IDM identifies leading marketers of the future

The winners of the first direct marketing competition for sixth formers have been announced by the IDM at an awards ceremony at the Museum of Brands, Advertising and Packaging in West London.

The top prize was awarded to a team from Ilkley Grammar School for the stunning marketing campaign they proposed for Direct Line's "Named Drivers' No Claims Discount" product.

Second prize went to a sixth form team from Wimbledon College, while in third place was The Kings School from Peterborough.

So impressed were the judges by the quality of entries that additional awards were presented to Preston Manor High School in North London and Tavistock College in Devon.

The IDM's 6th form competition was launched last September to complement the Institute's existing National Student Competition for university students, now in its 10th year.

The new competition was launched with two main aims: to generate interest in marketing as a career choice amongst sixth formers and to deliver up to date teaching materials to the 4,574 UK schools teaching business studies.

The students' brief, set by sponsors Direct Line, was to create a marketing plan that would persuade households with newly qualified young drivers, driving on their parents' policies, to take advantage of the opportunity to earn their own independent no claims discount.

Students were asked to devise a marketing plan that would convince existing Direct Line customers to upgrade and persuade non-customers to switch insurers.

Mike Tildesley F IDM, Marketing Director of Direct Line, commented: "We were blown away by the quality of Ilkley Grammar's entry.

"We joined forces with the IDM on this initiative because we're passionate about bringing on the next generation of direct marketers.

"If these, and other young minds out there like them, eventually choose to enter our profession, then the profession's future is in safe hands".

IDM Director, Jill Hancock, added: "This competition really fired the imagination of hundreds of sixth formers; Ilkley Grammar's win was truly well-deserved and we hope that the teaching materials supplied to four and a half thousand schools across the country will continue to inspire young people and prompt them to consider marketing as their long-term profession".

The IDM National sixth form competition forms part of the Institute's Education Programme whose mission is to encourage the brightest and most talented students to enter the direct, data and digital marketing profession.

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