Students Tackle Real-World Marketing Brief at DMA Creative Lab
A collaboration between Newcastle University Business School, Northumbria University and the Data and Marketing Association gave students the chance to tackle a real-life marketing brief.
21 January 2026
The Data and Marketing Association (DMA) recently held their Creative Data Lab event at Newcastle University Business School. Students from Newcastle University and Northumbria University took part in a real-life marketing challenge for mattress and bedroom retailer Dreams.
During the one-day event, students had the chance to utilise a real dataset under the guidance of professionals. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to build connections with potential employers and learn about career opportunities in marketing and data.
Meeting the challenge
The aim of the challenge was to:
- understand how data is impacting business and society, and
- provide insight into what working with a data marketing challenge is like
The students worked in teams, supported by a panel who shared their expertise and provided insights into their careers. The teams then presented their proposals to the panel, who chose a winner.
The panel consisted of colleagues from North East-based marketing agency Drummond Central. They were:
- Emily Drucker, Senior Account Manager
- Abbie Malton, Creative specialising in Art Direction, Design and Illustration
- Olabisi Ajala, Junior Planner
They were joined on the panel by:
- Michael Rowell, Account Director at Precision ProCo
- Gabrielle Foggon, Marketing and Communications Officer from Newcastle University Business School
Emily, Abbie and Olabisi delivered the brief and mentored the students throughout the day. They inspired students to explore the various careers available at a marketing agency.
Michael provided insights into careers in direct mail and its potential benefits for marketing campaigns.
High-quality outcomes for all
According to the panel, the overall standard of presentation, ideas and confidence from the students was excellent. There were awards given for Best Marketing Idea and Best Creative Strategy on the day.
Caitlin Murphy is a final year BA (Hons) Business and Marketing student at Northumbria University. She said: “It was a great opportunity to collaborate with students at Newcastle University. I learnt so much in terms of new frameworks and presentation styles. I’d recommend this to anyone given a similar opportunity for personal and professional growth.”
Molly Tyson is a Marketing BSc Honours student at Newcastle University Business School. She added: “Taking part in the DMA creative data studio allowed me to flourish collaboratively and creatively to fulfil a marketing brief. Working as a team with other students, I gained insights into different techniques and databases to help concrete our campaign ideas. Furthermore, the opportunity enabled me to meet industry professionals with likeminded enthusiasm and creativity. This not only inspired me, but motivated me to continue down this career path.”
Supporting aspirations
The Creative Data Lab was part of DMA Talent, a programme of events and opportunities for students aspiring to work in the data and marketing industry.
It was hosted by Dr Kirk Dodds, Director of Education at the Business School. He was joined by Dr David Hart, Associate Professor at Northumbria University, and Anna Lancashire, DMA Regional Talent Manager.
Hosting the event in the North East was an exciting opportunity. Both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities were aware of their students' appetite for this type of experiential learning. They also understood their desire for it to be more accessible to those in the North of England.
Dr Dodds said: “Providing students from both Universities with the opportunity to work on such an exciting and challenging brief was inspiring to watch. The students approached it with great enthusiasm, professionalism, and an impressive level of creativity. Their ability to adapt and use data effectively to inform their decisions was particularly powerful. For students to gain hands-on experience with the DMA and Drummond Central is truly inspiring.”
Dr Hart said: “The North-East is a hotbed of young marketing talent. We are delighted that the DMA have brought their Creative Lab to Newcastle. Events like this are genuine game-changers in our student’s development. They give them the chance to work on live briefs and network with marketing professionals.
"It was great to have Newcastle and Northumbria staff and students working in hand to make this happen and I hope we can do it again very soon. Huge thanks to the DMA and everyone who gave their time to such a valuable learning experience”.
Both Universities look forward to collaborating further, hosting future events, and continuing to provide experiential learning opportunities for students in the North of England.