Top three place for student duo in final of national marketing competition    

Eloise Scoley and Jasmin Haefeli have taken third place in the final of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s national competition The Pitch.

Having already set up their own marketing agency – Squash and Coriander – the University of Brighton duo were responding to a live client brief from global technology giant Samsung, coming up with creative ways to market its new foldable mobile phones to Gen Z.

Screenshot from Jasmine and Eloise’s presentation courtesy of the CIM.

In the final, Eloise and Jasmin were up against nine other university teams facing a Dragons’ Den-style live pitch to a high-powered panel of industry judges, including Samsung’s Head of Brand (Mobiles, Wearables & Hearables) Alex Conaway, and the company’s Marketing Director Sharon Hegarty. As well as kudos, they each win one-year complimentary CIM membership.

Alongside her Marketing Management Bsc(Hons) studies at Brighton Business School, Eloise has  been working with local companies Silicon Brighton and James Chase Solutions. Jasmin, meanwhile, has complemented her Bsc (Hons) Business Management with Marketing course with a job at Brighton marketing agency MPB.

Speaking about her time at Brighton, Eloise said: “I really didn’t know much about marketing when I started my degree in 2018. By the middle of first year however, I had learned enough to land a part-time marketing role. I’ve had some really amazing tutors along the way: Dan Bennett, who took a chance on me; Sarah Cork, who inspired me to want to make a difference in terms of sustainability; and Liz Hawkins, who has pushed me to achieve things I never thought I could.”

Jasmin said: “I’ve been working for MPB for the past 4 ½ years. In my first years there I got my first insights into social media marketing and working for a small enterprise. This inspired me to do the degree to deepen my understanding of marketing and how a business works. By continuing to work for MPB 3 days a week I was able to apply what I have been learning at uni first hand – and although it has been challenging at times to juggle both things, I wouldn’t do it any other way.”

Liz Hawkins, Lecturer in Brighton Business School, said: “A brilliant result for Eloise and Jasmin. I’m so pleased that their determination and hard work paid off. The CIM Pitch is a tough challenge, but a fantastic opportunity to showcase their talent at a national level.”

Dan Bennett, Undergraduate Programme Leader at Brighton Business School, added: “The link with the CIM is an important one for the school and the marketing students. Our accreditation from CIM ensures that our students abilities are matched to a professional industry standard upon their graduation.”