$30,000 on the line for Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec finalists

March 23, 2018

Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec (CNTAE) recently announced the finalists in this year’s nationwide case competition.

Handpicked from 142 teams representing 25 schools across Canada, the top 10 are one step closer to claiming victory. On March 26, at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto, students will go head to head to impress industry experts and academic judges for a chance to win a grand prize of $30,000.

With a focus on increasing customer loyalty among millennials, CNTAE 2018 features a partnership with Canadian Tire on a new type of loyalty initiative – the Crimson Affinity Program. The company asked for help developing a six-week integrated marketing campaign to launch the program. With a simulated $1.5 million budget, students were asked to create a comprehensive launch strategy for Crimson.

“What CNTAE represents is truly extraordinary, as it offers student-industry-faculty engagement that reshapes learning in unexpected ways” says DeGroote assistant professor Mandeep Malik, founder of CNTAE. “For more than a decade, the competition has allowed students to step out of the classroom, apply their knowledge and skills, and open doors in their careers.”

During the finals, teams will pitch their big ideas to industry experts from companies such as Canadian Tire, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Fujifilm, Canada Post and Microsoft. Students will receive feedback from senior marketing professionals, as well as some of the most respected academic leaders in Canada.

“The passion behind every individual who invests their time, effort, and expertise into the program truly speaks to our mission of bridging the gap between industry and academia,” says Patrick Vuong, Co-Chair, CNTAE. “With Canadian Tire, one of Canada’s leading retailers, as the key learning partner, we are excited to co-create rich learning outcomes and shared wins which otherwise may not have been possible.”

CNTAE is a national case competition hosted annually by the DeGroote School of Business. Its mission is to create learning opportunities for postsecondary business students across Canada. The competition is entirely student-run, with the generous support of several organizations and advisers.

Program partners for 2018 include Canadian Tire, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Fujifilm, Labatt, Canada Post, Microsoft, Cadbury, Barrett and Welsh, Cascades, Environics, Digital AdLab, FluidReview and Dentsu Aegis Network.

Tickets are now available for the finals and awards gala at the Crystal Ballroom at the Omni King Edward Hotel. Attire is business formal.

CNTAE finalists:

  • Shanni Peng and Rachel Pang, University of British Columbia
  • Wesley Yang and Angus Ng, University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Jenisha Pudasaini, York University
  • Exilia Han and Martin Yiu, University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Marta Michalek and Philip Gingras, York University
  • Selina Cozzupoli and Tiana Noce, York University
  • Cindy Nie and Jackie Han, Queen’s University
  • Natalie Krause and Christa Ng, Queen’s University
  • Praveeni Rasiah and Jackie Muru, Queen’s University
  • Sidney Miao and Alex Starr, Queen’s University