A team of Haas School of Business MBA students received second place at the 2014 Elite Eight Brand Management Case Competition. The team created a marketing plan for a medical device aimed at adults with spinal cord injuries. The three-day, invite-only competition is hosted by the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
The Elite Eight Brand Management Case Competition brings together top brand management students, professionals and academics from across the country for a three-day competition highlighting the challenges facing brand managers in today’s competitive marketplace. The Challenge involves eight student teams, who are presented with a strategic brand management challenge currently faced by a partner company. The teams are given 30 hours to prepare a structured case analysis and accompanying recommendations.
Each team presents their findings to a panel of expert judges, allowing partner companies the opportunity to critically assess students’ brand management, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
This year’s Haas team faced a particularly challenging case. The team was assigned by international medical device company Coloplast to develop a market entry strategy for an anal irrigation device called Peristeen. The device was created for those who suffer chronic constipation or loss of bowel control due to nerve damage.
The Haas team brought an extensive depth of experience in brand management, marketing consulting and tech marketing. The challenge for the team was that none of the team members had a healthcare background. However, the team quickly learned throughout the 30-hour competition by identifying the market segment they wanted to target, people with spinal cord injuries.
This year’s Haas team consisted of Jana Beiswenger MBA 15, Chris Symmes MBA 15, Joe Regenbogen MBA 15, Ryan Kopocka MBA 16 and Mike Okimoto MBA 16.