter experts.
While all three finalists receive a monetary prize, it’s up to the panel to determine which of the three finalists place first and is able to partake in a Job Readiness Session with the Liquid team.
This year, Liquid partnered with its client Blue Ridge, a regional internet and TV provider that’s been at the forefront of communication technology since the 1950s. Students were asked to create a digital marketing campaign plan promoting their soon-to-be-launched TV product.
Liquid has an established relationship with Kutztown University. Led by CEO Jim Ludlow, chair of KU’s Council of Trustees, Liquid has many Kutztown University alumni among its team and Liquid’s internship program has seen a number of Kutztown University students across all of its departments.
