Hoff, Iman, Kulangara, Matteini and Pierson take the Core Bowl

Areas of Study , Event Recaps , Marketing Stories | Jan 24, 2013 | Nicole Gesualdo

Walking out of yesterday’s Core Bowl — the premier business-presentation competition of the sophomore-year core curriculum — with a $1,000 prize and a lot of pride were five students: Thor Hoff (GSB ’15), Nicole Iman (GSB ’15), Nevin Kulangara (GSB ’15), Michelle Matteini (GSB ’15) and Andrew Pierson.

Congratulations!

The winning team was one of three in yesterday’s pool of six finalists who represented the beverage company Molson Coors. Charged with identifying a marketing challenge facing Molson in the real world and coming up with a way to solve it, these five sophomores turned in a final performance that won over four industry judges.

The crux of the team’s recommendation was that Molson should expand to China. Targeting factors in the Chinese market that make it newly receptive to a product like theirs — increased interest in craft brews among the Chinese population, and a rise in nightlife tied to the country’s growing prosperity — the group suggested that Molson establish a Beijing-based brewpub that serves Molson beers. The pub would offer a line of beverages brewed especially for China, incorporating traditional Chinese ingredients that would resonate with locals. The result would be a classically American experience with a unique Chinese flavor.

With this innovative, well-presented concept, this team certainly has set the bar high for the current freshmen who will compete next year in Core Bowl 2014. Cheers (indeed!) to both the five winning students and their business communication professor, Travis Russ.