WFU Marketing Summit 2013 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com Teams work together to solve real-life business challenges for $75k worth of prizes Mon, 04 Mar 2013 04:54:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 And the winner is… (Photos) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/6i3LEypiXjc/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/24/and-the-winner-is-photos/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:30:40 +0000 Webmaster http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2485 Representatives from FedEx presented the awards to the top three undergraduate and MBA case teams. The top undergraduate team from University of Maryland took home $10,000 and the MBA team from USC won the $75,000 grand prize. Additionally, the MBA team from Carnegie Mellon University was voted fan favorite and Christina Marshall from USC received the MVP award.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/24/and-the-winner-is-photos/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/24/and-the-winner-is-photos/ Gala – Photos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/Pw1IpNLGWAw/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/24/photos-gala/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:10:38 +0000 Webmaster http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2460 Teams, executives, faculty and VIPs were welcomed for the conclusion of the 23rd annual Wake Forest Schools of Business Marketing Summit. The night included awards, laughs and dancing.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/24/photos-gala/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/24/photos-gala/ Winners Announced! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/CugJsSRU4v8/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/winners/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2013 03:32:54 +0000 Webmaster http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2452 The Wake Forest University Schools of Business Center for Retail Innovation announced the winners of the 23rd Annual Marketing Summit at a gala held Saturday night.

MBA Winners

First Place – University of Southern California
Second Place – Wake Forest University
Third Place – Carnegie Mellon University

Undergraduate Winners

First Place – University of Maryland
Second Place – Northeastern University
Third Place – University of Pennsylvania

John A. Scarritt ’79 MVP Award

Christiana Marshall, University of Southern California

Fan Favorite Award

Carnegie Mellon University

Congratulations to everyone! Videos of the winners have been posted! Photos of the winning teams and the Gala photos have also been added! Read the press release on the Wake Forest Schools of Business website.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/winners/feed/ 1 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/winners/ Time to Deliberate! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/VCX0ZupaYJ0/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/time-to-deliberate/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:13:59 +0000 Jen Ratliff http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2384 The MBA presentations kicked off this morning at a very early 8:00 am here in the Worrell Professional Center. The Cheerwine Challenge winner, Team Express took a strategic move and selected the closing presentation slot in an interesting move. Will it pay off for them?

A panel of 16 executive judges reviewed 8 different presentations/Q&A sessions over the course of the day. While one would think there might be some fatigue as the day went on, these judges were as high energy and engaged at the last presentation as they were in the first.

The presentations were all well paced with only one team ending early and a few teams toeing that 19.9 minute line. Teams were erudite and often drew from personal experience in the Q&A to support recommendations and assumptions.

The strategies recommended in each of the presentations, while varied, generally centered around one or two main themes. However, one team took a chance and approached their recommendation from a slightly different angle. We will have to wait and see if their gamble paid off!

The presentations were all solid; however, the Q&A clearly delineated those presentations that were lighter than others, and those that had holes in the recommendations or supporting assumptions paid in the Q&A sessions.

Each Q&A session was characterized by clarifying, in-depth and often pointed questions from the judges. Those teams that were quick on their feet and able to answer and not simply justify, stood out dramatically by the end of the day.

As the judges enter into deliberation, the discussions between judges would be fascinating for any fly on the wall. There are definitely a few teams in the running, and there’s also the individual MVP awarded by the judges to the team member of their election.

The winners will be announced this evening at the Marketing Summit Gala. Be sure to follow us here on MarketingSummitLive.com, at facebook/marketingsummit, on Instagram @marketingsummit and on twitter @MktgSummitLive to be the first to find out!

*To protect the integrity of the competition and judging process, the teams operate under code names, which is why team schools have not been disclosed. Please excuse the obscurity.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/time-to-deliberate/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/time-to-deliberate/ 2013 Undergraduate Presentations Too Close to Call http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/68la8nM_D5Y/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/2013-undergraduate-presentations-too-close-to-call/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 20:29:16 +0000 Gray Robinson http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2432 This morning at 8:30 am sharp in Worrell Professional Center, the 2013 undergraduate presentations kicked off with Team Purple Promise.  In what could be interpreted as a bold and confident move, Purple Promise elected to present first.  Only time will tell if the decision will pay off.

Across the board, the teams offered cogent ideas about the case, but not surprisingly, the teams with stronger presentation skills differentiated themselves noticeably.  The standouts appeared ready to step into a boardroom.

The presentations were well paced for the most part, though one team ran out of time and had to abbreviate the final portion on the fly.  That said, they improvised well, and maintained a professional composure.

The strategies employed in the sales pitches were quite different, and the winning pitch will not be a simple matter of whose was “best.”  Alignment with what the judges were looking for will likely factor heavily into the verdict.

