Two postgraduate student teams from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) represented the region in a Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) competition final.

Now in its fourteenth year, CIM’s student competition, The Pitch, challenges aspiring marketers from across the globe to react to a brief from a top organisation. It sees students from leading universities compete to address a real-life marketing challenge, in a bid to win the title of 'Marketers of the Future'.

This year’s competition was run in partnership with Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, which has been in operation for more than 130 years and supports projects on five continents. Participants were challenged to create a marketing plan that will help grow the Dogs Trust’s Companion Club, with 10 undergraduate teams and 10 postgraduate teams competing in two separate competitions.

LUMS student teams - Paws-itive impact, represented by Phuong Nghiem and Vlada Sudavtsova; and The IRS team consisting of Gabriela Shanice, Raemi Pattanachaicharn and Iris Tsou were among twenty teams in the virtual final of the competition earlier this month.

Despite missing out on the top prize, the teams were praised for their efforts, skills and enthusiasm that got them to the final stage.

Helen Meek Senior Teaching Fellow at LUMS said:“The annual CIM global student competition is a fantastic opportunity for our students to apply the theory they have been studying to a real-life marketing brief.

“I am delighted this year two teams from our MSc Marketing degree qualified for the final. This is testament to the hard work and creativity demonstrated by both groups when preparing their marketing plans for the Dogs Trust. This opportunity has enhanced their marketing skills and will make them stand out when applying for marketing positions when they graduate.”

Raemi Pattanachaicharn said on behalf of Team IRS: "Taking part in CIM's The Pitch competition was an incredible journey that really pushed us to apply what we’ve learned in class to real marketing challenges. As postgraduates, we gained invaluable hands-on experience, tackling real-world marketing challenges that deepened our understanding of the field.

“The lessons learned and connections made during this experience will undoubtedly shape our future careers in the marketing industry."

Vlada Sudavtsova, representing Team Paws-itive impact, said: “The Pitch Competition was an incredible experience. It gave us the chance to work with a real-world client, tackle challenges, test our resilience, and gain valuable marketing insights. Most importantly, we’re grateful for the amazing people we met along the way. A huge thank you to Lancaster University and our mentor for their support and this incredible opportunity."

Speaking after the shortlist was announced, James McCracken FCIM, North West region chair commented: “We are delighted to see two teams from Lancaster University make it through the final of The Pitch 2025. It’s an amazing achievement that both teams should be very proud of.”

Stacey Conway-Jones, Interim Group Head of Individual Giving at Dogs Trust commented: “The ambition, enthusiasm and creativity we’ve seen from students all over the world has been remarkable. We thank everyone for their hard work in putting together such brilliant proposals for Dogs Trust’s Companion Club.”

Marketing at LUMS recently gained a coveted top 50 position in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, and is also ranked 10^th overall in the Guardian University Guide 2025.

Lancaster University is among the top 10 universities in The Complete University Guide 2025 and is consistently placed in the top 15 in major UK league tables.

To find out more about Marketing at Lancaster University and the courses and opportunities available, please visit: Department of Marketing - Lancaster University

To find out more about the CIM competition, visit: www.cim.co.uk/events/the-pitch/