The Institute of Direct Marketing's competition, sponsored by Guinness and its agency Tullo Marshall Warren, called on student teams to draw up a detailed marketing plan using Guinness's existing CRM programme as their basis to increase Guinness volume share among members.
Out of more than 100 entries, the top prize of £1,500 was taken by a team from Northumbria University for their One to One Solutions plan. The team comprised Jessine Gebhard, Ross Longton, Kate Manning, Tanyin Middleton and Charlotte Wilson.
Presenting the awards, Louise Curran, senior brand manager for Guinness at Diageo, said: "We were incredibly impressed with the quality of the entries, and the four finalists in particular proved themselves to be really in touch with our business."
Separately, the Graeme Robertson Trust DM competition, run in association with the DMA, for aspiring creatives was won by Robert Prangle and Jon Owens from the University of Gloucestershire.
The challenge was to answer a brief to create a mail pack promoting bar snacks. The winning entry resurrected the 1970s Golden Wonder's snack, Ringos. The mailing took the form of a Royal Mail notification of delivery card stating "Sorry we missed you".
David Harris, creative partner at Lida and GRT competition judge, said: "The Ringos mailing was inspired. The idea was simple, but extremely effective and would appeal to its target audience of mid-twenties, early-30s bar goers who would remember the snack with nostalgia."
The winners received £1,000 from sponsor Royal Mail and a work placement at EHS Brann. In addition, Lida, EHS and WWAV Rapp Collins also offered work placements to a number of the short-listed students.
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