Media planning is an important, yet sometimes overlooked, aspect of advertising. Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication makes an effort to ensure that students understand how vital this underappreciated element can be. 

“It is a small part of the advertising ecosystem, but a vital part, because that’s where budgets are effective or ineffective,” said associate professor Alison Ebbecke. “Depending on how strategic the planning is, and when it comes down to clients at the end of the day, they want to make sure that their dollars are being spent effectively."

Each year, Ebbecke invites students to participate in the Washington Media Scholars Foundation (WMSF) Media Plan Case Competition. This multi-round competition takes place during the full academic year. Twelve students on six teams competed from Temple, and all of them qualified for the semifinals. Only 40 teams out of hundreds of schools advanced to the semifinal round, and Temple advanced more teams than any other institution.

Marie Suttmann, a senior advertising major with a concentration in account management, and Dylan O’Neill, KLN ’25, advanced to the finals, getting a week-long, all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. After presenting in the Capital One Arena, they were awarded first–runner-up.

WMSF exists to grant opportunities to students in the media. They offer numerous scholarships, opportunities to network and initiatives like the Case Competition.

At the start of each academic year, professionals in WMSF create a hypothetical scenario for the Media Plan Case Competition. They often base the scenario on real-world circumstances. This year, students were to establish a stance either in favor of or against clean energy in Arizona and create a media plan for their position. Participants spend months researching, laying out budgets and exploring the best way to approach the challenge.

With Ebbecke at the helm, Temple has participated in the competition for the past six years. She believes the competition offers a great chance for students to dip their toes into the professional world.

“To have an opportunity for students to step into that space and really show off the skills that they’ve gained in our program, in a media planning-focused competition, is really wonderful,” said Ebbecke.

When Suttmann was first recruited to participate in the case competition, she was eager but did not expect anything to come out of it.

“I did not think I would advance at all,” said Suttmann. “I was really busy at the time, and Dylan and I were just trying to get it all done. We both did not think we were going to advance, so we were pretty shocked.”

Before Suttmann and O’Neill presented their media plan, they were treated to the full D.C. and media industry experience. From touring monuments at night to being featured in a commercial shoot, students had the opportunity to soak in as much professional knowledge as they could.

“The week was so jam-packed,” said Suttmann. “It was back-to-back. You were waking up at 7 a.m., and you didn’t get back to the hotel until 9 o’clock at night. Then, you woke up and did it all again the next day.” 

The students were also given the opportunity to network with industry professionals from companies like iHeart Media, NBCUniversal and The Washington Post. It was Suttmann’s favorite part of the week, as she felt a sense of belonging among the professionals.  

“Once you get to this week in D.C., it’s really about that next step, that foray into your professional career,” said Ebbecke. “They’re introducing you to the people you would want to [have an] interview with.”

The networking opportunities are Ebbecke’s favorite part of the finalist round as well. She loves seeing students showcase themselves and the skills they learned at Temple.

“That’s what I’m in it for, is to hear about those exciting experiences, all the people they’re meeting and all of the industry professionals who get to see the quality of students that walk out of Temple’s doors,” said Ebbecke.

During this networking time, competitors are still immersed in their cases. They get thrown a “curveball” during the week that changes an aspect of their case. This year, an extra million dollars was added to the budget, and participants had to find a way to spend it. In addition, the presentation order is announced the night before the presentation day. At 9 p.m., Suttmann and O’Neill found out that they were given the first slot—presenting at 8 a.m.

“I was terrified…we were presenting at 8 a.m. We had a curveball thrown at us halfway through the week, so we had to readjust our presentation for that,” explained Suttman. “It was a lot of tweaking up until the last minute. Like, literally midnight, the night before the competition. It was very nerve-racking, running on not a lot of sleep.”

Despite their feelings before, Suttmann and O’Neill felt as confident as ever after they presented. Suttmann explained that at one point she saw all of the judges smile, and she knew that they had done a great job.

“The fact that Dylan and Marie walked into that room with such confidence and poise; it almost brought tears to my eyes,” said Ebbecke. “They killed it. They knew the material. They brought the competition and really set that bar high for the rest of the teams.”  

Though they felt confident, Suttmann and O’Neill were still thrilled when they heard the  announcment that they won second place.  

“It was really nice to just be rewarded and recognized because we put months of hard work into that,” said Suttmann. “It was a reward in itself just to be able to be there for the week. But getting to actually get recognized for our hard work and become a runner-up, it was a great feeling.”

What made the honor extra-special was that it was presented by a former Owl. Mia Iannucci, KLN ’24, was a finalist at the 2022 Media Planning Case Competition and returned this year as a featured speaker.  

“Once you’re involved in this community, you’re involved for life,” said Ebbecke. “I have students who participated back in 2019 who still give advice to upcoming participants.”

Suttmann recommends getting involved with the WMSF. She networked with professionals she would not have met without attending the Media Plan Case Competition. The hands-on experience also helped her realize that she wanted to pursue advertising sales as a career path.

“If you have the chance to get involved with the [WMSF], do it, because they do their best to help students all over the country,” said Suttmann. “They try to take them to the top and meet the people they need to meet.”

Ebbecke said that often it’s easy to become cynical in advertising and marketing but seeing students like Suttmann and O’Neill succeed brings her back to what really matters. These moments are why she teaches—and why she teaches at Klein College.  

“Temple Owls are the best media talent out there,” Ebbecke said. “Which I knew, but now the world knows.”