Revitalising wellness: Marketing honours class partners with SEMLI

The stage was set for another marketing showdown on 24 April 2024. The occasion? The culmination of a vibrant journey by nine teams of dedicated BCom Marketing Management honours students, before their integrated marketing campaign (IMC) pitches to the University of Pretoria’s Sports, Exercise, Medical, and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI).

SEMLI is a unique research institute that not only prioritises research, education, and training, but also provides scientific and clinical consultancy services to the public, national and international athletes, UP staff and student athletes, and students at the TuksSport high school.

OnTrack Marketing (winning team).

Alexandra Marques, Jules Basson (team leader), Carmen Horne, Nompumelelo Mziba, Katlego Kekana and Savannah Scoular

The aspiring marketers embraced the challenge to design an IMC campaign that would not only create awareness for SEMLI, but also dispel the misconception that SEMLI caters exclusively to high-performance athletes. With polished presentations despite the tight deadline – two weeks from ideation to execution – it was evident that each team poured their hearts and minds into their campaigns; a testament to the students’ unwavering commitment to excellence.

Connect Marketing (second place).

Lizwi Sibuyi (team leader), Ruth Burger, Nidene Smith, Zonika Arendt, Nicole Wallis and Assimakis Ontong

Hermien Maree (SEMLI Clinical Services General Manager) and Dr Jill Borresen (SEMLI Chief Operations Officer) attended the presentations, along with the Services Marketing lecturer, Dr Michelle C. van der Merwe. The panel’s lengthy deliberation to choose a winning team reflected the fierce competition and high-quality campaigns that the Marketing Management honours class of 2024 pitched to the industry partner. From the third-placed Wellness Warriors team to the runner-up team Connect Marketing, and the triumphant OnTrack Marketing team, the creativity, strategic insight and dedication on display were nothing short of inspiring.

Wellness Warriors (third place), presenting to the client. 

Left: Chloe Dippenaar, Chihoriem Eresia-Eke and Dhiyaan Veerasamy. Right: Tyla Kliphuis (team leader), Damien Olivier and Nuhaila Vally

As the evening drew to a close, the SEMLI team emerged revitalised, and the students were enriched by the experience of bringing their creative visions to life. This opportunity marks another invaluable experience for the Marketing honours students and speaks to the continued efforts of the Department of Marketing Management to expose students to real-life industry problems. Congratulations to all the teams for the incredible effort poured into their campaigns, and another great evening of presentations.

Department of Marketing Management