Case Competition Spring 2025

This evening, AMA held an interactive and hands-on case competition in which members put their innovation and creative thinking to the test by designing a new product for a large-scale company. Mathew Calderon, VP of Finance, led the event, guiding us through the structure of the competition and explaining the case brief. Each member of the executive board actively led and contributed to their assigned teams, including Matthew and President Anjali Sharma, who served as the judges for the competition, deciding the winners and providing feedback.

The Case:

Coca-Cola is losing a lot of business due to the current boycotts. PepsiCo wants to take advantage of this moment to launch a new product. Teams have been tasked with developing and marketing the product. The problem: Only one product will make the cut.

The Goal:

Teams were asked to develop a 3-minute presentation to showcase their product. Each presentation had to include the following elements:

• Product name

• Product price

• Product use & fit into Pepsi’s product mix

• Potential markets for launch

• Product design mock-up

Execution:

Members were split into four teams and given thirty minutes to brainstorm and develop a presentation as well as create a mock-up of their proposed product and present it to the judges and other teams. Teams had to take into consideration the impact of a powerful brand name, identity, as well as price positioning compared to Pepsi’s competitors to best market their idea. All of the presentations consisted of unique variations of prebiotic sodas as well as energy and mocktail beverages.

Most groups priced their product in a range of $1.50-$3.00 while also offering multipack options. Recently, The Coca-Cola Company released Simply Pop, its first-ever prebiotic soda, which many groups took inspiration from as most of the team’s products focused on targeting a more health-conscious market. Teams emphasized elements like natural sugars and superfoods in their products to channel their target consumers. Additionally, teams catered their products to younger generations, specifically to college students and young working professionals, as many could see their products being advertised and given out on college campuses, similar to large energy drink brands such as Celsius and Red Bull, as well as promoted in office spaces and urban areas. Groups utilized software and platforms such as Canva to create a mockup of their product and presentation slides.

The Winners: Team 4's Popstar

Team 4 and their Product

Team 4 presented their product, Popstar, a new take on a healthy energy drink. They priced their drink at $2.50, with a wide range of flavors, targeting the health and wellness market. The group proposed using influencers to tap into this market and promote their beverage to students and young adults. E-Board members Maie Ikemoto, VP of Web Development, and Izzy Rouyer, VP of Design, helped advise and support the team. Special acknowledgment to the runner-up, Team 3 PEP Shots, who proposed a health drink that targeted different goals with each flavor and had a strong, youthful, and colorful brand identity.

The spring 2025 AMA case competition served as a great way for members to gain group case experience as well as learn about the many ways you can market a product, especially in the context of a real company and product mix. The teams did a great job presenting and made sure to hit each point while also working within the 3-minute time limit. AMA would like to thank Matthew Calderon for taking us through the event and everyone who came out and participated!

-Veera Gregersen