Brio crowned York Apprentice 2012 champions

Team Brio won the competition and £1,500 prize money ©York Entrepreneurs

Team Brio was crowned winners of the York Apprentice 2012 after championing throughout a week of gruelling business tasks.

The annual competition, based on the hit TV showing featuring Sir Alan Sugar, is run by the York Entrepreneurs Society and sets a variety of advertising, sales, marketing and teamwork challenges.

With the lowest performing teams eliminated after each stage, only three teams from the starting 16 – Flare, Enigma and Brio – progressed to the final on June 15-16 to compete for the £1,500 prize.

Earlier tasks included teams “blagging” freebies to sell in an auction at The Lounge, selling products to students, creating a business service for the day, and designing a multimedia concept.

Brio impressed in creating a business service and also claimed victory with their innovative “Mean Time” multimedia app, a timetabling and calendar service for student life.

They continued their good business form and mind-set in the final, when the three teams were asked to create a marketing campaign for Leed’s Brewery’s new larger ‘Leodis Lager’.

The teams were transported by minibus to Leeds Brewery on Friday, June 15, where they were given a guided tour by the owner Sam Moss to gain an insight into the business process before they were provided with the details of their final task.

Each team’s marketing campaign had to include a radio advert, TV advert storyboard and multimedia advertising proposals for the new drink, to be presented to a panel the following day.

The teams met managers of different pubs owned by Leeds Brewery to do some market research before they returned to York to plan their campaigns and presentations overnight.

Saturday saw the teams record and edit their radio adverts with URY before presentations were given to the panel of judges, including Sam Moss and the competition’s sponsors ACCA, in the afternoon.

Team Brio was named the winners after impressing with their campaign, which centred around Yorkshire and portrayed Leodis Lager as being proud of its Yorkshire roots.

They also developed the concept of an android/Iphone optical recognition app which, when scanning the brand of lager, would give you more information about it.

Alex Phillips, Marketing Director for the York Entrepreneurs Society, said: “They presented very fluently and had an excellent marketing campaign, consequently becoming the winners of the York Apprentice 2012.”

Second place was awarded to Enigma, who presented a ‘Premium life Premium lager’ concept’ with their storyboard involving four people from different walks of life coming together to enjoy a Leodis Lager.

Phillips commented: “The concept was good; however their carton idea, which involved taking away leftover beer in a sealed carton to enjoy later, proved not to be feasible.”

Flare finished in third place and provided “an incredibly charismatic presentation”, an app pub game, and an impressive storyboard involving sports and sportsmen scoring – but failed to convince the judges it could have a wide appeal.

“The judges were dubious about their concept believing Flare to have narrowed the target demographic considerably,” said Phillips.

He added: “I would like to say well done to all the teams in the final, as the quality of their campaigns was superb considering the tiny amount of time they had to prepare them.

“For anyone interested in entrepreneurship please come find us at Fresher’s Fair next year or get in touch with us on our Facebook group.”

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