What was the main objective of this event?

The “Battle of Minds” that we conducted this time is an international business contest for university and graduate students, targeting 25 countries and regions worldwide. This is the second time it has been held in Japan. In addition to increasing the company’s visibility, the purpose of this contest is to strengthen our ties with students and younger generations. As our company is a part of the cigarette business, it has been difficult to engage with those under a certain age, and we also have a strong desire to promote areas outside of the cigarette industry.

Why did you entrust this event to GP?

Many proposals focused on young people, of which there were very appealing ones. Your proposals exceeded our expectations, and the companies you’ve collaborated with are also trustworthy, which left a good impression.

What was the most important aspect of this event?

The sense of closeness with the students. Among the students who entered, some had never been involved in a business contest before and were eager but unsure of what to do. Therefore, we implemented various initiatives, such as being available 24/7 to answer questions, giving tutorials on software usage, and having mentors join in during the middle stages. Perhaps as a result of the positive reputation that spread, the number of participants via word-of-mouth also increased.

What was the most challenging aspect of holding this event?

At first, there was a disconnect between our expectations and the students’ interests. Many of the initial applicants were more interested in our company as a potential employer rather than in the business contest itself. This led to an unexpectedly low attendance in sessions and briefings, and adjusting the target setting through trial and error was a significant challenge.

What was memorable about your interactions and communication with us?

We were able to proceed smoothly thanks to your follow-ups and organization of information. Communicating through Teams and also being able to discuss details over the phone were very helpful.

How was the response from participants?

All in all, it was very exciting. On the day of the event, it was not only the finalist teams that were present. Other participants joined too, and there were even people who started businesses with the teams they formed for the contest. We witnessed firsthand the incredible capabilities of young people.

Also, the interactions at the social gathering on the event day were very lively. It was impressive to see participants, employees, guests, and judges all passionately engaging in conversation.

How would you like to develop this event in the future?

I believe this business contest can continue to grow. Next time, we want to delve deeper into where the students’ interests lie and what they find valuable, refining the event accordingly. We are also considering using external platforms like Mynavi. Since the participation period was so long, we want to implement various initiatives to ensure participants’ engagement persists to the contest day.

Were there any sustainability-conscious initiatives in this event? (Including results that ended up being sustainable)

To align with the planet’s well-being, all goods used were made of sustainable materials. The designs of the goods, created by a former employee, were very well-received. Since the designs made the items usable even after the event, we believe that also led to sustainability in the end.