Manhattan University Analytics Competition
Otterbein University has participated annually in the Manhattan University Analytics Competition since 2017. The competition typically focuses on issues related to public policy, societal good, and institutions. Recent topics have centered on understanding pandemics, predicting energy consumption, and allocating federal funding for primary and secondary education. Participation remains open to any student who maintains full-time status as of the Spring term, regardless of major.
In late January or early February, the team receives a dataset and has roughly three months to organize and analyze it. A poster submission is due in April or May, and the competition takes place in May. In the 2021 competition, the event was held virtually as a one-day competition. Teams presented in the morning heat and the finalists presented in the afternoon heat. Starting in 2023, the competition returned to its in-person format, hosted at the Manhattan University campus.
In 2019, the Otterbein team finished fifth and earned hardware. In 2022, the team placed seventh out of 30 teams. Most recently in 2023, Otterbein’s team received the Honorable Mention for Best Poster award. Participation is open to any undergraduate student who is pursuing a degree full-time at Otterbein. Recent participants of Otterbein students are from marketing and business analytics programs at the Department of Business, Accounting & Economics. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Dr. Brian Weikel.
Digital Marketing Competition
Otterbein University has participated annually in the Digital Marketing Competition (DMC) since 2023. Hosted by Purdue University Northwest’s College of Business, it is an international event designed to provide undergraduate students with practical experience in digital marketing. Participants form teams of 2–4 students to develop comprehensive digital marketing strategies for real-world clients. The competition unfolds in multiple stages:
- Registration: Teams register and receive a case study detailing the client’s marketing challenges.
- Round 1 – Video Pitch: Teams create an 8-minute or shorter video summarizing their proposed digital marketing strategy, which is evaluated by industry professionals.
- Finals – Client Presentation: Selected finalist teams present their strategies directly to the client via Zoom, competing for prizes and recognition.
Judging criteria focus on research quality, owned and paid media strategies, media planning, and evaluation metrics. Recent clients included Plantennas, The Linz Shop, Radio Flyer. Participation in the DMC offers students a unique opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real business scenarios, enhancing their experiential learning. Within a typical budgetary constraint of $250,000 for 12 months, students engage in tasks such as conducting primary and secondary research, developing digital marketing strategies, and utilizing industry-standard tools like SEO analyzers and content marketing platforms to aim at targeted KPIs.
In 2023, congratulations to Abby Chappell (Business Admin & Management), Saba Arraleh (Business Admin & Management), and Sophie Fojas (Marketing) for placing in the top 25 out of over 240 competitive teams from all over the world. Reflecting on three months of teamwork, the three-member team encouraged BAE students to “think outside the box, be prepared, get creative, and stay organized. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Dr. Yiyuan (Ava) Liu.
2023 Otterbein Student Participants from left: Shep Marty, Beth Thompson, and Hannah Stapp, with Otterbein Trustee Pete Bible
2023 Manhattan University Analytics Competition Participant
- Hannah Stapp, ‘23
Business Analytics and Marketing double major
Data Science. Economics, marketing analytics minors
Job placement: FSO Technology Consultant at Ernst & Young Global Limited - Beth Thompson, ‘23
Business Analytics major
Spanish & Latin American Studies and Data Science minors
Job placement: United Concordia Dental as a Business Systems Analyst - Shep Marty, ‘23
Business Analytics major
Sport Management minor
Job placement: SAP associate at NTT Data
Student Participants
2023-2025
All students in MKTG 3800 Digital Marketing course
2022
Morgan Limmer
Hannah Stapp
Ryan Estes
2021
Victoria Eastep
Alex Keister
Lauren Kess
Patrick McFarland
2020 (Cancelled)
Kyle Deep
Vincent Masoni
Ben Sauter
Jaden Walton
2019
Ahmad Ahmad
Montana McKnight
Bryce Perram
Alexandra Schmitter
2018 (Team A)
Hannah Eliades
Adam Grumman
Kyle Minyo
Hannah Strack
2018 (Team B)
Tyler Grover
Alexandra Schmitter
2017
Jacob Watson
Grayson (CCAD)