Northumbria University win DMA Talent's Marketing Challenge 2024

“Fuel Your Passion”, a team formed of six digital marketing students from Northumbria University, were crowned winners of 2024’s DMA Talent Marketing Challenge earlier this month, claiming the £1,000 grand prize.

The brief was set by RAPP, and challenged students across the UK to create a 3-month campaign to increase the share of KFC app delivery transactions whilst maintaining or increasing the average delivery value.

We received entries from 9 universities, and after a preliminary round of judging, four teams were selected to pitch their full campaign plans to a panel of five senior marketers from RAPP at their head offices in central London. “The judges had such a good time and left feeling inspired, as we hope the students did” Heidi Stephens, Strategy Director at RAPP told us. “We were thoroughly impressed with the level of effort and work we saw. The competition couldn’t have been tighter, with each pitch having something “best” about it. We landed on a winner by choosing the campaign that we’d be most excited to work on. Everyone brought their own experiences to the pitch, which is really important and makes their response so much more authentic.”

The winning team was formed of Ankita Badlani, Dyuthi Vuddandam, David Osemwengie, James Akpofure, Matej Stybor and Raymond Nyaribo Moindi.

"The Marketing Challenge opened up a new world for me, helping me see the practical applications of what we've learned at Northumbria University” said a thrilled James Akpofure shortly after their team’s triumph. “It gave us real experience, and pitching to RAPP was a great opportunity to share our ideas and get feedback from experienced professionals."

It is also of huge importance to the universities that use it. “DMA’s Marketing Challenge is an invaluable tool for assessing students, as it requires them to apply their knowledge and creativity to real-world problems. By focusing on the development of innovative digital marketing strategies, it safeguards against the irresponsible use of AI software, relying heavily on human ingenuity and critical thinking. This method ensures a thorough evaluation of students' abilities beyond routine learning. Activities like this not only enhance teaching by providing practical experience but also offer businesses a unique opportunity to support education. Such partnerships can help cultivate the next generation of marketing professionals, bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practice.” Dr. Kimberley Hardcastle, Assistant Professor in Marketing at Northumbria University.

The other finalist teams were BuzzMagnet from Bournemouth University, The Golden Two from Edinburgh Napier University, and Salt & Pepper from Sheffield Hallam University.

Each finalist received a 12-month DMA Student Membership, to recognise their hard work.

Student Membership is built to make students as employable as possible. They can build on their academic studies by professionalising their knowledge through:

• The Award in Marketing and Award in GDPR, both accredited by the IDM.
• A library of DMA Award-Winning campaign case studies, DMA Webinars & Events, DMA Best Practive Guides, and other industry resources ensuring they know the most up to date marketing techniques.

The brief for 2025’s Marketing Challenge will be released soon. To know when it is and to be kept up to date with everything going on at DMA Talent, click here to get all our latest news and upcoming opportunities delivered directly to your inbox.