Three students from the Nanyang Business School (NBS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have clinched the title of L'Oréal Brandstorm National Champions 2009. The NBS trio, Magnifique, Ms Britney Cheong Wei Hua, Ms Ng Yi Han and Ms Jessica Ong Hwee Hoon will represent Singapore at the International Finals of the highly-anticipated annual marketing competition on 29 and 30 June 2009 in Paris, France. The international winner of L'Oréal Brandstorm walks away with an all-expenses paid trip to the city of the winning team's choice worth S$20,000.
Another NTU team, Exuparantia, from the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) comprising Ms Aarti Assodani, Ms Lee Shin and Ms Praba Saundarajoo received the first runner-up award. These science students beat students from six other teams, including the National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University.
Participating teams were required to apply their creative skills and cutting-edge ideas to develop and launch a brand new product line for the global cosmetics brand MAYBELLINE New York that is distinctively different from existing portfolios.
NTU's Team Magnifique undertook the role of a brand manager and presented a unique dual perfume concept promoting MAYBELLINE's first fragrance "Adore My Confidence". Ms Britney Cheong shared: "The perfume is targeted at the teen and young adult market. Its two forms – the conventional liquid perfume and a solid perfume, come in one bottle. The design of the bottle is inspired by Calla Lily, also known as the flower of confidence. A lady has the option of selecting from either form of the perfume, to suit her mood and preference. In addition, we plan to introduce three more scents under this line of perfume for ladies with different personalities."
Top L'Oréal executives on the jury panel were impressed by the team's innovative marketing strategy. Mr Nicolas Pauthier, Human Resource Director of L'Oréal Singapore & ASEAN, said: "We are extremely impressed with this year's finalists. The winning team outshone their competitors as they had an in-depth understanding of the MAYBELLINE New York's brand values and presented a globally viable concept. Besides displaying strong marketing finesse and originality, they have managed to win the judges over by their strong team spirit. In fact, this year's participants have all come a long way since registration six months back and we are proud to see how much they have grown and matured during the competition. Their remarkable display of talent only goes to show that Singapore is indeed a high-value destination in terms of human capital."
Ms Britney Cheong added: "We are really proud that we have clinched this award for NTU. Winning the top and second spots in this year's competition prove NTU students are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to meet the industry's needs. We are excited and truly happy to have won a chance in the International Finals. We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with the other participating teams as well as top professionals in world-leading companies such as L'Oréal and McCann Worldgroup. The trip to Paris will indeed be one that offers very enriching experiences."
The annual L'Oréal Brandstorm is a recruitment platform for L'Oréal to talent-spot high-caliber business undergraduates from the world who exhibit outstanding traits, skills and competencies that fit the company's business culture. The prestigious competition has attracted participation from more than 31,000 students since its inception in 1993. Last year's event drew more than 4,700 students from 270 universities across 38 countries.