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Love Sells: What Valentine’s Day Teaches Us About Consumer Behavior
While Valentine’s Day is often viewed as a celebration of relationships, from a business perspective, it represents something else entirely: a powerful case study in consumer behavior.

Small Steps, Big Impact: Go the Extra During CTE Month
This month is your moment to step not only into the professional realm, but also the legislative realm. Here’s a look at how you can meet with your elected officials during CTE Month and beyond.

Super Bowl Advertising: Is It Worth It?
For DECA members, Super Bowl advertising demonstrates an important lesson: success is driven by preparation and strategy, not budget alone. Even on the biggest stage, impact depends on execution.

Mastering the Mindset for Competition
From your very first role-play to stepping into a final round at ICDC, that mix of excitement and anxiety is almost unavoidable. Being nervous can sharpen your focus, fuel your energy and push you to perform at your best.

How Every Student Can Advocate for CTE
Advocacy does not require a title, a podium or even a formal meeting. It starts with everyday actions and intentional choices that elevate the value of CTE in schools, communities, DECA and beyond.

From Career Clusters to Campuses: Navigating College Success with DECA
Ask almost any senior what they’re most nervous about when it comes to college, and you’ll probably hear the same answer: choosing a major. With so many options, it’s easy to make a decision. That’s where DECA makes a real difference.

Preparing for the Business World of 2026: A DECA Member's Guide
DECA members are preparing for careers in a world where yesterday's strategies cannot necessarily guarantee tomorrow's success. Here are three essential skills every member should implement to thrive in 2026 and beyond.

February is CTE Month: Tips for Getting Involved
Advocacy is something every DECA member can take part in. Check out these advocacy tips shared by DECA members who have seen firsthand how speaking up can create opportunities and protect funding.

Congratulations to the 2025-26 Nestlé Professional Solutions Beverage Marketing Challenge Winners
DECA and Nestlé are pleased to announce the winners of this year’s NPS Beverage Marketing Challenge.

5 Things I Learned as an Association Officer Outside the Classroom
Beyond the metrics and milestones, my greatest takeaways have been the lessons I learned along the way. Here are the five things that I definitely learned in DECA outside of the classroom.

Leadership in Action: Decision Making and Management in DECA
Learn from President and Executive Vice President of Winston Churchill DECA, Alina Choudhury and Mason Schiff, as they share insights into guiding their chapter and making decisions.

College is No Longer One-Size-Fits-All: How Students are Redefining Success Before Day 1
For decades, college success followed a familiar formula. Today, students are beginning to question that model. This shift is changing how students define college success, and it often begins well before students ever step onto a campus.

DECA and Piper Sandler Complete 42nd Semi-Annual Survey of 10,000+ U.S. Teens
DECA and Piper Sandler completed the 42nd semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens® survey. This survey highlights discretionary spending trends and brand preferences from more than 10,000 teens across the U.S. with an average age of 15.8 years.

Case Study of the Week: Keeping the Fixings Bar at Burger Country Fresh
You are to assume the role of the operations manager at Burger Country, a fast food restaurant with five locations that specializes in hamburgers. The owner of the company has asked you to explain operational considerations in a new portion of each restaurant called the “fixings bar.”

Case Study of the Week: Remarketing a Classic Shoe Store
You are to assume the role of a marketing communications consultant hired by Cost Less Shoes, a national chain of discount footwear for men, women, and children. The CEO of the company has hired you to develop a marketing communications plan that will remarket the brand.

5 Ways to Improve Your Prepared Event
Written events can be difficult to master. What does a winning project look like? What kind of before-hand preparation is required?

Improving the Employee Experience
This year's Business Operations Research topic focuses on ways to improve the employee experience. We visited with Intuit, Men's Wearhouse and Marriott International to learn how they are charting a course for the future of their workplace culture based on their experiences from the past year.

Rules to Live By: The Nature of Ethics
When you think of ethics, what comes to mind? Doing what people say you should do? Obeying the law? While these can both be part of ethical behavior, it takes a lot more than just listening to authority figures or doing what’s legal to be an ethical person.

3 Ways to Handle Burnout
Have you ever experienced a case of burnout? If so, it can be a challenging experience. During the school year, we take on many responsibilities and may find it hard to balance work, academics and life with so much on our plate. It is important to find a way to take a break and rest–both physically and mentally–to avoid burnout.

Case Study of the Week: Investing Money at a Bank
You are to assume the roles of the investment manager and investment specialist at Cross Town Bank. You will be meeting with a customer to discuss options for investing in order to earn a return.

3 Ways to Celebrate a DECA Halloween
Halloween is right around the corner, and what better way to spend the Halloween season than doing it DECA style! Here are three ways you can celebrate Halloween the DECA way.

Case Study of the Week: Credit Card Ethics in the Workplace
You are to assume the roles of the human resources director and the operations director at Braxton Productions,. The president has asked you to determine if an employee’s actions are ethical, how to respond, and how to communicate any changes in processes to staff.

How to Best Prepare for Your Next Role-play
With competition season fast approaching, the number one thing on many competitors’ minds is the thought of how they can crush their role-play in front of their judges. Unfortunately, there is no magical hack to make your presentations better but these tips should definitely help!

10 Things You May Not Know About DECA Direct Online
How well do you know DECA Direct Online? Check out these ten cool features to help you get the most out of the site.

