A team of talented marketing
students from Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School has won
the prestigious 12th Greggs Marketing Challenge, impressing a panel of senior leaders
with their innovative campaign to boost brand engagement among 16–24-year-olds.
The Greggs Marketing Challenge is
one of the region’s most respected student competitions, offering marketing
students from Northumbria, Newcastle, Sunderland, and Teesside Universities the
opportunity to respond to a real-world brief set by the Greggs senior team.
This year’s challenge focused on increasing customer engagement and building
long-term loyalty within the younger demographic.
Representing Northumbria were
students Saskia Purdy, Hattie Joynes, Andrew Harder, Georgia Nye, and
Chiamaka Obiora, who delivered a dynamic pitch centred around the concept of “fuelling
your day” with a protein-packed lunch offering. Their proposal
included the launch of a new Mexican chicken burrito product and the gamification
of the Greggs mobile app to enhance loyalty and digital engagement.
The judging panel, which included
senior leaders and over 40 Greggs employees, praised Team Northumbria for their
insight into consumer segmentation and market trends, and for creating a
campaign that successfully balanced both physical and digital brand experiences.
Hannah Squirrell, Customer Director
at Greggs, commented: "The Greggs Marketing Challenge is a
fantastic event that showcases the creativity and talent of students from
universities across the region. We were impressed by the innovative ideas and
enthusiasm from all the teams. Congratulations to everyone who
participated!"
Final-year student Hattie Joynes added:"Taking part in the Greggs Challenge was such a rewarding experience.
The encouragement and guidance from the Business and Marketing team was
incredible. Winning the trophy was the perfect way to ‘bag some joy’ and end my
time at Northumbria University."
Dr Kate Harland, Assistant
Professor of Marketing at Northumbria University, said: "This win
is testament to the dedication and talent of our students. They delivered a
well-researched, data-backed campaign that aligned closely with the Greggs
brand and audience. Their hard work, creativity and professionalism will
undoubtedly serve them well in their future careers. It was a thoroughly
deserved win."
Northumbria University continues to
offer opportunities for students to engage in live projects with industry
leaders, helping develop practical skills and real-world experience that set
them apart in a competitive job market and enhance their career prospects.
