DECA Direct | January-February 2016 by DECA Inc.

DECAdirect JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016

MILLENNIAL MARKETING www.decadirect.org

DECA DIRECT

ADVICE TO MAKE AN IMPACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAKE #CTEMONTH EPIC

DON’T WAIT UNTIL MAY TO START YOUR JOB SEARCH

EDITORIAL

Publisher Paul A. Wardinski Editor Christopher Young Managing Editor Janelle Scudder Editorial Committee Jeff Collins, Sarah Williams Advertising Cindy Allen, Nick Edwards Design Frank Peterson

3 ICDC PREP BEGINS NOW

DECA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS President Alec Romero North Atlantic Region Vice President Tara Nath Central Region Vice President Ashton FIlburn Southern Region Vice President Tyler McBee Western Region Vice President Marizza “Mitch” Mitchell

COLLEGIATE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS President Jaimie Thimmesh Rachie Vice President Savannah Bice Vice President Alura Carbrey Vice President Matt Weingard

5 MAKING A MARK IN THE WORLD OF MARKETING

AUTHENTIC BRANDING WITH USER GENERATED CONTENT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE DECA Direct Magazine 1908 Association Drive Reston, Virginia 20191-1594 communications@deca.org

DECA Direct (ISSN 1080-0476) is published four times each year—September/ October, November/December, January/ February and March/April. Copyright ©2016 by the Distributive Education Clubs of America, Inc., 1908 Association Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191-1594. All rights reserved. Annual non-member subscription rate is $5.00. Periodicals postage paid at Herndon, Virginia and additional mailing offices. $1.00 of membership fee goes toward subscription to DECA Direct, a publication of DECA, (USPS 566-200), Volume 4, Number 2.

PIPER JAFFRAY TEEN OPINION SURVEY

12 THE MAGIC OF MACY’S MARKETING STRATEGIES

18 DECA’S CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY BOARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

President Jacklyn Schiller President-Elect Kevin Reisenauer Secretary Pam O’Brien Members Marsha Bock, Shanna LaMar, Mary Peres, Ryan Witzig NAB Chair Ken DiSaia Ex-Officio Members Tammie Brewer, Wayne Kutzer Paul A. Wardinski

20 CHAPTER BUZZ

Postmaster—Send form 3579 for change of address to: DECA Direct, 1908 Association Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191-1594.

ADVICE TO MAKE AN IMPACT HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT

@alecdeca

JANUARY

11 15

Virtual Business Challenge Round 2 begins School-based Enterprise certification documentation due Student scholarship applications due online

23 26 30

Outstanding New DECA Chapter Advisor Award recipients due Outstanding DECA Chapter Advisor Award recipients due DECA Idea Challenge 2015 global winners announced DECA Emerging Leader Honor Award applications postmark deadline

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY IS CTE MONTH

3-7 5 22

Sports and Entertainment Marketing Conference, Orlando, FL Virtual Business Challenge Round 2 ends Piper Jaffray Taking Stock with Teens Spring Survey begins

One of the best real-world experiences I’ve been able to participate in during my time as a DECA member has been the opportunity to advocate to politicians, business professionals, and members of my community on behalf of DECA and Career and Technical Education (CTE). Although advocacy can be very beneficial to your chapter and the organization as a whole, it can also be a very daunting task. Therefore, I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned over the years. Don’t Be Nervous It’s not easy for anyone, especially a high school student, to speak to a state senator or the vice president of a large corporation. Even if you stumble your words or say the wrong thing, just keep going and stay calm. The person you’re speaking to will be impressed with your initiative and professionalism no matter what. Get On the Same Page Next, if you’re attending an advocacy meeting with a partner or group of DECA members, it’s important to make sure you’re all on the same page. Ask yourselves what your goals are for the meeting and how you plan on achieving them. Decide on Talking Points It’s also important when conducting a meeting as a team that you all decide on your talking points. If someone on your team has more experience in community service, then that person should speak on and answer any questions about that topic. Bring Handouts With You The person you’re meeting with is very important and therefore very busy. It’s a good idea to give him or her some sort of handout they can keep, as well as your contact information. This way they can go back and review what you discussed in your meeting and get in touch with you with any follow up questions. Be Professional Lastly and most importantly, stay professional. If you’re advocating on behalf of DECA, you are representing DECA’s image and the millions of DECA members. Continue the tradition and walk out leaving people astonished and excited to have met with such professionally responsible and exceptional emerging business leaders. CTE Month is all February long, so get out there and advocate for DECA!

