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Honda owners have a love affair with their cars – or so says the School of Business’ basic marketing management class.

Students in the marketing class are part of semester-long competition to design Honda’s new marketing campaign for the 2010 Insight. If the group wins the competition, its advertisement will be used by Honda to sell the car.

The class’s theme is “she loves me, she loves me not,” said Tyler McPherson, a part of the class’s Public Relations department.

The class designed its advertisement after conducting research asking 18- to 29-year-olds to identify automobile characteristics that were important to them. Responses included iPod connection capabilities built into the car and ways of maximizing fuel efficiency, McPherson said.

“The campaign can be applied in so many ways, from the Insight being environmentally-friendly to being wallet-friendly, which is really important to the college students we are aiming our advertising at,” he said.

The annual competition includes universities such as New York University and University of Southern California and is sponsored by EdVenture Partners, a California-based group that works to partner universities with businesses to collaborate on marketing strategies.

Students presented an overview of their marketing strategy, including the research conducted, campaign strategy and finances to EdVenture and Honda representatives. McPherson said that EdVenture Chief Executive Officer Tony Sgro was particularly impressed with the student plan, saying they were “well on the right track” at this point in the competition process and noting his appreciation that the class had already conducted a focus group to confirm its marketing strategy.

With the approval of the executives, the students will now begin to implement their campaign on campus. Their street team of marketers will be seen around campus in the coming weeks advertising the Insight. Marilyn Liebrenz-Himes, the class’s professor, said the students will bring two Insights to campus, something she says is a mark of creativity.

“These students are so creative. I am just impressed with the way they have jumped on the product,” Liebrenz-Himes said.

At the end of the semester, regional executives will determine if the group will proceed to the next level of the competition. If they do, some members of the group will be flown to Los Angeles. Here, the marketing plan and results of the project will be presented to the Honda’s CEO. The winner of the competition will be selected on after that presentation.