The team – Arpita Roy Choudhury (Roon), Rungratchanee Sunthiwas, Kirti Talwar, and Murooj Mohammed Badar Al-Busaidi – presented their winning campaign to industry professionals from Barclays and the DMA.

Shortlisted alongside teams from three other universities, the MBA students went on to win the national final in London. This is the second time Newcastle University Business School MBA students have won the competition, highlighting the hard work, creativity, and professionalism of our students.

Dr Kirk Dodds, Director of Education, praised the competition for giving the MBA students the opportunity to apply and develop their growing skillset through a real-world industry challenge.

He said: "The challenge provided by the DMA is invaluable in enabling our students to apply the theoretical principles of digital marketing in practice. It gives them a live client brief through which they can see the tangible benefits of turning digital strategies into action.

"This is a powerful learning experience, and our students have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Barclays on both the data analysis and creative elements of their campaigns. The challenge has been embedded throughout the module, giving students a genuinely hands-on experience and helping them develop skills with direct relevance to industry. They have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and have developed valuable skills that will support their future careers"

A highly creative and innovative campaign

The team developed the "Race to Your Future" marketing campaign which was inspired by the idea of the fast-paced transition graduates make from university into their careers. They used the excitement and momentum of Formula 1 as their creative concept, linking the ambition, precision and momentum of Formula 1 with the excitement of beginning a career.

Leaning on Barclays partnership with Williams Racing, the team positioned Barclays as the financial partner that helps graduates navigate the next stage of their journey with confidence.

The campaign targeted recent graduates through a mix of digital channels, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, paid search, and out-of-home advertising. Every element was informed by audience research and consumer insights, with clear objectives, measurable KPIs, and a strong commercial rationale.

Speaking on winning the challenge, MBA student Kirti Talwar said: "Winning the DMA Talent Marketing Challenge was an incredibly rewarding experience. It challenged us to think strategically, work creatively, and collaborate under pressure to solve a real business problem.

"Working alongside such a talented team strengthened my skills in consumer insight, campaign planning, and presenting ideas with confidence. Having our work recognised by industry professionals made the experience even more special."

A talented team

Each team member brought a unique perspective to the project, through sharing ideas, playing to each other’s strengths and conducting research, the team was able to create a cohesive campaign. Learning from each other throughout the challenge allowed the students to develop their knowledge and skill set further.

MBA student Murooj Al Busaidi reflected on their experience: "Winning still feels a little surreal. I came into this with no prior marketing experience, and honestly, I worried about what I'd bring to the team. But the Digital Marketing module gave me real marketing skills, and getting to apply them straight away on a real business case is what made them truly stick. I used them alongside the programming background I already had to build a working app the judges could try on their own phones.

“Bringing the campaign to life like that, so they could feel it rather than just hear about it, was the moment it all came together. To then hear our name called as the winners, after months of work, was a feeling I won't forget. More than anything, it taught me that the strongest teams aren't made of people who think alike, but of people who bring something different to the table."

An MBA highlight

The students took part in the challenge towards the end of studying their MBA and chose to take part in the challenge alongside their dissertations, client consultancies and deadlines. The team used this as an opportunity to apply everything they had learnt from studying into a real business challenge.

MBA learner Arpita Roy Choudhury (Roon) added: "We took on the DMA Talent Marketing Challenge as one last challenge before finishing our MBA, never imagining it would become one of our most memorable experiences. From the first spark of an idea to presenting our campaign to Barclays and the DMA, every step reminded us why we chose to study marketing in the first place.

"Winning was an incredible bonus, but the journey, and the team behind it, is what I'll remember most."