The Chamber’s fifth Business Case Competition, held under the theme “Breaking Boundaries: Achieving Success with Creativity,” was a fantastic showcase for the remarkable talent and creativity of over 500 students from various universities in Hong Kong.
The competition provided a platform for the students to propose solutions for real-life business challenges presented by companies such as Chevalier Group, Chinachem Group, Jardine Matheson and Swire Pacific. The participants were tasked with developing proposals that addressed the specific business cases set by the sponsors.
After an intense period of brainstorming and refining proposals, 11 teams emerged as finalists. They were given the opportunity to present their ideas at the final pitching competition on 26 January, which was followed by an awards ceremony to commend the winners for their exceptional efforts.
The competition not only provided a platform for students to showcase their innovative ideas and problem-solving skills but also offered attractive rewards. Each winning team from the individual company challenges received a cash prize of HK$30,000 or an overseas trip in Asia. They also had the opportunity to intern at the sponsoring company, gaining practical experience and enhancing their knowledge in the field. The first and second runners-up were also acknowledged and received HK$20,000 and HK$10,000, respectively.
What the Judges Said:
Chevalier Group
New Direction to Seize the Opportunity Brought by Hong Kong’s Transformation into a Smart City
The winning team, ChroCare, introduced the “Smart Ward” concept, which aims to provide healthcare support to chronically ill patients and the elderly in Hong Kong through an AI-embedded IoT and Central Hub connection.
According to a survey conducted in Hong Kong, healthcare support is recognized as a crucial area that requires corporate attention, especially as the city’s ageing population is increasing. The Smart Ward devices are designed to provide holistic care for patients, with features such as fall-proof sensors and heart rate monitors that can be placed in the patient’s primary living area or even attached to the patient.
“The winning team was selected due to their exceptional understanding of real-life business scenarios and their ability to effectively leverage Chevalier's inherent advantages in the SMART City blueprint,” said Dr Wendy Lee, General Manager of Chevalier (Network Solutions) Ltd. “Their solution showcased a blend of high-quality and innovative strategies, supported by thorough analysis and relevant data. Additionally, they demonstrated exceptional proficiency in presenting their ideas concisely and effectively within a limited timeframe, highlighting their clear and concise communication skills.”
Lee added that the team made a remarkable impression as visionary leaders of the new generation, channelling a fearless mindset to break free from traditional boundaries.
Chinachem Group
Elevating Community Engagement with CCG Hearts, Chinachem Group’s Brand New Membership Rewards Programme; Optimizing App Promotion for Impactful Community Service and Volunteerism
The champions, MICG Consulting, acknowledged CCG Hearts, Chinachem Group's new membership programme, for its vision and mission, which blends earning rewards with community service. Acknowledging the programme's youthfulness in the market, they identified areas for improvement, with a focus on enhancing user incentives and boosting public awareness.
Their proposed strategies, including interactive mobile vans and "Touch of Love" events, aimed to attract new users through offline promotions while effectively communicating CCG Heart's “Big Heart. Big Rewards” values of community service and rewards. They also suggested optimizing the app’s features for better user experience and long-term engagement with Hong Kong people in their daily lives.
Chinachem Group’s judges panel, including CEO Donald Choi, Chief Business Impact Officer Sylvia Chung, Managing Director of Corporate Development Damien Wu and Jack Tam, General Manager, CRM, said their impressions of the finalists were overwhelmingly positive.
“Regarding the selection of the winning team, while MICG secured the championship, we found both Pawn Consulting and Green Frontiers to be innovative and deserving of recognition as first runners-up. All teams demonstrated outside-the-box thinking and willingness to revise their proposals during the mentoring period.”
They added that by participating in the competition, students gained practical experience in business case development and honed their presentation skills. Going forward, the company aims to further collaborate with young talents, continuing with the effort to nurture the next generation, while striving for a sustainable future.
Jardine Matheson
Transitioning KFC Menu Offering to Introduce More Balanced or Health-Conscious Options while Remaining Cost-Effective and Accessible for Its Customers
The winning team, NAAR, conducted a survey that revealed 55% of Hong Kong people are overweight. Furthermore, 90% had an improper diet, leading to major health concerns. They also found that people would like to eat healthier but want tasty food. Based on this feedback, NAAR suggested offering healthy alternatives while retaining existing chicken options. For example, they proposed introducing healthier versions of the same three flavours of chicken. In addition to offering a healthier menu, NAAR also addressed the issues of food waste and low consumer engagement, and recommended collecting and reusing surplus items to create new and healthy menu options. They also proposed various online interactions to increase consumer engagement with the brand.
The KFC Hong Kong management team, Wesley Zhai, General Manager, Janet Lau, Marketing Director and Candice Cheung, Senior Commercial Manager, said NAAR was crowned the winning team for their innovative yet feasible proposal on using alternative protein products to access a new segment of the market for an underserved consumer need. “NAAR’s proposal was highly practical as well, given their ‘upcycling’ approach to ensuring KFC’s recipes are designed with both product preference and waste mitigation in mind.”
They added that NAAR approached the business case with an “impassioned energy,” conducting their own survey within KFC outlets to gauge consumer demand, as customer-driven insights are critical in any solution and product proposal. “We thank NAAR for their bold proposal and tangible enthusiasm in helping KFC Hong Kong transition our menu to an even more sustainable and well-balanced offering.”
Swire Pacific
Spreading the Word about Swire Pacific's Sustainability Efforts; Raising Public Awareness of the Group's Sustainability Efforts Across Its Businesses
The winning team, Pawn Consulting, identified that Swire Pacific's sustainable development (SD) efforts across its diverse property, aviation, beverages and other businesses are unique. Swire invests in best-in-class technology and deploys innovative methodology to deliver authentic SD initiatives at both policy and operational levels. To raise the profile of the company's sustainability efforts - and to stand out in a crowded market - Pawn Consulting presented a comprehensive, three-fold proposal to appeal to different demographics. It included a climate innovation showcase event to create public awareness, a gamified online challenge to make the subject of SD more understandable to younger people and, finally, a proactive media campaign to generate wider and deeper penetration.
Mark Harper, Group Head of Sustainability, said: "We thought Pawn Consulting's pitch was innovative and fun. What's worth mentioning is the impressive amount of hard work that clearly went into it. The pitch was supported by solid research and benchmarking; we could tell they were very well prepared by the dozens of appendix slides they included. Well done!"
"A common thread across all the finalist teams was that they injected elements of digitalisation and gamification into the important subject of sustainability, which can be technical and difficult to understand at times," said Ivan Chan, General Manager, Group Public Affairs. "All teams provided inspiration as to how to engage the general public so they can support Swire's sustainability efforts."