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

ALEC ROMERO

ICDC PREP BEGINS NOW! COLLEGIATE DECA EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT

@jaimie_tr

JANUARY

15 26

Student scholarship applications due online DECA Idea Challenge 2015 global winners announced

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY IS CTE MONTH

1 5-7 15

Intent to Run for Executive Office Form due Collegiate Advisory Council Meeting, Reston, VA BE EPIC Membership Campaign Goal—membership increase Collegiate DECA membership submission and dues deadline for International CDC event competitors. Collegiate DECA Academic Honor Award applications due

Our favorite time of year is closer then we think— the 2016 Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference is right around the corner! As you begin to daydream about setting foot on stage at #DECAinDC and receiving recognition, it’s imperative to strategize and work hard to achieving this goal. To begin your journey to success, collect as many resources as you can about your competitive event. DECA Direct Online (decadirect. org) and the DECA website (deca.org) are two great places to start, but don’t stop there! Find teachers and professors that specialize in your event topic area, and see if they have anything to offer you. Find research online, books in the library and lectures on YouTube. Once you have gathered ample resources, create a study plan and try to gain a much deeper understanding of your event. You will be amazed by the knowledge that you will learn if you dedicate a couple hours a week to DECA materials. Besides knowledge of the topic, your presentation style and technique will be a huge factor in determining if you have a place on the stage in D.C. The more time you spend presenting to a variety of people, the more feedback and coaching you will receive. Take any and all feedback and implement these changes into your presentation. The more you practice and get comfortable with the material, the more impressive you’ll be during ICDC. At the end of the day, practice and preparation really do lead to success. I hope you take these next couple of months before ICDC to get prepared, and I can’t wait to see you on stage!

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

JAIMIE THIMMESH RACHIE

NOW TRENDING: #beDECAepic

[1] BALDWIN DECA

@baldwin_deca EPIC DECA selfie #DECAMonth #beDECAepic

[2] JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL DECA

@dragonsdeca Ending #DECAMonth with an EPIC DECA selfie #dragonsdeca #beDECAepic

[3] HARKER DECA

@harkerdeca #DECAMonth has come to a close and Harker DECA is happy to share this epic ICDC seflie! #beDECAepic

[4] ISSAQUAH DECA

@issaquahdeca Always reppin our DECA signs #DECAMonth #issaquahdeca #beDECAepic

[5] NORWICH TECH DECA

@ntdeca1 Day 27: your favorite DECA conference location #beDECAepic #DECAMonth ORLANDO, FLORIDA

[6] BASIC DECA

@basichs_deca Day 30. DECA picture. Had a great DECA Month. #decamonth @decainc @nvdeca #beDECAepic

[7] WAUSAU WEST DECA

@wwdeca DECA Month Challenge Day 30: An EPIC DECA selfie. #decamonth #decamonthchallenge #beDECAepic

[8] HIGHLEY DECA

@highley_deca My DECA mentor and advisor! #decamonth #beDECAepic @decainc

[9] CASSANDRA M.

@designer.mae Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a selfie for the last day of DECA Month! #DECAMonth @decainc #beDECAepic

[10] PITT DECA @pitt_deca [Day 29] DECA Diamond at the Texas Capitol. #DECAMonth #beDECAepic #austin

GET MORE DECA DIRECT ONLINE

2016 DECA Emerging Leader Honor Award Applications Now Available http://bit.ly/emerging2016

Who Should You Pick for Your DECA Competition Partner?