One of the teams went against the solution parameters established in the case and made an out of the box recommendation.  If the judges were put off by this, they didn’t show it.  We’ll see in a few hours if the risk paid off.

Only one team included specific financial projections in their pitch, which could return a competitive advantage, though the judges did seem wary of certain assumptions made in the estimates.

The top teams did the best job of covering all the necessary bases in their recommendations.  All teams had good moments, but those that faltered did so due to apparent blind spots in their solutions.

One thing is certain: There are no blind spots now.  The judges’ questions were all business, and when there was a soft spot in a proposal, the teams had to account for it.  With a few teams vying for the number one spot, the competition was likely won during the Q&A by the teams who were able to anticipate what the judges’ concerns would be and had those angles covered.

The winners will be announced this evening at the Marketing Summit Gala.  Be sure to follow us here on MarketingSummitLive.com, at facebook/marketingsummit and on twitter @MktgSummitLive to be the first to find out!

*To protect the integrity of the judging process, the teams operate under code names, which is why team schools have not been disclosed.  Please excuse the obscurity.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/2013-undergraduate-presentations-too-close-to-call/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/2013-undergraduate-presentations-too-close-to-call/ Boardroom Presentations – Photos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/IiYGLnIwKdk/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/boardroom-presentations-photos/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 18:42:40 +0000 Webmaster http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2407 Undergraduate and MBA teams put everything on the line in their presentations to the judges. Each team gets forty minutes to persuade the judges on their marketing strategy and answer their difficult questions.Undergraduate and MBA teams put everything on the line in their presentations to the judges. Each team gets forty minutes to persuade the judges on their marketing strategy and answer their difficult questions.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/boardroom-presentations-photos/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/boardroom-presentations-photos/ Event Recap – PepsiCo Shopper Marketing Presentation and Networking Event http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/R2pDL-rg4Sw/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/event-recap-pepsico-shopper-marketing-presentation-and-networking-event/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:57:48 +0000 Jen Ratliff http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2346 Yesterday, as the students worked on the case, the judges, guest executives and WFU students were able to attend various company presentations, discussions and networking events.

One such presentation came from Bryan Welsh, VP – Shopper Marketing at PepsiCo. His talk revolved around the shopper marketing challenge facing today’s retailers and manufacturers, discussing PepsiCo’s approach to shopper marketing, digital integration and careers.

PepsiCo highlighted some of its key insights and noted some key drivers of its in-store marketing strategies. PepsiCo cited their mission as inspiring shoppers to choose their brands throughout the shopping cycle. One of their key value-drivers is understanding the difference between a consumer and a shopper, and what this means in terms of shopper insights, retail strategies and brand equity.

After the presentation, the group broke up into small groups becoming a casual networking event where both students and executives were able to speak with one another.

Follow us for more updates here at marketingsummitlive.com, on Facebook at facebook/marketingsummit, on Twitter @mktgsummitlive, and on Instagram @marketingsummit.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/event-recap-pepsico-shopper-marketing-presentation-and-networking-event/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/event-recap-pepsico-shopper-marketing-presentation-and-networking-event/ Minute to Cheerwine – Photos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/pawEJPlu6yE/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/minute-to-cheerwine/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:20:56 +0000 Webmaster http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2361 In order to determine the order of presentations tomorrow, teams compete “Minute to Win It” style. Each team selected one member who must knock down four empty Cheerwine cans with a yoyo tied to their waste. Teams picked their presentation slot based on how quickly they knocked all the cans down.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/minute-to-cheerwine/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/minute-to-cheerwine/ Working into the night – Photos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/9wLM3DtQzuY/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/working-into-the-night-photos/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 13:40:05 +0000 Webmaster http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2347 Over twenty four hours into the competition and the teams are making their final push. Many will work into the late night and early morning finalizing their presentations. Others will get some valuable shut eye to prepare for a grilling from the judges.

]]> http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/working-into-the-night-photos/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/working-into-the-night-photos/ The Final Countdown! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketingSummit/~3/IcT2978NGks/ http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/2013/02/23/the-final-countdown/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:29:58 +0000 Jen Ratliff http://www.marketingsummitlive.com/?p=2342 Its 7am here at Wake Forest University Schools of Business! That means teams are turning in their final presentations, materials and Executive summaries. Judges are arriving and the energy is building!

The judges have arrived!

Teams have been working for 36 hours now, and still have their 20 minute presentations and 15 minute Q&A sessions to go.

The hallways are filling up

The sleep deprivation, hard work and stress can get to any team, but these teams have been solid, enjoying the moments of fun like the Cheerwine Challenge last night along with some pretty funny moments in their rooms together.

Keep in mind the final prize: $75,000.

All presentations are completed and turned in. Good luck to the presenters!

Follow us for more updates here at marketingsummitlive.com, on Facebook at facebook/marketingsummit, on Twitter @mktgsummitlive, and on Instagram @marketingsummit.

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