Mars Petcare UK & CIM's Student Opportunity

Mars Petcare UK is joining forces with The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) to uncover the nation’s brightest marketing talent, as the proud sponsor of CIM’s annual student competition, The Pitch. The competition will give marketing students the chance to use their creativity to develop innovative campaigns using a real-life business scenario for one of Mars Petcare’s billion dollar brands, Whiskas and Pedigree, and pitch them to a panel of leading industry judges via a three minute video uploaded to YouTube.

 
In responding to the Mars Petcare brief, the marketers will be required to draw upon their creative flair, presentation skills, strategic thinking and financial expertise as they look to impress the judges. This will be a panel of leading marketing experts, from Mars, CIM and event supporter Mintel.

 
Andrew Sharp, Future Talent Manager at Mars, said: “We’re continually on the look out for the next generation of leading marketers, and The Pitch is a great way of helping us to unlock the creativity of the country’s bright talent. The competition gives students a chance to really show off their skills and become immersed in a business by working on a real-life scenario. We can’t wait to see the ideas!”

 
Diane Earles, Network Manager, CIM, said: “The Pitch is a fantastic opportunity for students to challenge themselves against a ‘real world’ brief.
 

We’ve seen some real success stories in previous years with contestants being able to use this experience to secure job opportunities. Being able to demonstrate practical skills relevant in the world of work, alongside qualifications, is becoming increasingly important in a more competitive jobs market.”
 

Teams will be judged on their understanding and interpretation of the brief, their application of marketing tools and techniques and their creativity and innovation. Once the panel has watched all the YouTube entries, the four most impressive teams will then be invited to present at the finals in February 2014.
 

Everyone taking part in the competition will receive a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificate, the winners of the competition will receive 12 months membership with CIM worth £144 and there may be an opportunity to gain work experience or to be considered for a direct-entry role with Mars Petcare, dependent on experience. In addition, the winners will also receive a Mars product hamper.
 

The closing date for applications is Friday 15 November 2013 and students must submit their entries via a three-minute video on YouTube by Sunday 15 December 2013.
 
 
For more information on how to apply for The Pitch please visit: www.cim.co.uk/thepitch