Do You Have What it Takes to Be a DECA Inc. Executive Officer?

http://bit.ly/comppartner

http://bit.ly/decaexec16

Share your photos all year long for a chance to be featured in the next issue!

decadirect.org

Tips to Navigating the College Admissions Process http://bit.ly/ decacollegeready

How to Balance Extracurricular Activities & Academics http://bit.ly/decabalance

MAKE #CTE MONTH

EPIC

An important aspect of being a DECA member is to advocate for the funding and continuation of the organization that provides a lasting impact to students around the world. Although this advocacy should occur throughout the year, February is specifically set-aside for members of all Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) to show their support for Career and Technical Education (CTE). During February, members from all eleven CTSOs are encouraged to reach out to their local, state and national representatives, asking for their support of CTE funding. My experiences through DECA have allowed me the unique opportunity to advocate for DECA at the local, state and national level. Here are three takeaways from my experiences to help you make #CTEMonth EPIC! 1) Organize your outreach materials to fit your audience. If you plan to make a presentation at your local school board meeting, make sure you know the number of students enrolled in a CTE course within your school district. Or if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sending a letter to your congressman, be sure to include CTE statistics that apply to his or her district, as well as on a national level. You can access this information at ctsos.org. 2) Balance statistics by sharing your unique DECA story and showcasing specifically how CTE and DECA have a positive impact on the future workforce. While advocating for CTE and DECA this past July in Washington, D.C., during the 2015 Emerging Leader Summit, I learned that terms like Career and Technical Education or Career and Technical Student Organizations get thrown around pretty often, to the point that many of the congressional staff I met with didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fully understand what those terms meant. The best thing you can do while advocating is to take those terms and equate them to your personal experience, sharing that Career and

Technical Education is more than a division within the Department of Education; it is engagement and applicable learning. 3) You do not have to know every statistic or figure to effectively advocate. Your personal story of how DECA has impacted you is more powerful than any statistic. While numbers and percentages are good to have, an authentic testimonial will show the true impact of CTE better than any fact sheet could. While it can be nerve-racking to present to a group of adults and government leaders, remember that you have a powerful story to share and your efforts could mean the DECA experience will be available to more students for years to come. So be prepared, be confident, and most importantly, show your community, state, and nation what it means to #beDECAepic this #CTEMonth!

TYLER MCBEE SOUTHERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT

@decavptyler

DON’T WAIT UNTIL MAY TO START YOUR JOB SEARCH

May 2016 is quickly approaching and that means the time for college students to begin scrambling to find a job or internship after graduation is nearby. In order to beat the madness of finding a job, seek and experience several internships over the course of your college career. This will give you a deeper understanding of what fields or industries you may or may not want to go into upon graduation. Top rated internship programs can give you an inside look into how a certain business or industry works, and this can help narrow your job search once you enter the “real world.” Some internships also lead to full-time job offers, giving you the advantage to start your career with a company you’re already familiar with and get a head start on your career before you even graduate.

Personal business cards are a must when looking for a job or promoting yourself through an internship. You may make a good impression on someone and that could lead to other opportunities for you, but you will need to be able to hand them a business card with personal or business contact information if you ever want to hear from them again. Also, do not be afraid to ask someone for their business card. You never know why you meet the people you meet, but it makes it a lot easier to remember people when you have their information in your hand. Many times, internships or jobs will provide business cards for you, but if you have not had an internship or job, then it is important to carry around personal business cards that state your school, major and contact information.

SAVANNAH BICE COLLEGIATE DECA VICE PRESIDENT

@decavpsavannah

The little things in your daily life can make a big difference in your professional career. Using LinkedIn once a day or handing out a business card to someone can make your internship or job search much easier. Don’t wait until you are handed your diploma to start looking for opportunities. Start now so that you can be more prepared once you walk across that graduation stage!

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

You can also use the tools you have to make your own path. LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly popular tool for employers to use for employee selection. It also gives you a chance to connect with people who are your age that could possibly refer you to internship and job opportunities. Anyone with a professional background should be using LinkedIn daily. Even if you have a job, it never hurts to connect and network with different people and this app makes it extremely easy to find the people and opportunities you need.

MAKING A

MARK

IN THE WORLD OF MARKETING JANELLE SCUDDER Communications Manager, DECA Inc.

Not many 10-year-olds know they want to pursue a career in marketing, but after spending a summer shadowing a marketing director at his parent’s engineering firm, Michael Barber was certain this was the industry for him. “It was basically love at first sight,” Michael recalled.

