The International Marketing Case challenges students to think creatively and strategically in a time constrained situation. As a judge in this event, your role is to assume the role of the company management described in the case scenario and evaluate how effectively each team presents their case analysis and recommendations to address the issues raised in the case study.
The Case Scenario
The students competing in this event will be expecting the case scenario to be of an international expansion nature, however, the students will not be given advance information about the company or industry the case scenario is based on. The case scenario will focus on key considerations facing a company looking to expand outside of its current country of operation, usually Canada. The company could also be considering making changes to its current international strategy. The intent of the scenario is to address the realistic challenges involved in globalization, and as such, may present a problem relating to identifying a suitable target market, product or operational changes required, financial considerations, entry strategies, or how to compete effectively in the new market.
General Judging Considerations
The students’ role in this event is to present a recommendation on an International Marketing initiative. They should be able to identify the problem or opportunity the corporation is facing, and clearly describe the environment that the company is operating within (SWOT analysis). They will offer 3 solid alternatives, and make a recommendation, including a clear implementation plan. Students should be able to discuss their plan using industry standard terminology. It is assumed that each judge is from the client company.
Event Objectives
To demonstrate the students’ ability to:
- Analyze a problem situation
- Develop appropriate marketing strategies to remedy the situation
- Present the solution in a convincing manner
Eligibility
- All students must be from marketing or marketing-related programs. Please note that post-diploma, graduate certificate or degree program students are not eligible for OCMC.
- Repeat OCMC students cannot enter an event in which they previously participated.
Student Preparation
- Participants should familiarize themselves with the evaluation criteria. Please refer to the case evaluation form below for details.
- Please refer to the case schedules in the program. No changes will be made unless a conflict situation exists.
- Participants will be escorted to a secure preparation room as per the case schedule. Cell phones are not permitted.
- Paper, pens and highlighters will be supplied along with printed copies of the case.
- A Windows laptop with wired 2 button mouse and current version of Microsoft PowerPoint will be provided in the preparation and presentation rooms. A clicker will be provided in the presentation room.
- A maximum of 7 slides are permitted in the presentation deck.
- Students may bring a prepared PowerPoint template into the preparation room on a USB thumb drive (USB A Style). Team branding is permitted.
- Internet access will be available, speed and quality of the connection cannot be assured.
- Presentations must be saved on a supplied USB thumb drive which will be retained but the judges.
- Participants have 30 minutes to prepare their solution. Participants will be advised when five minutes remain.
- At the end of 30 minutes, the team will be moved to their presentation room.
Presentation
- Presentations must not exceed 15 minutes. There will be a five-minute question period following the presentation with judges.
- Participants are responsible for managing their time when presenting. Judges will be conscious of time when listening to presentations and will ask a team to stop if necessary.
- At the conclusion of the question period the students will leave the room.
- The judges will use the remaining minutes in the cycle to complete the evaluation form.
Evaluation by Judges
- Judges are to ask questions of the students (challenge the students) at the end of each presentation.
- Judges will not provide any verbal feedback to participants during the competition. They are permitted to ask questions during the official question period.
- Judges will complete an evaluation form with numerical scores and appropriate summary comments.
- Judges will rank each team from top to bottom. In the case of a tie between any of the top 5 teams, they will re-evaluate those teams to break the tie. There cannot be a tie amongst teams ranked one to five.
- Judges decisions are final!
Feedback
Each student candidate will receive a feedback form from the host College approximately three weeks following the competition.
Event Scoring
| 1st Place | 10 points |
| 2nd Place | 8 points |
| 3rd Place | 6 points |
| 4th Place | 4 points |
| 5th Place | 2 points |