FRANCE. Team Italy was the big winner tonight as L’Oréal Group’s long-established ‘Brandstorm’ annual competition for business students came to a fascinating conclusion in Paris [more pictures coming soon].
Dubbed ‘The Ultimate Business Competition since 1992’, Brandstorm 2015 saw 44 teams of three business students from all around the world vie for the title yesterday after preliminary knock-out rounds involving 13,000 participants. The event culminated last night in a final showdown between three teams, France, India and Italy, in front of a live audience of some 500 people.
 |
This year’s Brandstorm was dedicated to travel retail for the first time |
Brandstorm is L’Oréal’s unique global business competition for students to unleash their creativity and apply ground-breaking ideas to one of the group’s international brands and distribution channels.
This year for the first time the competition was dedicated to travel retail with students tasked with creating an “unforgettable retail experience” and turning passengers into shoppers. The chosen brand was Lancôme.
 |
The night’s big winners gather on stage for a special moment |
L’Oréal Travel Retail Managing Director Vincent Boinay told The Moodie Report (click on The Moodie Podcast icon below for full interview): “It has been the first time that travel retail has been at the very heart of Brandstorm and it’s extremely meaningful – for L’Oréal Travel Retail but also for the industry. Because across the world in every country in every big university they have been talking about travel retail and working on travel retail. These students”¦ it’s amazing the quality of their job and also the quality of their understanding of travel retail.
“All of this young generation have been talking about what? Customer experience, [embracing] digital and having a relationship with the customer all along the way – before, during and after the journey. I think that’s very, very insightful.”
| https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/210953328&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false |
An ebullient L’Oréal Travel Retail Managing Director Vincent Boinay talks about the success of Brandstorm 2015 |
The Italian team won the grand prize on a split decision ahead of India with France coming in third and Finland winning a special digital innovation award. The Italian trio presented a superbly thought-out concept called Destination Lancôme, backed by full execution details and financial projections.
The young Italian trio just headed off (on the tightest of decisions) the exuberant Indian team who presented a fascinating, innovative, provocative view of the challenges facing travel retail and the potential solutions.
 |
L’Oréal Group President Selective Divisions Nicolas Hieronimus, who acted as one of the judges, questions Team France in the discussion period that followed each finalist’s 15-minute presentation |
 |
Aelia Chief Executive Ambroise Fondeur (left) and L’Oréal Travel Retail Managing Director Vincent Boinay were two of the judges tonight |
 |
Martin Moodie meets members of the tremendous Team India |
For comment from the winning team and runners-up click on The Moodie Podcast icons on this page.
 |
(Above and below) Team Italy’s compelling Destination Lancôme presentation, which tracked the entire consumer travel journey, clinched the narrowest of victories over Team India with Team France a strong third |
 |
 |
 |
 |
All of tonight’s top winners, led by the triumphant Italian team, focused impressively on what they considered all aspects of the total ‘traveller journey’ from online booking to the post-shopping experience |
 |
Team Italy delivers a superbly insightful presentation on how the travel retail industry could and should evolve |
 |
The Finnish finalists won a special award for best use of digital media |
We’ll bring you a full report on the event, the aspirations that underpin it, and the key presentations soon. Courtesy of L’Oréal Travel, the best thinking from Brandstorm 2015 will be presented at this year’s Trinity Forum in Hong Kong (16-18 September).
 |
(Above and below) The French team introduced a number of innovative concepts |
 |
 |
(Above and below) Team India offered up the intriguing notion of buying a gift online for someone who is presented with the item while travelling |
 |
 |
(Above and below) This year’s Brandstorm final was held at the atmospheric Hotel Salomon de Rothschild in Paris |
 |
Martin Moodie talks to members of triumphant Team India |
Team India tells The Moodie Report what Brandstorm 2015 meant to them |
Click on the arrow to preview Brandstorm 2015 |
 |
(Above and below) Guests gather as Brandstorm 2015 kicks off |
 |