With a deep interest already invested in marketing, the decision to join the DECA chapter at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, Calif., was not a hard choice to make. “The DECA advisor there was an old family friend, so I think she actually called up my mom and told her I should be in DECA,” Michael said. Whether it was fate or just luck that brought him to DECA, joining as a freshman was a decision that impacted the rest of his life. “I took the competitions as seriously as I took the leadership opportunities,” Michael said. He racked up an impressive collection of DECA accolades during his four years as a member, including serving as the Southern California DECA Vice President and placing in the top 10 at DECA’s International Career Development Conference. While the awards were great to achieve, the real take away from Michael’s competitions and leadership experiences was a sense of confidence and comfort when speaking in public. “The biggest thing I got out of DECA was to be able to give a presentation or have a conversation without being uncomfortable,” Michael commented. “Throughout my career I have done many presentations and speaking engagements, and the reason why I love being up there [on stage] and the information comes across so well is because I have had that experience since I was 15 years old.”

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

“Many people don’t get that [public speaking] experience until they interview for their first job out of college and that can be really scary to someone who hasn’t been in that environment. As DECA members, we had to chance to [speak in public] three to four times a year through competitions, or even 20 times a year when you’re practicing for role-plays, and as a DECA leader, you’re always on stage doing awards or presentations. All that experience is just invaluable as a professional.”

Although Michael had known for years he wanted to go into the marketing industry, you may be surprised to find out he pursued a communications degree at the University of Arizona. “I think one of the biggest things students need to understand about the marketing industry today is that you don’t actually need a classic marketing or business degree,” Michael added. “To be successful in this field, you really need to understand consumer habits and what motivates people to buy products and engage with brands. Don’t worry about what degree you’re getting or where you’re getting it from, because there are so many avenues available to students to break into this industry.” While Michael has clearly had a life-long passion for marketing, he also had an entrepreneurial spirit that he couldn’t continue to ignore. In January 2015, Michael finally listened to all those people who kept saying, “You should be doing this for yourself!” and opened his own marketing firm, barber&hewitt. When asked why he decided to start his own business, Michael chalked it up to one notion: leaving a legacy. “I really wanted to build something that I could leave behind,” he said. “My parents were real examples of the American Dream – they immigrated to this country, built an incredible business and then sold it and left a great legacy for my sister and me. I realized I wanted to leave something behind too.” And while being a business-owner has been truly fulfilling, it hasn’t been without its challenges either. “The fear of thinking you’re doing everything wrong never goes away,” Michael commented. “I think that fear is always what motivates [entrepreneurs] to continue doing what they do though. It’s a constant opportunity to learn, and whether you’re right or wrong, it’s ok because you figure it out along the way.” As a life-long marketer, Michael finds that marketing to Millennials is a strange, new challenge for many brands. “This is probably the hardest or second hardest group for us marketers and business owners to understand,” he said. “The classic generation before us could be reached with traditional TV and radio, and the generation behind us are no longer using any of those traditional channels, but the Millennials are a mix between both of these. Trying to reach Millennials has given brands an opportunity to tap into different channels and platforms.”

Besides utilizing a mix of traditional and non-traditional platforms, the Millennial demographic also has a strong need for transparency with its brands then groups before them. “Brands have to understand that Millennials see through the noise and are consciously thinking about how good a product is or how it impacts our lives more than generations before us,” Michael added. “We won’t do business with a company that doesn’t have a solid product or reputation, and because of that companies can’t just sell with good marketing. The product has to be as strong.” While marketing to Millennials has brought industry experts new challenges, many marketing professionals like Michael are already looking down the road to the next, even trickier, group – the Digital Natives. “The biggest aspect about this group is going to be the cord cutting,” Michael said. “They are going to be the first wireless generation. They’re not going to have TV’s in their homes, but they’re going to consume content on YouTube and Vimeo, or Snapchat and Instagram, and that presents a whole different game for markets.” It’s pretty clear that Michael’s love for marketing has given him an incredible career and an exciting new business, but all of that would not have been able to happen without passion. “If you want to work in marketing, you need to work, live and breathe this business,” Michael advised. “You need to experiment and create your own product, or play with code and design and understand how they work together, because that will give you invaluable experience when you begin your career.” DECA members take note – the high-energy, creative, thoughtful and exciting world of marketing is just as awesome as it seems, and Michael Barber is living proof that drive, passion and a little DECA experience can take a 10-year-old’s dream and turn it into a legacy.

Michael suggests that in today’s world, you don’t need a marketing degree to be a successful marketer. What are three core business skills that you think are necessary to be successful in marketing, or any industry, in today’s economy? Michael explained some key differences between the Millennial demographic and the age group before them. What are some of those major differences that cause challenges for marketers trying to reach Millennials?

