Growth Strategy Projects of the Winter Term are Accomplished. What were the tasks and what are the results?

In the past few months, 12 teams with students from all around Prague University of Business and Economics have been completing the last and final step in their Growth Strategy Projects – the final delivery presentation. The task was to help companies tackle various challenges and find the best strategies for growth. What were the assignments, and how did it go?

In the winter term of 2023, students from CEMS, MIMG, and other programs and faculties, including exchange and NextGen Consulting students, participated in various projects for the Faculty of Business Administration’s partners.

Škoda Auto: Strategies for Modern Product Launch Success

Procter & Gamble: Winning in Marketplaces with Braun

Jägermeister: Winning hearts of Gen-Z consumers

Softec – Nfinity: Digital identity verification software expansion into new markets

Unica: Expansion into preventative fertility care

Skoda Auto

The task from the faculty Corporate Partner Skoda Auto was to explore the most effective ways to promote and sell a new model that Skoda Auto plans to launch in the near future. 

“We want to keep pace with our future customers, so it is essential for us to see how the young generation approach things,” said Václav Vlasák from Skoda Auto.

According to the team’s strategy, it might be possible to boost sales of the new model by more than 9 %.

“Skoda Auto will certainly use some of the insights and ideas the team came up with during the real campaign,” concluded Vlasák.

Procter & Gamble

Finding new Czech marketplaces and distributors for the Braun brand. That was the aim for the team that worked for one of the faculty Main Partners, Procter & Gamble.

„it was not the easiest case. We were discussing that our task might be too hard, but in the end you did a perfect job,” said Daria Konovalova from Procter & Gamble to the student team.

Jägermeister

Jägermeister, one of the Faculty Partners, wanted students to find ways to win the hearts of their Gen Z consumers. The student team came up with a set of three approaches: leveraging food delivery service, organizing brand-thematic parties, and sponsoring sport events.

“I believe the project was excellently delivered and explained; you closely aligned with our thinking. I appreciate your willingness to critique your own work and also your data-driven approach fostering a dialogue about the sensibility of various investments was spot on,” said Michael Bouda, Jägermeister’s Senior Director of Marketing CZ/SK, to the team during the final presentation.

Softec – Nfinity

IT company Softec asked students to identify feasible growth options for its product Nfinity that serves as a contracting and identity verification platform used mostly by banks, mobile operators and insurance companies.

“I think that customer journeys you had in the presentation are a good touch, you obviously understand the product. I am missing some call to action with suggestions of next steps, nevertheless you did more than we agreed on in the beginning of the project,” concluded Alexander Paál who is Softec’s Managing Director for the Czech republic.

Unica

The last project was for Faculty Partner Unica, which operates fertility clinics. The assignment was to create a strategy for Unica’s business growth, primarily focusing on the domain of preventative fertility care, an area that is currently underestimated by Czech and European society. The team developed a precise timeline of activities and decisions that Unica should follow in order to achieve its goals.

“We will definitely implement some of the strategies. We are already taking steps to address some of the recommendations. It is now even clearer that we need to make operational changes as you suggested. You have also helped us identify projects that are not worth pursuing. Thank you all for the attention to detail and hard work you’ve put into the project,” said Edouard Perra from Unica to the team immediately after the final presentation.

“I have been working in consulting for over 13 years in companies such as Deloitte and in-house consulting at Novartis, where we contracted work from top-tier consulting firms. I wouldn’t distinguish this presentation from the work of professionals,” concluded Perra’s colleague, Peter Lesko.