A national case competition that attracted over 200 submissions is now down to the top 20% teams. The grand prize is $20,000, and the results - undetermined. Follow their championship and winning journey o and see who takes it all.
We met with industry leaders, academics, career mentors, and our alumni network to understand what the next chapter of Top Ad would look like. With school online, access to knowledge resources is in abundance, but interfacing with peers for social learning, experimenting and building confidence by trying new things, the thrill of competing and winning, and establishing new affiliations with industry practitioners, is being compromised like never before.
And it seemed there was no clear end in sight - not until now.
In September, we launched the Canadian Marketing League. Unlike any form of experiential learning in Marketing, it is a platform for young ambitious marketers to declare themselves to the world.
The Canadian Marketing League is committed to your growth, to kicking open doors for you, and to giving you a playing field to test your limits. It presents the opportunity to clear your school debt or give you leverage for a dream chase; you will have access to enviable career starts reserved for the `marketing hungry’, and industry connections to last a lifetime.
The Canadian Marketing League is crafted into three phases (similar to the NBA or NHL) with a Pre-Season, a Regular Season, and Playoffs. Each phase is designed to bring forward the best of the best and present the sharpest marketing makers to Canada. Our competitors are challenged with cases from diverse industries and best in class global brands that have been part of our lives and communities for decades. They are provided with the opportunities to explore their interests, apply their classroom learning, and take a deep dive into solving problems. Imagine four summer internship projects compressed into one semester.
Working in teams of two or as individuals, our competitors submitted a five-minute pitch of their solution to one of our Learning Partner's business challenge.
The Top 20% teams were then shortlisted by industry and academic judges to move on to a skills showdown we have never seen before. It is only the part artist and part scientist who excelled.
A live-skills competition and carefully selected marketing challenges to test each muscle. Short cases and tasks of a brand manager are now on their plate.
Time is limited and so are the resources. But they have themselves.
Survival of the fittest - the Top 16 Teams selected by our judges move on to the Playoffs!
Fierce one-on-one rounds to determine the best.
SIXTEEN.....to EIGHT.....TO THE FINAL FOUR!
In each of the three rounds, a different learning partner will present a unique industry case.
The ultimate test of capacity to apply your marketing savvy to address disparate challenges and with different judges.
No rubrics, no predictability, changing criteria and changing measures for success.
The true dynamism of marketing at play.
Half the competition will get knocked out each round, and the remaining will be taking it all.
That's right - the winning team or individual will take home a $20,000 cash prize.
Internships, Co-Op's and full time roles with our industry-leading Learning Partners are reserved for the best of the best in the Canadian Marketing League.