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

AUTHENTIC BRANDING WITH USER GENERATED CONTENT KAITLIN ANDREWS New Media Coordinator at Journeys

in the gallery and clicks on a photo, a light box will pop up with product detail information and the option to click through and purchase the product. For example, if one of the gallery photos is of a guy walking to class in red Converse All Star Lo sneakers wearing a Jansport backpack, click on that photo and an image of the exact shoe and backpack will appear with detailed information about the products as well as the option to shop them on Journeys.com. User-generated content is just one way in which we connect and engage with our audience. Knowing how important peers are as influencers in the purchasing process, it’s important that we’ve grasped the effectiveness of UGC through social media and leverage this dynamic content.

With that said, Journeys has taken notice of this trend and has thoughtfully shifted our social media content and analytics strategy to incorporate UserGenerated Content (UGC). From a branding and social media perspective, Journeys always strives to be authentic, creative, informative, engaging and/or entertaining. Usergenerated content is pretty much as “authentic” as it gets when it comes to social media. By re-posting content on our own social media channels that users have curated, this creates a bond between the Journeys brand and our consumers. It allows us to be an outlet for others to share content amongst their peers through the Journeys lens. UGC in many cases is a much more trusted form of media over brandcurated assets, especially during the purchasing process, because the end users actually generated the photos themselves, which allows our consumers to see our products in “real life.”

One way in which Journeys collects UGC is through our partnerships and relationships with the Vans Warped Tour, Alternative Press Magazine and the bands and record labels that we work with throughout the year. We also recently partnered with a visual marketing company called Olapic that focuses primarily on collecting, curating and measuring the success of usergenerated content. Olapic’s platform allows Journeys to obtain the rights and permissions to repurpose these photos in our marketing efforts. Our current ongoing campaign that we’re running through Olapic asks our followers on social media (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook specifically) to post photos of themselves wearing Journeys shoes and accessories and hashtag #MyJourneys. Journeys then collects these photos to regram, retweet and repost. Aside from social content, we’ve also expanded our strategy to incorporate these dynamic images in emails, catalogs, magazine ads, in-store signage and much more. We’ve even taken it one step further and integrated Olapic into our mobile and HTML website, which allows visitors to browse and shop the gallery of collected and approved photos. If a visitor is shopping

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

It’s no secret that teenagers are highly influenced by their peers, especially when it comes to fashion and retail purchases, and more than ever social media plays an extremely large role, mainly due to photo and/or video driven platforms such as Instagram, SnapChat, Vine and YouTube.

Ultimately, the landscape of social media and digital advertising is constantly evolving, and as a brand that markets to teenagers, our jobs at Journeys require us to not only stay current in social and digital industry trends, but also in the way we communicate and relate to our consumers. Keeping our social media goals top of mind: to be authentic, creative, informative, engaging and entertaining, we can easily maneuver and adjust our social strategy based on trends, while always staying true to the Journeys brand.

Be sure to follow Journeys on Instagram at @journeysshoes and Twitter @journeys. Share your own photos for a chance to be featured on journeys.com using #MyJourneys.

TEEN OPINION SURVEY

STEPHANIE WISSINK Piper Jaffray Inc.

The Piper Jaffray Teen Opinion Survey is distributed twice a year across the country in an effort to better understand the spending trends and habits of a mysterious and very important demographic: teenagers.

JANELLE SCUDDER Communications Manager, DECA Inc. “What’s unique about the teen market place or teens in general is that they are early adaptors of change and have entirely discretionary wallets,” said Stephanie Wissink, Senior Research Analyst and Co-Director of Research at Piper Jaffray. The Piper Jaffray Teen Opinion Survey has been distributed every six months for the last 15 years, and Piper Jaffray just celebrated its 30th semi-annual survey. The survey pre-dates Piper Jaffray’s partnership with DECA Inc., which began in 2001, and allowed Piper Jaffray to reach a broader national group of teenagers. The survey provides DECA members with a great illustration of market research, or consumer insight research as defined by Wissink. 18

“There are two main focuses for classic marketing research,” Wissink explains. “First, to identify trends or surprises in data, and second, to discredit or validate theories about a demographic group.” When a DECA member sits down to take the Piper Jaffray Teen Opinion Survey, their answers are directly impacting the decisions their favorites stores, brands and companies make.

