Showcase your skills to a leading global brand
The Pitch is CIM’s global student competition, designed to discover the marketers of the future. This year, students will take on a real-life brief from our industry partner, IBM. It’s your chance to gain practical experience, boost your employability, and stand out to employers in a competitive job market.
In partnership with IBM, a global leader in technology and innovation
Announcing the 2026 finalists
These finalists have demonstrated exceptional strategic thinking and creativity in response to this year's challenges from our partner, IBM.
Undergraduate
- 3 Marketeers - University of West London
- AI Allies - Aston University
- A.S.A. - Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
- B.A.T - University of Greenwich
- BLC: born to pitch - Leeds Beckett University
- Bright Minders - Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TARUMT)
- Catalyst - Manchester Metropolitan University
- METAMORPHOSIS - The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance
- NAM - Canadian College of Kuwait (CCK)
- NEXUS - Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
- SMD - Leeds Beckett University
- The Turing Point - University of Nottingham Malaysia
- Triad Methods - University of Portsmouth
Postgraduate
- Alina & Xijian - University of Glasgow
- Apex Strategy - Heriot-Watt University
- CarbonLite Imaging - King's College London
- DinoMighty Consultancy - University of Birmingham
- EcoAi - University of Leicester
- Good Transport Coming - University of Glasgow
- GreenGlobal - University of Strathclyde
- GreenLens AI - University of Leeds
- Pitch Perfected - University of Birmingham
- Team Varry - University of Leicester
- Terra-tory Marketers - University of Glasgow
- The Greenprint - University of Strathclyde
- Verdis AI - Loughborough University
Meet the winners
The winners of The Pitch 2026 have demonstrated outstanding creativity, strategic thinking and marketing insight. Meet the undergraduate and postgraduate teams recognised as this year's Marketers of the Future.
Undergraduate
3 Marketeers (Bethany Taylor, Clarice Pugales and Ranveer Thakur) - University of West London
Postgraduate
Pitch Perfected (Audrey Berling and Janhavi Tamhankar) - University of Birmingham
Winners of the undergraduate competition, 3 Marketeers (Bethany Taylor, Clarice Pugales and Ranveer Thakur), commented: “Winning The Pitch has been an incredible experience for us as a team. The challenge really pushed our marketing knowledge, but it was absolutely worth it for what we’ve achieved today. From the brilliant resources and support we received, to the live final where we had the opportunity to present our ideas to the judges, every stage brought real value and gave us meaningful practical experience in a true pitch environment.”
"We honestly didn’t expect to reach the final, given the number of entries from around the world, let alone win it, so we’re incredibly proud to be crowned the undergraduate winners. The skills and confidence we’ve gained will stay with us throughout the rest of our degree and into our future careers. A huge thank you to CIM, all of the judges and IBM for making this opportunity possible.”
Winners of the postgraduate competition, Pitch Perfected (Audrey Berling and Janhavi Tamhankar), said: “We are so delighted to be named winners of the postgraduate category. The Pitch has given us an unforgettable experience that we will remember forever. Not only have we developed valuable, real-world marketing skills, but we’ve also had the chance to apply them in a high-pressure, industry-level environment. The Pitch has equipped us with confidence, practical insight and strategic thinking that employers look for, and now we have the belief that this is just the beginning."
“We would highly recommend this competition to any aspiring marketer looking to stand out in a competitive job market. Our biggest piece of advice? Never lose hope and never think you aren’t capable. We would like to say a huge thank you to CIM, IBM, the judges and our tutor, Dr Fahad Ibrahim, who supported two teams from University of Birmingham throughout this journey, helping both secure first and second place.”
Ready to get involved?
There are separate competitions for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. Whether you’re a student ready to enter or a tutor looking for more details, we’ve tailored each page to help you get started.
FAQs
Our partnership with IBM gives students the chance to explore one of the most exciting and fast-moving areas in marketing today: Artificial intelligence (Al).
As part of the competition, you’ll gain exclusive access to IBM’s Al resources and expert led-webinars, where you'll be learning from the professionals who are leading the change in digital innovation.
IBM is a multinational technology giant with a profound influence on the global business landscape. Since 1911, IBM has continually innovated and shaped the consumer experience through groundbreaking technologies such as the ATM, the (UPC) barcode, and magnetic stripe card. Today, IBM remains at the forefront of technological advancement in the business-to-business and consumer space, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI), where it creates world-leading, human-centred digital marketing solutions, including through its partnership with Adobe.
To find out more about IBM, visit https://www.ibm.com/about?lnk=flatitem
To be eligible to enter The Pitch, you must:
- Be an undergraduate student in their second or third year of study
- OR an postgraduate student in their first or final year of study
- Be studying for, or who have completed, a marketing or business degree with at least one marketing module.
Please note: if you are on a four-year undergraduate programme (including those with a placement year), you are also eligible to enter as long as you are currently in one of your years of study.
16 September 2025: Student team registrations open
01 December 2025: Student team registrations close
19 January 2026: Deadline for team member or team name changes
26 January 2026: Marketing Presentation submission deadline
25 February 2026: Finalists announced
10 March 2026: Undergraduate live virtual final
11 March 2026: Postgraduate live virtual final
Yes , The Pitch is open to international students. Final presentations take place virtually, so the competition is fully accessible wherever you're based.
Teams must consist of two or three students. All team members must be studying at the same academic level – either all undergraduate or all postgraduate.
No, entry to The Pitch is free.
The Pitch has two rounds:
- Round 1: Teams submit a PowerPoint presentation outlining their marketing proposal.
- Final Round: Shortlisted teams present their ideas live (virtually) to a panel of expert judges.
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