The Ken Bernhardt AMA Atlanta, Outstanding Collegiate Marketer Award, is designed to highlight critical individuals driven to make a difference in the marketing industry. AMA Collegiate Members have the opportunity to be recognized by some of Atlanta’s best marketing professionals.

In 2026, three college marketing students will be awarded from the Ken Bernhardt endowment fund. A maximum of (1) winner will be selected per college or university. The total amount of scholarships to be awarded is $10,000, with the following payment structure.

• $5,000 – 1st Place winner
• $3,000 – 2nd Place Runner-Up
• $2,000 – 3rd Place Runner-Up

To be considered for the award, students must meet the following criteria:

All awards will be announced via email.

QUALIFICATIONS TO APPLY

• Must be a member of both your Georgia collegiate chapter and AMA Nationals
• Your chapter advisor or marketing department lead will need to email Jamal Harris (JamHarris832@gmail.com) to confirm your active status.
• Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Must be in good standing with your college/university
• Must be a student in marketing demonstrating key skills required of marketing leaders
• Must complete and submit the Ken Bernhardt AMA Atlanta Scholarship – Strategic Marketing Plan Assignment (Details below)

AWARD DETAILS AND DEADLINES

• All applications need to be submitted by Friday, April 3, 2026.

HOW TO APPLY

Please fill out the scholarship application here. Both the application and confirmation of AMA active status must be submitted by Friday, April 3, 2026.

Feel free to reach out to Jamal Harris at JamHarris832@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.

Background

Imagine you have been selected as a student marketing consultant for a local Atlanta-based small business or nonprofit organization that wants to increase awareness and engagement among college students.

The organization has a limited budget and needs a clear, actionable marketing plan that can realistically be implemented within 6 months.

Your task is to develop a concise, strategic marketing plan that helps this organization grow its presence and connect with college students.

Assignment Components

1. Identify a local Atlanta-based small business or nonprofit organization.
   a. Provide a small write-up of why you chose this business/organization
2. Target Audience & Insights
   a. Clearly define your target audience
   b. Identify key insights and the value of the audience
3. Marketing Strategy
   a. One primary goal
   b. Describe the tactics you would implement and why
4. Content Example
   a. Provide an example of 1-2 social media posts (include all the components)
5. Measurement & Results
   a. Explain how you would measure success and metrics used

Submission Guidelines

• Presentation deck format (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, etc.)
• Submit as PDF
• Maximum 5 slides
• Use visuals where possible
• Keep it clear, focused, and concise