The IDM Student Competition 2013

The chance for student teams to emulate a marketing agency and tackle a real-world client brief. This year's IDM Student Competition centres around an exciting, but thoroughly testing assignment to promote English Wine to UK consumers.

The client: English Wine Producers (EWP)

Sponsors of the IDM Student Competition in 2013 is EWP, the organisation responsible for promoting wine grown and produced in English and Welsh Vineyards. Their brief to competition entrants is to promote English Wine Week to UK consumers, encouraging them to attend tasting events in local retail outlets and vineyards, and achieving sales of sparkling wine directly attributable to these activities.

About the IDM National Student Competition

The IDM Student Competition is now in its 16th year. It provides great experience for students and a real taste of what it’s like to create a solution for a client. It’s also a valuable addition to any course that teaches marketing.

The brief, provided by the sponsors, is a well-researched assignment. It covers all aspects of the direct, data and digital marketing disciplines, and involves the integration of these with wider elements of the marketing mix. As well as forming the basis for the Competition, it can be used as a valuable teaching aid in course modules such as Direct Marketing, Relationship Marketing and Marketing Communications.

For those who enter the Competition, there’s a team prize of £1,500 for the winners and the IDM will fund a place at the DMA Conference in the US for the supervising lecturer.

The Competition is open to all full time UK marketing and business degree students. Teams should have between 3 and 6 members and need to be supervised by a lecturer at college or university.

More information for lecturers about teaching direct and digital marketing can be found on our online teaching resource www.teach-direct.com.

Previous competition case studies

BMW 2012
[27 Sep 2012] The brief was to plan the launch of BMW's first commercial electric vehicle, the BMWi3 Megacity, to the marketpalce in 2013.

Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) 2011
[13 Sep 2011] Entrants were asked to devise a plan that would encourage 40,000 students to register on the TDA website to express their interest in taking a teaching qualification.

The Carbon Trust 2010
[01 Sep 2010] The challenge set was to create a communications plan to get SME’s to register to have a carbon survey for their business.

T-Mobile 2009
[22 Sep 2009] Entrants were asked to look at increasing T-Mobile’s brand engagement as well as reducing churn rates and creating competitive advantage.

The Army 2008
[03 Jul 2008] Entrants were asked to pitch for a new CRM programme for the Army to maintain contact with key prospects post-16, through education, up to the point where they will be making career decisions.

Lexus GB 2007
[01 Jan 2007] Student teams were invited to pitch for the launch of the new Lexus LS 460 luxury saloon - with the primary objectives of building a prospect database of 10,000 non Lexus customer and of delivering 3,000 warm leads to Lexus dealerships.

Young Person's Railcard 2006
[01 Jan 2006] Students were set the task to increase the number of Young Person's Railcard holders amongst 16 to 25 year olds from 25 to 28% and to increase the average number of journeys by railcard holders.

Guinness 2005
[01 Jan 2005] The task set by Guinness was to strengthen the brand affinity of existing Guinness drinkers, in both the on- and off-trade, through the Guinness customer relationship programme.

Nestle Purina PetCare 2004
[17 Jul 2008] The brief asked students to produce an integrated marketing plan showing how to increase value market share for three key Nestle Purina PetCare brands: Felix, Winalot Treats and Bakers Complete.

AA 2003
[01 Jan 2003] The task is to develop a direct marketing strategy that provides the AA with a coherent and consistent framework for cross-selling. The strategy will bring the 'Just AAsk’'brand campaign to life fully and enable the AA to profitably capitalise on the broad range of products it sells.

Orange 2002
[01 Jan 2002] As Orange's direct marketing agency, you have been asked to review Orange's current marketing activities and create a new direct marketing strategy that will use this range of services to retain and grow the Orange customer base.

Toyota 2001
[01 Jan 2001] The task was to develop a direct marketing strategy for Toyota (GB) PLC for the UK launch of the Toyota Prius, the first mass manufactured hybrid technology car, in September 2001.

Oxfam 1999
[01 Jan 1999] Oxfam International briefed teams to develop a pan-European direct marketing strategy that takes advantage of the introduction of the Euro. The strategy needed to gain substantial funds, establish Oxfam International as a pan-European charity with key audiences and begin to develop long term relations with these new audiences while positioning Oxfam prominently within Europe.

BMW 1998
[01 Jan 1998] As an agency invited to pitch by BMW (GB) Ltd teams were asked to take an overview of BMW's marketing operation, with particular attention to the renewed focus on relationship marketing and customer service elements, and prepare a strategy document which will demonstrate specifically how direct marketing can be used to launch and sustain the introduction of a BMW Card to build increased loyalty among BMW customers.

Volkswagen 1997
[01 Jan 1997] As an agency invited to pitch by Volkswagen UK, teams were asked to take an overview of VW's marketing operation and prepare a strategy document to show specifically how direct marketing could be integrated profitably into their operation launching the Beetle.

IDM Summer School 2012

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