Team Northumbria Wins the 12th Greggs Marketing Challenge

A team of talented marketing students from Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School has won the prestigious 12th Greggs Marketing Challenge, impressing a panel of senior leaders with their innovative campaign to boost brand engagement among 16–24-year-olds.

The Greggs Marketing Challenge is one of the region’s most respected student competitions, offering marketing students from Northumbria, Newcastle, Sunderland, and Teesside Universities the opportunity to respond to a real-world brief set by the Greggs senior team. This year’s challenge focused on increasing customer engagement and building long-term loyalty within the younger demographic.

Representing Northumbria were students Saskia Purdy, Hattie Joynes, Andrew Harder, Georgia Nye, and Chiamaka Obiora, who delivered a dynamic pitch centred around the concept of “fuelling your day” with a protein-packed lunch offering. Their proposal included the launch of a new Mexican chicken burrito product and the gamification of the Greggs mobile app to enhance loyalty and digital engagement.

The judging panel, which included senior leaders and over 40 Greggs employees, praised Team Northumbria for their insight into consumer segmentation and market trends, and for creating a campaign that successfully balanced both physical and digital brand experiences.

Hannah Squirrell, Customer Director at Greggs, commented: "The Greggs Marketing Challenge is a fantastic event that showcases the creativity and talent of students from universities across the region. We were impressed by the innovative ideas and enthusiasm from all the teams. Congratulations to everyone who participated!"

Final-year student Hattie Joynes added:"Taking part in the Greggs Challenge was such a rewarding experience. The encouragement and guidance from the Business and Marketing team was incredible. Winning the trophy was the perfect way to ‘bag some joy’ and end my time at Northumbria University."

Dr Kate Harland, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northumbria University, said: "This win is testament to the dedication and talent of our students. They delivered a well-researched, data-backed campaign that aligned closely with the Greggs brand and audience. Their hard work, creativity and professionalism will undoubtedly serve them well in their future careers. It was a thoroughly deserved win."

Northumbria University continues to offer opportunities for students to engage in live projects with industry leaders, helping develop practical skills and real-world experience that set them apart in a competitive job market and enhance their career prospects.