Published on 22 March 2023
A team of post-graduate students from the University of Sunderland’s Business School are celebrating a proper success after winning a prestigious regional marketing competition with their recommendation of a new “Proper” range for leading food on the go retailer, Greggs.
The Greggs Marketing Challenge is an annual event, hotly contested by student teams from four of our regional universities. This year, students were invited to present a 20-minute pitch based on the brief: “Embracing diversity across the business: How can Greggs’ products best represent the communities that they serve?
Team Sunderland, Olubukola Owolabi, Okikiola Olubunmi AKINGBO, Craig Southern and Connor Moore opened the second half of the evening and wowed judges and audience alike with their slick presentation style and transformational campaign.
The team’s proposal was to introduce a groundbreaking range of diverse food items designed to not exclude customers on belief, diet or price. The proposed range, called “Greggs Proper”, stays true to Greggs’ current product offering but replaces meat with Halal certified Quorn thus making it acceptable to vegetarians, vegans and those whose diet is shaped by religious beliefs.
The word “proper” was chosen to describe the range, due to its connotations relating to correct, accepted, kosher, and as a word often used to describe halal products. It is also a nod to Greggs’ heritage; proper is a colloquial term used throughout the north-east.
Speaking about the event, University of Sunderland team coach Kris Woods said; “The students worked hard on their presentation and the results were visible for all to see; they came up with a truly transformational idea which went to the very heart of the brief. I am extremely proud of their work ethic, their achievement and their performance, which was exemplary.”
Teams from Newcastle, Teesside and Northumbria Universities also participated in the event and there was an agonizing 40-minute wait while the judges deliberated, and the winner was announced. Team Sunderland was highly commended for the breadth of their research and for delivering a well thought out presentation that considered diversity and inclusivity across all elements of the business.
The Greggs Marketing Challenge is a prestigious business-based competition which provides opportunities for experiential learning through working with Greggs on a live brief, thus enabling students to build their CV and enhance their employability skills. The event was held on Tuesday 14 March at Northumbria University’s Business School.
After winning this year’s event, the University of Sunderland is looking forward to hosting the 2024 competition where they will participate as defending champions.