Marketing Week Case Competition

Objective:

Your challenge is to create a 90-day TikTok Go-To-Market Strategy that drives awareness, engagement, and growth for both Cardiff Snowcraft and Board Budder.

Cardiff Snowcraft — premium ski and snowboard manufacturer known for craftsmanship, performance, and mountain culture. Visit Site

Board Budder — sustainable, eco-friendly wax and gear care brand designed for conscious riders. Visit Site

These two brands share a love for the outdoors and a passion for sustainability.
Your job is to create a collaborative TikTok campaign that connects both brands authentically and grows their audiences together.

What You’ll Create

Your team will present a 90-day TikTok plan that combines creativity, strategy, and analytics.
The competition is designed to simulate a real-world brand campaign pitch, so think like an agency pitching to clients.

Each team will deliver:

A 1-page strategy summary (visual or written)

A 3–5 minute pitch (live or recorded)

2–3 mock TikTok concepts or storyboards (optional)

Data references to support your ideas. Include in your presentation.

A short AI disclosure paragraph (how AI tools were used)

Team Structure

Teams must have 3–5 students.

You may mix undergraduate and graduate students.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged (marketing, entrepreneurship, design, etc.).

Each team should select:

Team Lead – manages deadlines and submission

How to Approach the Challenge

Think of this as a real client brief — the two sponsors are looking for bold creative ideas grounded in real marketing logic.

Your plan should include:

Content Strategy

What types of TikToks will you create?
Examples:

Trends & Challenges — #RideCleanChallenge, mountain-day POVs

Education & Tutorials — how to wax a board, sustainable gear care

Lifestyle & Stoke — mountain vlogs, rider highlights

User-Generated Content (UGC) — encouraging fans and ambassadors to post

Include 2–3 video mockups or storyboards to visualize your ideas.

Cross-Brand Collaboration

How can Cardiff and Board Budder tell a shared story?

Show the synergy between craftsmanship (Cardiff) and sustainability (Board Budder).

Example ideas:

A co-branded TikTok challenge featuring Cardiff riders using Board Budder wax.

A duet series with both brands tagged, showing performance + eco care.

Competitor & Market Analysis

Use simple data to benchmark against other brands on TikTok.

Compare follower counts, posting frequency, engagement rates, or styles of content.

Even mock data is acceptable.

Posting Cadence & Growth Strategy

Recommend when and how often to post.

Explain how your posting frequency supports engagement and algorithm performance.

Example:
“Brands that post 3–4× weekly on TikTok typically see double the follower growth compared to once-weekly posters.”

Influencer & Partnership Strategy

Identify 5–10 TikTok creators who align with both brands.

Describe how you would partner (e.g., seeding, sponsorship, affiliate, co-created content).

Choose creators that embody outdoor, snow, or eco-lifestyle values.

Paid Media & Budget Simulation

You have a $5,000 test ad budget.

Outline how you’d allocate the funds and estimate what results they could generate.

AI Use Guidelines

Teams are encouraged to use AI tools (ChatGPT, Canva, DALL·E, etc.) to support:

Content ideation and caption creation
Competitor analysis and data visualization
Video mockup generation

You must include a short paragraph in your submission explaining which AI tools you used and how.

Example: “Our team used ChatGPT for script ideas and Canva AI for visual mockups.”

Deliverables Checklist - Competition Entry Package

Before submitting, ensure your team has:

1-page summary strategy
3–5 minute presentation video or live pitch
2–3 TikTok mockups or storyboards (optional)
AI disclosure paragraph

Presentation & Judging

Teams will present during Marketing Week on Nov 6 at 4 pm in the SFEBB Auditorium or in the Garff Career Services Conference Room. You will receive your assigned presentation time upon submission of your Competition Entry Package.

Pitches may be live or pre-recorded. If submitting pre-recorded, the video link must be submitted with the Competition Entry Package.

Judges include faculty and industry professionals.

Each team will be scored on the official Judging Rubric (100 points total).

Judging Categories - 100 points possible

Awards & Recognition

1st Place Team:

Cardiff Snowcraft - 1 Pair of Powgoda Enduro Ski 172 (112 under foot) - MSRP: $799.00

Board Budder - Full Ski/Board Tuning Kit (iron, wax, scraper, cork bar, brush)

Marketing Week recognition

Feature on University of Utah Marketing Department social channels

Networking opportunities with Cardiff and Board Budder leadership

2nd Place Team:

Cardiff Snowcraft - Powgoda Enduro Snowboard

Board Budder - Full Ski/Board Tuning Kit (iron, wax, scraper, cork bar, brush)

Marketing Week recognition

Feature on University of Utah Marketing Department social channels

Networking opportunities with Cardiff and Board Budder leadership

3rd Place Team:

Cardiff Snowcraft - 1 Pair of Powgoda Enduro Ski

Board Budder - Care Pack

Marketing Week recognition

Feature on University of Utah Marketing Department social channels

Networking opportunities with Cardiff and Board Budder leadership

Get in touch

Final Awards -- 5:30pm Garff Auditorium

2025 Marketing Week Case Competition

Presented by:

Competition Overview & Instructions

Objective:

What You’ll Create

Team Structure

How to Approach the Challenge

Your plan should include:

Register your team now for the Case Comp

AI Use Guidelines

Register your team now for the Case Comp

Pro Tips for Success

Awards & Recognition

Zoom Help Sessions

Case Competition Help Session 1

Case Competition Help Session 2

Case Competition Help Session 3

Case Competition Help Session 4