Wissink explained that teens are what research call “reverse influencers.” Teens are very early adopters to new trends, whether it’s fashion, food or technology, and they are actually the ones influencing their parents’ buying habits. Despite the extensive research done to try to better understand teens, there are still some common myths surrounding this powerful group.

“The answers from our surveys are affecting strategy and helping large companies position themselves around emerging trends,” Wissink explained. “This is so important too because the emerging trends we’re seeing today are radically different from historical trends.”

“We hear a lot from investors that teens are not brand loyal, that they are fickle and flakey. They’ll abandon you if you don’t impress them. They’re more social driven rather than independent driven and they’ll do whatever they can to fit into the crowd or look like someone else,” Wissink said.

So why are retailers and brands so interested in understanding the trends and habits of the teenager demographic?

“In reality, teens are very savvy! They have a shopping mall in their pocket, they’re hyper connected, they use their friends to make decisions and

they can do it very quickly now. They’re incredibly focused on authenticity too. The biggest misconception is that teens are just looking for validation. Ten years ago they were more focused on the brand on their t-shirt, but today it’s all about being you.” The Fall 2015 survey results were released in October 2015 and Wissink elaborated on some of the most interested findings from thousands of DECA members’ answers.

Wissink continues to explain that understanding where teens are moving to in terms of social media platforms is very important for brands to know, because the conversations teens are having with one another on these platforms are very important. Beyond encouraging members to take the Piper Jaffray Teen Opinion Survey to continue helping retailers and companies improve their marketing strategies, these surveys offer DECA members an exceptional look into how real-world marketing research is conducted. “One thing we recommend teachers and advisors do after they have their students take our surveys is to talk with their classes about the questions and get students to think deeper about how the questions were asked and what

the questions might be indicating in terms of what we’re trying to discover,” Wissink said. “It’s during these debrief conversations about students’ experiences with the survey where we see big learning moments happen. The experience of taking the survey isn’t as rich as the follow up discussion of, ‘What do you think they were trying to discover?’” Do you want to help your favorite brands make decisions for the upcoming year and use your opinions to impact major companies’ marketing strategies? The 2016 Piper Jaffray Spring Teen Opinion Survey will be available in March and all DECA members are encouraged to participate! Keep an eye out for more information regarding the 2016 survey on decadirect.org. DECA chapters can also reach out to Piper Jaffray about having a representative come to your chapter to help students better understand the importance of market research and facilitate a post-survey discussion. For more information on scheduling a visit,

please email John Fistolera at john_fistolera@deca.org or Kathy Driscoll at kathleen.x.driscoll@pjc.com. What will teens be buying next fall? What social media app will teens be using next? Which stores, restaurants and experience will be the most important to teens? Only you can help Piper Jaffray answer these questions!

Stephanie used the term “reverse influencers” to describe how teens are now influencing their parents’ buying decisions. Explain a time when you influenced your own parents or a person from an older demographic to shop at a certain store or buy a particular product. The real learning experience doesn’t come from answering the survey, but from analyzing what the survey is asking and why. Beyond what stores and products are popular, what are some of the deeper insights that Piper Jaffray is trying to uncover in its survey?

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

“In the fashion category, we’re seeing athletic wear becoming very strong and is starting to coexist with denim. We’re also seeing a shift from products to experiences, so instead of “things I buy,” we’re now seeing more importance placed on “things I do,” like concerts. Lastly there’s a rise in the notion of finding places where teens can connect. We’ve found that as soon as a social media platform becomes shared between teens and adults, it’s no longer considered “safe,” and in return teens are abandoning platforms like Facebook and Twitter and turning to new ones like Snapchat.”

THE MAGIC OF MACY’S MARKETING STRATEGIES PAIGE ARMENT Moberly Area DECA Member + #DECANYC Social Media Team Member

Attendees at the 2015 DECA New York Experience were treated to a new conference program this year at Macy’s Herald Square, the largest department store in the world, with over massive 1.2 million square feet of retail space.

