40 students, coming from all disciplines and levels of study, were able to meet new people and learn from one-another. The Challenge featured an inspiring speed mentoring session with marketing and industry experts, as well as delicious food throughout the two days. Participants heard from guest speakers, including Sam Frost (B2B digital marketing consultant) and Tomas Tappin (sales and marketing specialist), to set the teams up for success.
The variety of pitches amazed the judges, including Cedra Express's CEO. This made it difficult to select only three teams to win a share of the $3,000 prize.
The Challenge sparked new ideas, which Cedra Express are excited to implement and they are looking forward to working with UCE again.
Winning Teams
1st: Backbenchers' multi-faceted marketing strategy included a strong presence on LinkedIn and branding on uniforms and delivery boxes. Invitations to the anniversary would include ice cream, to showcase the company's cold chain capabilities.
2nd: Blue Pen utilised Medidata to identify potential clients. A blue penguin soft toy with an info QR code would invite these potential clients to the anniversary. The blue penguin mascot reflects the company’s homegrown roots and expertise in dealing with ultra-cold temperature shipments.
3rd: DHL proposed a series of “CEDTalks” - conferences in NZ’s largest cities featuring well known scientists, to attract potential customers.
The chosen ideas from the Marketing Smackdown will be implemented in 2021 by Cedra Express with the support of UCE and students where possible. Several students involved in the Challenge have already expressed their interest in supporting the ideas to become reality.
