P&G Japan Launches "Marketers' High 2019" Student Contest

While the company has previously offered internships for third- and fourth-year students as part of its recruitment activities, this contest differs from traditional recruitment-focused programs. It targets first- and second-year students with diverse interests and potential, providing learning opportunities aimed at developing talent capable of global success.
The company has held numerous such contests at its U.S. headquarters and other locations, supporting student growth by allowing them to experience creating and executing business ideas. This marks the first time the contest has been held in Japan.
The contest's tagline is "To the next generation of marketers yet to be seen."

The main challenge for the final selection is to understand the business strategies of the hair care brands "Pantene" and "h&s," the shave care brand "Gillette," and the fabric softener "Lenor," and then develop a new customer acquisition plan targeting university students.
The winning team will begin activities in mid-April to execute their presented plan, based on a 3 million yen implementation budget.

Following preliminary and final presentations by the 15 teams that passed the first screening, the team of Ryo Kusayama, Shoumi Takeuchi, Akiyoshi Yui, and Ryo Yoda won the championship with their plan titled "P&G New Life Support Campaign: Connecting Parents and Children Through Allowances."
Their plan, centered on students living alone who receive household supplies from their parents trying P&G products, was highly praised for its unique student perspective and innovative idea. Team members expressed their joy, stating, "We struggled from the very beginning of deciding on the theme, but we're thrilled to have turned our challenge into something tangible. We're now focused on making this plan a reality."

Kaori Matsuura, Executive Officer of the Marketing Division, commented, "Every team delivered high-quality work, making it difficult to choose between them. We were impressed by how thoroughly they considered how to win over the target audience, create a sustainable plan, and ensure its feasibility." She noted the winning team's presentation was particularly original.