Throughout the year, depending the season and the sales going on, Macy’s can see 35,000 to 100,000 people each day! During the #DECANYC day at Macy’s, attendees learned that the iconic department store has three different marketing teams: parade, tourism marketing and development, and cause marketing. The parade team is in charge of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which boasts 8,000 participants, 4.5 million people in New York City lining the streets to watch and another 50 million people watching on television, making the parade one of the top five of most viewed broadcasts during the year. The parade team is also in charge of the flower show, where a few of Macy’s department store floors are transformed into a flower world. Along with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the flower show, the parade team at Macy’s also oversees the Fourth of July firework display in New York City. The tourism marketing and development team is in charge of making sure tourists in New York City go to Macy’s. One tactic the team uses is by giving a 10% discount to individuals who do not live in one of the five boroughs of New York City. This entices tourists to stop by Macy’s and pick up a treat (with a discount!) to commemorate their visit to the Big Apple.

Thank you to Macy’s for such an awesome day in New York City! It was certainly an EPIC experience that the 2015 DECA New York Experience attendees will never forget.

DECA members attending the New York Experience heard from Macy’s employees in the store’s new One Below space, a technique the flagship store in New York City’s Herald Square is using to give Millennial shoppers their own shopping environment. The 53,000 square-foot area in the store’s basement features a variety of technology and features hip to Millennials, allowing them to have a shopping experience that is about more than just buying clothes. One Below pulls together brands that resonate with the Millennial shopper, while also providing ways to engage with technology and even take a break from shopping – all in one space. In addition to a giant electronic interactive wall that displays Instagram posts, One Below also has a touchscreen “selfie wall” that rotates photos so Millennial shoppers can take their selfies in front of photos of various iconic New York City scenes. One Below also houses a 3-D printer and a variety of wearable tech items. And when the Millennials need a break from shopping, One Below has a food truck themed dining area full of colors, cool lighting and a variety of places to sit and eat, including picnic tables.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

The cause marketing team works with different charitable organizations throughout the year. For example, $1 goes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for every letter sent to Santa at a Macy’s store during the holiday season, and in October, Macy’s partners with the Pink Pony Foundation to support Breast Cancer Awareness.

DECA’s

CONGRESSION ADVISORY BOA

Dating back to as early as 1917, the United States adopted a national policy to improve domestic wage earning capacity, reduce unemployment and protect the national security. That policy, the Smith-Hughes Act, laid the groundwork for what we know, today, as Career and Technical Education.

Today, the Smith-Hughes Act is known as the Carl D. Perkins (Perkins) Act, and while it’s been updated to reflect today’s economy, the underlying philosophy remains the same – prepare our youth to be productive citizens and ensure that our economy has a talent pipeline.

Forward-thinking policy makers understand the national importance of ensuring that our youth are prepared with the knowledge and skills to make them productive citizens, and that our economy has a talent pipeline prepared to fill the next generation of jobs.

Career and Technical Student Organizations, like DECA, are recognized as an integral part of achieving Perkins goals. DECA is proud to be part of such an important public policy objective and routinely advocates for Perkins at the local, state and national levels.

As we prepare for DECA Advocacy Month, we encourage you to support our Perkins advocacy efforts. The primary way that you can help is by inviting your federally elected representatives and senators to join DECA’s Congressional Advisory Board (http://www.deca.org/congressionaladvisory-board/). Joining the CAB is a non-partisan, non-controversial statement that your elected officials support the citizenship and economic security goals of Perkins, and that they support CTE being taught within the schools in their communities.

Members of DECA’s CAB are listed on the deca.org website and in DECA’s International Career Development Conference program. DECA will also provide CAB members with updated information on the accomplishments of CTE and invite them to the annual meeting of DECA’s National Advisory Board. State and local outreach to build the CAB is critical. While DECA’s case is compelling, it is much more compelling when it comes from a constituent. That’s how we got our most recent members of the CAB – Congressman Mike Bishop, representing Michigan’s 8th District, and Congressman Bill Huizenga, representing Michigan’s 2nd District. We hope that you will follow Michigan DECA’s excellent lead and help DECA build its CAB membership. You can find more advocacy resources to help your efforts this February at http://www.deca.org/ congressional-advisory-board/. Have an EPIC Advocacy Month!

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

NAL ARD

Becoming a member of the CAB is easy! Simply have your representative(s) and senator(s) sign the CAB form available online at http://www.deca.org/ congressional-advisory-board/ and email it to DECA Inc. at communications@deca.org.

