A caffeinated hackathon to tackle strategic challenges
For the 5th edition of this hackathon, participants had a secret weapon: freshly roasted and professionally crafted coffee made by a passionate barista and roaster. The day began with a tasting and presentation of Gigi Cafe by its founder, Anthony Caraffini.
Three key challenges were presented to the students :
- What recommendations for the website redesign?
- How to improve social media communication and increase the conversion rate?
- Following the recent opening of a physical store: how to attract customers to the store without cannibalising online sales?
Three highly strategic and intertwined questions on which the students worked for a full day under the expert guidance of the MSc Director, Nicolas Buttafoghi, and Christophe Garonne, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Academic Director of KEDGE Entrepreneurship.
It was my first hackathon, and it was amazing! Being a solo entrepreneur is exciting but also challenging. You need to be everywhere, but you only have 24 hours in a day. We tend to focus on urgent matters, but we also need to dedicate time to address fundamental issues. These three key challenges were identified before the hackathon with Christophe and Nicolas. I know they are fundamental to the success of my business.
Hackathon: a unique, dynamic, and enriching method
Diagnosing the issues prior to the hackathon is one of the specificities of the unique hackathon method developed by Christophe Garonne over several years. He continues: "This allows for a win-win-win situation for the company, the students, and the programme. The company leaves with ready-made solutions, the students put into practice all the techniques and models learnt during the course modules, and the programme strengthens its experiential pedagogy by constantly linking the content of the teachings with the companies' issues."
The hackathon is an intense day: understanding and analysing the issues and finding clear and relevant solutions to implement is complex and rewarding. Emeline and Lou-Anne, students of the MSc, are convinced: "We were able to work on topics that are close to our hearts. It's great to be able to show what we have learnt and confront it with the reality of a small business."
Tia and Diego continue, "These are key problems that we will face upon completing our MSc. Being able to prepare for them in advance and test our solutions during our training is invaluable."
At the end of a caffeine-fueled day, Nicolas Buttafoghi, Director of the MSc in Digital Marketing & Sales, delivers the final word:
"It's a pleasure to see the students grow over the months, both in terms of analytical skills and soft skills. The presentations were of high quality, and I know that Gigi Cafe now has a solid action plan for the months ahead."
Introducing the cutting-edge MSc Digital Marketing & Sales ranked 3rd on Eduniversal 2024, driven by innovation and market demand!
The MSc in Digital Marketing and Sales is designed to equip professionals to thrive in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. With a focus on agility and responsiveness, the curriculum includes comprehensive training in strategy, technique, design, digital marketing, and e-commerce performance.