A statement issued by Gabriel Opoku-Asare, Head of Corporate Affairs, Unilever Ghana, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday said after an amazing presentation of the most creative and brilliant ideas at the grand finale, Williams Kwabena Acheampong, Love-God Osei Sekyere and Shawn Martey- the three members of Team Alpha successfully defeated three other teams from universities across Ghana.
Speaking at the event, Ms Maidie Arkutu, Managing Director of Unilever Ghana said “the students have been given professional guidance and training on business plans development, brand management, consumer understanding, presentation skills, business etiquette, personal effectiveness and leadership skills”.
“Indeed, the Unilever IdeaTrophy Challenge is a confirmation of Unilever’s commitment to national development and our contribution to the community as we improve the quality of future graduates,” she added.
This year’s edition was powered by Unilever’s Rexona brand.
Students were tasked with the responsibility of developing a communication and marketing plan for Rexona that seeks to create social change in the lives of consumers.
With more than 40 applications received and subsequent short listing of more than 100 applications, 24 students from the University of Ghana, the KNUST, University of Cape Coast, Valley View University and the Ghana Institute of Management and Professional Studies made it as semi-finalists.
They were then split into groups of three for the U-Camp stage of the competition, which focused on equipping students with an understanding of Unilever and its key values and vision as well as building their capabilities and enhancing their skills to help improve their employability.
Team Alpha of KNUST took home the winning prize, which gave them the bragging rights as the second time winner of the Unilever Africa Idea Trophy competition in Ghana.
Team CPS of the University of Ghana came second place.
Both winners, aside the amazing prizes won, also get an all-expense paid trip to South Africa, to represent Ghana in the next phase of the competition where they would be competing with students from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa at the Unilever Africa IdeaTrophy Competition.
The African winners would represent the continent at the Global Future Leaders’ League competition in London next year.
Speaking after the award ceremony, Mr Michael Otchere-Duah Human Resource Director of Unilever West Africa said, “The competition launched in Ghana in 2013, has become a highly patronised annual student competition with the aim of exposing students to the real business world, developing talent and improving youth employability in Ghana”.
He stated that, “IdeaTrophy does this by giving students the opportunity to come up with ideas that will foster the behavioural trait of confidence whilst doing more which has enabled them to work as a team, brainstorm, think out of the box as well as learn new skills.”
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries.