CHAPTER BUZZ ◀ PORTLAND DECA | Tennessee Chapter members showed off their best professional attire during the chapter’s first DECA Dress for Success Day.

▲ KLEIN OAK DECA | Texas These members shared some serious DECA spirit during DECA Day with the Houston Rockets. ▼ NAPERVILLE CENTRAL DECA | Illinois It was stranding room only at the Naperville Central DECA first new member meeting of the year, with 159 students in attendance!

▲ CADDO CAREER & TECHNOLOGY CENTER DECA | Louisiana Chapter members attended the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium DECA Day and learned about careers in sports marketing. ◀ MICHIGAN DECA | Michigan Michigan DECA association officers took the ultimate #MIDECA selfie with Rochester Adams DECA officers. The group had an excellent time at the 2015 Michigan DECA Leadership Conference in Detroit.

▲ TIMBERLAND DECA | Missouri Timberland DECA members showed some DECA love during their homecoming last fall.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

â&#x2013;˛ PAYSON DECA | Arizona Payson DECA made an EPIC Dumbo float from scratch for homecoming last fall. All of the hard work was worth it though and the chapter won first place in the homecoming float parade.

CHAPTER BUZZ ▼ FRENSHIP DECA | Texas Chapter members spent their Saturday morning conducting a clean up project for Buckner Children’s Home, cleaning and moving items from toilets to doors, and even washing machines.

▲ BROOKFIELD CENTRAL DECA | Illinois Chapter members prepared for a Miracle Minute for MDA at lunchtime during DECA Week last October.

▲ GILBERT DECA | Arizona Gilbert DECA members have an EPIC experience at DECAlympics 2015! ▼ ROCHESTER ADAMS DECA | Michigan Talk about international relations! Rochester Adams DECA members bring the diamonds to Haiti!

▲ TOWN CENTER DECA | Virginia Advanced marketing and entrepreneurship students were hard at work studying role-play scenarios regarding budget decisions with business partners.

◀ JUAN SUAREZ PELEGRINA DECA | Puerto Rico DECA members helped their community by packing faith, hope, joy, and a few other goodies, into shoeboxes! ◀ CHABOT COLLEGIATE DECA California Chabot DECA recently hosted its 6th annual conference, which brought together both high school and college members to work on a real-life case study.

◀ BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST DECA | Kansas Blue Valley Northwest DECA members and advisor Megan Trader had an EPIC time at the 2015 Central Region Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY | 2016

◀ HOLMEN DECA | Wisconsin Holmen DECA hosted the third annual Dancing with the Sports Stars event, where dance team members are paired with an athlete and compete to see who has the best dancing performance. The event raised over $9,000, which will be donated to a teacher in the school district who is battling cancer.

◀ DC EVEREST DECA Wisconsin Chapter members stayed busy selling spirit wear items out of their mobile school-based enterprise store. Location, location, location!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS BLAZER DEADLINE IS APRIL 8

The deadline for ordering the official competition blazer is Friday, April 8, 2016 to ensure delivery to your school by Monday, April 18, 2016. Another option is to prepay for your blazers and pick them up at ICDC. All payments must be received at DECA Images by close of business April 8, 2016. If you are unable to purchase a blazer by the deadline you can purchase one onsite in Nashville. Only students participating in front of a judge or appearing on stage will need an official blazer. DECA Images can NOT guarantee size availability-please order before April 8 to ensure you get the correct size!

BLAZER ONSITE SALES – LEVEL 2 REGISTRATION Friday Saturday Sunday Monday

April 22 April 23 April 24 April 25

12:00 PM - 9:00 PM 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

SALES TAX DUE:

If you wait to purchase your blazers in Nashville please be aware that we are required by Tennessee state law to collect sales tax on all items sold within the state. The tax rate is 9.25% (as of 11/1/2015).

RETURNS & EXCHANGES:

Proof of purchase will be required for all returns and exchanges. Blazers purchased through mail order that are in new, unworn condition and have their original tags in place may be returned or exchanged within 30 days of purchase. Blazers purchased onsite at conference may only be exchanged and a cash register receipt will be required.

TO ORDER:

DECA Images 1908 Association Drive Reston, VA 20191 PHONE: (703) 860-5006 FAX: (703) 860-4013 shopdeca_@deca.org Available Monday through Friday 8:30 – 4:30 EST

shopdeca.org

DECA Images