A team of Aberdeen University students are hoping to be in perfect shape heading into the final of a prestigious marketing competition.
Postgraduate students Victoria Lo, Zhaohan Li and Laura McKinnon, who make up Team M&M's, competed in The Pitch, a global marketing competition for students run by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Selected as a finalist for the Future Marketer Award.
In teams of two or three, students apply what they have learned to real-life marketing challenges set by charities, increasing their employability and practical marketing skills.
This year's challenge was set up by EveryYouth, a charity that supports teenagers and young people experiencing homelessness.
A team of graduate students was asked to develop a volunteerism marketing strategy aimed at attracting and retaining volunteers who are committed to a charity's mission. This includes strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers, as well as recognition and reward programs.
After reaching the finals, Team M&M will have the opportunity to present their strategy to a panel of industry judges. This strategy will remain top secret until the end of the presentation.
Laura McKinnon said: “I had heard about The Pitch through her discussion at CIM during Professional Development Week one year, but it wasn’t until Zhaohan told me about it that I thought I’d give it a try.
“Our team formed quite naturally. The three of us collaborated on multiple group assessments during the course and were always on the same page when it came to academic expectations and the quality of the work we submitted. .”
Zhaohan Li said: As an international student, I sometimes felt insecure because I didn't have a marketing background and English wasn't my first language. However, being a finalist made me realize that breaking my self-imposed limits and taking on bold challenges can lead to such special experiences. ”
Victoria Law said: “We are very grateful to the knowledge provided by the International Marketing and Digital Marketing modules as well as to our lecturers who enhanced our learning experience. These courses gave us a theoretical foundation. but also gave me the confidence to use them in real-life scenarios.
“Our team is thrilled to have reached this exciting milestone and can’t wait to refine the concept and share it with the judging panel.”
Winners and runners-up will be announced after the virtual finals on March 15th.
Contest winners will receive CIM's “Marketers of the Future” award, a complimentary one-year CIM Professional membership for each team member, a complimentary “Specialist Award” qualification from the CIM Academy, and an hour with the HAYS Chief Marketing Officer You will be given a virtual session. Inken Khulmann-Rhinnow will be offered a virtual resume writing workshop, the opportunity to be featured in a case study posted on the CIM website, and a digital winner badge issued by his CIM.
