What does Stylight have in common with a German premier league soccer club, a mobile company, and an NGO? The answer is quite interesting: they’re all part of the 2019 business@school videochallenge, a BCG initiative aiming at connecting business with digitalization. Using four questions, students between 14 and 20—from any type of school—analyze the reasons for a company’s success, but also possible risks. They present their results in four-minute videos, on their own or as part of a group. Very proud to participate in this project, we asked Dr. Babette Claas, Director business@school to answer a few questions about this video challenge:
Can you give our readers some information about this year’s b@s videochallenge?
This year, the choice of companies participating in the video challenge includes Share (a social enterprise), Congstar (a mobile and Internet provider), 1. FSV Mainz 05 (a professional soccer club), and of course Stylight. Students have until August 1, 2019, to upload a video that will then be analyzed by a panel of judges. The best videos will be honored during an Award ceremony in September, and their creators will receive attractive activity-based prizes.
Why should students participate in the challenge?
I think the b@s videochallenge is not only a wonderful way for students to challenge themselves, but also to get in touch with companies and gain some practical experience too. This challenge enables students to critically analyze a company while strengthening their media skills and gaining a first experience in digital work methods. As the competition encourages creativity, there are unique prizes for the best videos and a certificate of participation for everyone who completes the challenge.
What tips would you give participants?
I would first tell them to be creative and dig deep! They shouldn’t stop with the information they can find quickly and easily, but rather use all available sources, not just company websites. They should ask themselves if there are any interesting studies or helpful newspaper articles out there, and closely analyze all the information they research. Another tip would be to start thinking about how their video will look like as soon as they start drafting the script: Do they want to appear in their own video as a moderator or narrator? Do they want it to be an explanatory video? Or do they want it to be comprised entirely of drawings? There are so many possibilities, but it’s important to think about them beforehand.
The b@s videochallenge was created by business@school, an educational initiative offering students an opportunity to get a firsthand taste of business since 1998. Some business@school alumni seem to have very successful careers after participating in the project. Can you name a few examples?
The business@school initiative has given many former participants access to the startup scene: some students start realizing their startup idea while they are still in school, while others return to it after finishing their studies or commercial training. To give you a couple of examples, the winners of our social entrepreneur award for 2018 are in the process of realizing their business idea right now. Their idea: to help schools stop bullying with the app they developed. And another alumnus is on the path to success with the travel platform FLYLA, which offers budget flight tickets for students.
Do you want to hear more about the b@s videochallenge? Check out more information here: www.videochallenge.online.