'Business' does not get any tougher than this.
The fifth season of Unilever BizMaestros saw its curtain fall on yet another amazing edition of one of the most talked about business competitions of the country, on September 2, 2014 at the Lakeshore Hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka.

Unilever is in a constant pursuit to make its products better for the consumers. The same initiative is observed in BizMaestros, as students of different universities tackle each other to bring out better and unique sales strategies using the wide range of Unilever products on offer. This season, however, the participants were expected to present something special, with an acute focus on creativity and activation.

BizMaestros started off under the slogan “Made by You” with Unilever officials visiting the top business schools of the country and announced the challenge for the first round of the competition. The target was set at using a Unilever brand and presenting a sustainable solution for social issues. After 48 hours of gruelling contest, the best video presentations were chosen.

One team from each university were chosen as winners who qualified for round two. The teams were Musketeers from BRAC University; Anonymice from East West University; Phi360 and Everest as two finalists from BUET; Heisenbergs from Jahangirnagar University; Drill Machine from Khulna University; Misfits from Institute of Business Administration, Dhaka University; The A Team from the Faculty of Business, Dhaka University; The Golden Snitch from Independent University, Bangladesh; and Unprofessionals from North South University. Team House Stark from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) won the wild card round completing the 11 teams for the next round.

On August 27 the second round of Unilever BizMaestros went underway with the teams required to design an activation plan for a chosen category, with the goal to develop its market. The 11 teams selected their categories from a choice of food, hair conditioner and face wash. They were provided 36 hours, a budget of BDT 5000 and the guidance of one graphic designer to put forward their plans for market development. All the plans were then to be presented in front of the judges during the final round of the competition.

Fast forward to the day of the finale, and what a contest it proved to be. The teams went crazy creative with a host of live cooking shows, dramas, TV commercials and lots more, making it increasingly difficult for the judges to choose the Top 3.

The venue was set up with every attention to detail. Teams took the stage which was complemented by two large multimedia screens on both sides, allowing the viewers to see their presentations and videos. There were also eleven simulation booths, one for each team, lined along the perimeter of the hall. These were used by teams during their presentations -- a live demonstration of what their ideas had to offer. The spectators comprised of the teams, Unilever officials, guests, organisers and members of the media.

Members of Unilever's Management Committee were the judges for the ultimate round of this clash of business ideas. Zaved Akhtar, Brand Building Director -- Personal Care and Monomita Syed-Haq, Human Resource Director served as the jury who were joined by Kamran Bakr, Chairman and Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh.
The three teams that qualified for the final round were Phi360 with Sunsilk Conditioner as their chosen product, Heisenbergs with Pond's and Fair & Lovely Face wash and the wild card entry team House Stark, with Knorr Soup.

Phi360 went up first to present their business ideas. Team members Sumaiya Islam, Nuzhat Maisha and Sadat Kamal Amit took turns in telling and showing the audience how a market for hair conditioner could be improved. Their presentation slides showed extensive research on the market, video and audio clips of retailers from distant parts of the city.

The team's impressive ideas included using a calibrated measurement scale on the packs of the hair conditioners and advice regarding correct application techniques. They also planned on dividing their target to sectors like urban and rural women groups. Photo booths, free hair wash and hair health clinics were also part of their plans.
Heisenbergs took the stage by storm with their little sketch at the beginning. Members Akib Mashrur, Nusrat Khondaker and Aftarul Islam won the hearts of many with their 360 degree approach, coupled with the tagline “Experience the difference” for the face wash brand.

They too, had separate plans for rural and urban consumers. Strategies that included TV and radio commercials, QR codes on packaging, games like 20-second face wash challenge and a show called “Uthanjatra” made especially for rural sector grabbed most attention. Calling the face wash “mukher shaban” also sparked interest among the judges. Their plan also showed an exact 25 percent return on investment at the end of just two years.
The last finalist team was House Stark, comprising of Anik Sinha, Asif Hossain and Md. Rabius Sunny. Their product was different than others -- a renowned soup brand, and so their marketing tactics were unique as well. The eating habits of Bangladeshi families were on target, and how to include soup as a healthy alternative into the daily lives was the challenge.

House Stark focused most on the use of the word “REAL”. Their market research showed the popularity of rice and noodles over soup and hence they prioritised on the bond of mothers and children with their own tagline “Real like Mom”. The team had a lot to offer from viral YouTube videos and X-box Kinect games to SMS reminders and even a cooking show. Interactive and attractive, this team showed a lot of ideas to replenish the untapped market of soup in Bangladesh.

After each team's presentation, they faced an intense Q&A session from the judges where they picked up minute details and demanded insightful replies backed up by their experience on the field. The scores were then tallied and results were at hand in just a matter of minutes.

In his speech, Kamran Bakr, Chairman and Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh, emphasised on how Unilever prides itself on being “a school that has been producing global leaders over the years.”

“I see great sparks of future leaders here. And I would advise you all to come up with one big idea and stick to that thought process,” he said. In addition he also shared what he thought was the best definition of strategy – what you will do and what you will not do.

Judges Monomita Syed-Haq and Zaved Akhtar also thanked all the students who took part in the competition this year. They informed that many of such ideas are actually taken up by Unilever and executed in the market. The latter requested the students to stick to their plans like a map, follow dots and focus on their dreams. Special mentions went to the strategic agency Mindshare, activation agency Skytracker and the alumni of Unilever Bangladesh.

To the moment for which everyone was eagerly waiting for, Heisenbergs were crowned the Champions of BizMaestros 2014, winning the grand prize of representing Bangladesh at the global Unilever competition, 'Future Leaders League', to be held in London in March 2015.

“It is our dream to be like the judges here, to be leaders in the corporate world,” said the 'Finance Guru' of the team, Aftarul Islam

Nusrat Khondaker remarked that she was in a state of disbelief but managed to share her thoughts as well. “We kept trying and this is the sweetest of rewards. We dream to be global personalities one day,” she expressed, while Akib Mashrur commented that it was their hard work and confidence that took them all the way.
Not to forget, team Phi360 won the first runner up title confirming their internship with Unilever Bangladesh and team House Stark grabbed the second runner up spot, earning the opportunity to visit the company's manufacturing site in Chittagong. All winners in their own rights.

When an organisation with recognition and reputation as Unilever Bangladesh hosts a competition focused solely on how young minds take up business challenges, the gravitas of it multiplies. The success of the students and Unilever alike are simply examples of how exciting and enthralling the world of business can be. Such is the thrill of real business.