Leicester students shortlisted for marketing competition

Ashley Mika Ng - De Montfort University

Two students from De Montfort University in Leicester have reached the final of an international competition to find the best young marketing talent.

Ashley Mika Ng and Jordan Ng of Team ‘NG’ are among 10 student teams shortlisted for the final round of The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) prestigious student competition, The Pitch.

The shortlist will be narrowed down to three teams and the winning team will be announced at a virtual live final on Friday, March 18 2022. The overall winning student team will be named CIM’s ‘Marketers of the Future’. They will also receive a one-year complimentary CIM membership and a £1,500 cash prize to be shared amongst the team.

Now in its eleventh year, The Pitch sees students from leading UK and international universities compete to respond to a live client brief. The competition is sponsored this year by the UK’s leading health and beauty retailer, Boots. The teams were challenged to raise awareness of the partnership Boots has with The Prince’s Trust, in a creative way that brings to life the expertise and ‘behind the scenes’ support for young people.

Pete Markey, chief marketing officer at Boots UK said: “It’s been brilliant to receive entries from across the UK and internationally, and to see the high level of interest from young marketers keen to respond to our brief and putting their marketing skills to the test. We’re grateful to everyone who submitted and look forward to seeing the students present their ideas in the final.”

Ashley Mika Ng said: “The Pitch provided an opportunity for us to put what we've learnt into practice and demonstrate our understanding of the real world and the needs of clients. Above all, it is based on our shared belief in Boot's business commitment to giving back to society by informing customers about the breadth of their association with the Prince's Trust, and our desire to contribute to the cause.”

Gemma Butler, marketing director at CIM, said: “The last few years have provided challenges for young people’s careers, so it’s inspiring to see the breadth of talent in the applicants - not just in the UK but across the globe, with two international marketing student teams making the shortlist for the first time."

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