Three students from Manchester Business School have been announced as winners of ‘The Pitch’; a coveted annual student marketing competition run by CIM (The Chartered Institute of Marketing) this year in association with Benfield Motor Group.
The Pitch competition seeks to provide young marketers with the opportunity to develop skills and experience of that which goes beyond those available through an academic course, and gain vital real-world experience required to thrive in the marketing industry.
This year, students were required to use their creativity to develop an innovative campaign for Benfield, in a ‘real business context’. Tasked with the challenging brief of ‘How do we establish ourselves as the retailer of choice for female motorists?’, the university entrants were judged on their understanding and interpretation of the brief, creative flair, strategic thinking, innovation and financial expertise and marketing skills during a gruelling pitch to a panel of experts.
The winning team from Manchester Business School, calling themselves MBS MediaBots and under the tutor of Dr Ben Kerrane, were Ximena Valle Mesen, Loana Codreanu and Chandni Shukla. They win a 12 month membership to CIM, a VIP trip to Mintel and will be acknowledged at the annual CIM National Marketing Excellence Awards in London 27 April as ‘Marketers of the Future’.
The MBS MediaBots saw off competition from four other finalist teams and impressed the judges with their approach, creative thinking and polished pitch performance. They said, “We are thrilled to be named the winners of The Pitch. This experience has been enriching, so much fun and we have learnt a lot.”
Initial applications were received from 36 university teams across the UK, demonstrating that the marketing profession continues to be a sought after and desirable career path.
The live final took place at the Oracle Bar in Leeds on 25 February, hosted by TV presenter Andy Crane and featured teams from University of Leeds, University of Manchester, Lancaster University, University of Surrey and Leeds Beckett University.
Diane Earles, Network Manager at CIM said; “As in previous years, the standard of applications has been very strong. CIM launched The Pitch competition to encourage young talent and find the next generation of top marketers. If the entries we have received this year are a reflection of the standard of marketers emerging into the industry, the profession is in good hands.”
Heike O’Leary, Marketing Director of Benfield Motor Group, said, “We are delighted to have teamed up with the CIM by sponsoring this year’s national Pitch competition. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the judging panel and to evaluate the final presentations. I am confident we will be able to introduce some of the recommendations made, which will support our goal for a better customer engagement and a more personalised motor retail experience for wome
