Marketing students pitch for success in nationwide competition
For the second successive year a team of Strathclyde Business School Marketing students has won a nationwide competition designed to recognise and reward the marketing talent of the future.
Now in its eighth year, the Chartered Institute of Marketing's (CIM) The Pitch challenge sees students from leading universities compete to respond to a live client brief in a bid to win the title of 'Marketers of the Future'. The challenge is designed specifically to help accelerate the career of students studying a marketing or business degree, by developing their presentation, communication and problem-solving skills.
This year teams put forward ideas to support Hawaiian Tropic's drive to help young women feel confident and protected in the summer months.
The winning Strathclyde team, "Tropic Like It's Hot", are International Business and a Modern Language (IBML) students Dominique Santini, Clare McGhee and Tess Gordon.
Beating off stiff competition from Bournemouth and Birmingham City universities in the final, the team was crowned ‘Marketers of the Future' at the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards, held in central London on April 11. The team also receives £1,500 in prize money and one year complimentary CIM membership for each team member.
Tess, Clare and Dominique impressed the judges with their creative approach to the brief. Their 'How To For You' campaign impressed the judges with its use of personalisation, online and offline channels and collaborative storytelling to boost engagement.
Teaching Fellow Thomas McAlinden, Marketing, who supervised the team said, "This is the second year in a row that Strathclyde has entered and won the competition, which is an amazing achievement. It highlights just how talented our students are and the success of a challenging teaching programme which provides the necessary skills and knowledge to put theory into action. A testament again that Strathclyde is the place of 'useful learning.'
"I'm extremely proud of Tess, Clare and Dom. They showed the willingness to go 'above and beyond' and absolutely smashed the presentation with their confident delivery of their idea for inclusivity for all women. I hope they use this experience to help advance and enhance their marketing careers moving forward."
Dominique, Claire and Tess added, "Winning the 'Marketers of the Future Award' is a huge honour and really showcases our talent to potential employers. The whole experience has been almost a reassurance that we belong to and have a future in the marketing field - winning this award is the icing on the cake!
"Overall, the experience has been challenging but very rewarding and we couldn't recommend it enough to other students. We are so proud of ourselves and grateful for the opportunity."
Chris Daly, Chief Executive of CIM, said, "The Pitch prepares graduates to enter the world of marketing, where practical experience and business exposure are crucial for any applicant.
"We've been inundated with high-calibre applications this year, and it's been fantastic to get a glimpse of the student talent across the UK. Congratulations to Tropic Like it's Hot, whose creation of a personalised customer experience clinched them the title.
"If today's finalists are anything to go by, the future of marketing is in safe hands."
Alumni Ellen Grieve and Roxanne Colinet, part of last year's winning team, have both gone on to enjoy success in marketing roles, working as a Marketing Assistant at Gordon Ritchie Marketing and a Brand Manager for FIXR respectively.
