CCIM’s student-led media sales and strategic communications agency, The Agency at Cardinal Media, is partnering with a class in the Miller College of Business to expand their annual Cardinal Coupon Book.
With 7,500 copies distributed to Ball State faculty, staff, and students as well as summer campus visitors, the coupon book allows local businesses to bring in more traffic while giving students the opportunity to immediately apply the skills they’re learning in class in a meaningful way.
“Students are getting an incredible, real-world opportunity to practice their skills by selling ad space for a live client,” Associate Lecturer and Director of the Center for Professional Selling Chris Wilkey said. “They aren’t just learning theory in the classroom; they are navigating real sales conversations, building relationships, and understanding client needs in a professional setting.”
Wilkey’s Marketing 432 Experiential Sales class will assist The Agency, housed in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, by contacting non-contract clients on The Agency’s behalf to sell ad space in the 2026 Cardinal Coupon Book.
“This initiative will benefit The Agency by utilizing students with a professional selling background to expand our client reach and improve communication with current and prospective clients,” said Jenna McDowell, director of advertising and business development for The Agency.
Blog by Amelia Harker (Strategic Communication: Public Relations ’27)
Photos by Keith Rinker (Department of Media, ’23 & ’26)