Campaign Autopsy - Marketing, Retail Analytics & Strategy Challenge

Eligibility Open to all undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students. Students from all domains, courses, and specializations are eligible. Freshers are eligible to participate. Team size: 2–4 members. Inter-college teams are allowed. Inter-specialization teams are allowed. Participants can be from different colleges, courses, domains, and specializations within the same team. Each participant can be part of only one team. Competition Format Campaign Autopsy is a three-round marketing strategy competition where participants take on the role of a marketing turnaround team and investigate an underperforming campaign. The competition tests participants on marketing knowledge, consumer behaviour, analytical thinking, campaign strategy, commercial decision-making, creativity, communication, and strategic adaptability. The competition consists of: Round 1 — Marketing Forensics: 20 Questions | 10 Minutes | 80 Marks Round 2 — The Campaign Autopsy Challenge: Case Study | 6-Slide Submission Round 3 — The New Evidence Drop: Top 8 Teams | Live Final Round 1 — Marketing Forensics Format Round 1 consists of 20 multiple-choice questions designed to test participants' understanding of marketing and business concepts. Questions will cover areas including: Consumer Behaviour & Psychology Brand Positioning & Segmentation Marketing Funnel & Conversion Metrics Pricing & Promotion Indian Brands, Campaigns & Current Marketing Affairs Marketing Strategy and real-world business scenarios The round will include both single-correct and multiple-correct questions. Scoring Each question carries 4 marks. Total: 80 marks. No negative marking. AI Usage Use of AI tools is strictly prohibited in Round 1. Participants are expected to rely on their own knowledge, reasoning, and understanding. Qualification The top 20 teams based on their Round 1 performance will qualify for Round 2. In case of a tie at the qualification cutoff, the team with the earlier submission time will be ranked higher. Round 2 — The Campaign Autopsy Challenge Format The shortlisted teams will receive a detailed campaign dossier for a fictional consumer brand whose campaign has failed to meet its business objectives despite apparently strong visibility and engagement. The dossier may contain information across: Consumer behaviour Target audience and segmentation Brand positioning Marketing funnel performance Media and channel performance Creative performance Customer feedback Sales and customer cohorts Competitor pricing and promotions Influencer performance Consumer and brand research Teams must investigate the campaign and determine: What is the single most important root cause of the campaign failure? Which explanations should the company NOT pursue, and why? How should the remaining marketing budget be reallocated? What should the campaign relaunch look like? Participants will be expected to distinguish symptoms from causes, meaningful evidence from noise, and correlation from decision-worthy signals. Submission Teams must submit a maximum 6-slide presentation covering their campaign diagnosis and recovery strategy. The recommended structure is: Situation Diagnosis Evidence Board Stop / Start / Continue Budget Reallocation Relaunch Strategy Measurement & Kill Criteria Submissions may be made in PPT, PDF, or HTML format. AI Usage AI tools may be used during Round 2. However, participants are encouraged to use AI as a supporting tool rather than relying entirely on AI-generated strategies, content, or designs. The competition values original thinking, creativity, strategic judgement, and the ability to defend your recommendations. The strongest submissions will be those where technology supports the team's thinking rather than replaces it. Qualification The top 8 teams from Round 2 will qualify for the Final Round. Round 3 — The New Evidence Drop Format The top 8 teams will enter a live final round designed to test strategic adaptability, communication, and the ability to defend decisions under pressure. Finalist teams will receive a new piece of evidence that may challenge their Round 2 diagnosis. The new evidence may include developments such as: A sudden competitor price cut A change in influencer conversion quality A stock-out in a high-performing market A confirmed payment or checkout issue New consumer research that changes how the campaign message is being interpreted The new evidence will be shared with finalists in advance of the live interaction so that teams can analyse its implications and prepare their response. Live Final Teams will get a limited preparation window before their live defence. 5 Minutes — Strategic Defence Teams must explain how the new evidence affects their original recommendation and what they would do differently, if anything. Teams may use a single response slide or refer to their existing Round 2 presentation. Creating a new presentation is not mandatory. 2 Minutes — Judge Cross-Questioning Judges will challenge the team's assumptions, decisions, and reasoning. The final round is designed to test: Strategic reasoning Response to new evidence Communication skills Quality of defence Commercial thinking Creativity Adaptability Ability to handle cross-questioning Participation At least one team member must be present during the live final. All team members are encouraged to join. Any team member can represent the team during the defence; it does not have to be the team leader. Team members who are unable to join the live interaction will not automatically disqualify the team, provided the required team representation is present. Camera-on is not mandatory. Participants may keep their cameras switched off if they are not comfortable appearing on video. Final Winner The final winner will be determined based on performance in Round 3. General Rules Participants must register through the official Unstop registration process. Participants may register in teams of 2–4 members. Inter-college and inter-specialization teams are permitted. Each participant may be part of only one team. All submissions must be made within the specified deadlines. Late submissions may not be considered. AI tools and external assistance are not permitted in Round 1. AI tools may be used in subsequent rounds. Plagiarism, impersonation, fraudulent submissions, or any form of malpractice may result in disqualification. Participants must be prepared to explain and defend the assumptions, analysis, and recommendations made in their submissions. The Round 2 presentation must not exceed the 6-slide limit. Participants are responsible for ensuring that submitted files are accessible and can be opened by the organisers. The decision of the judges and organising committee will be final and binding. In case of a tie at the Round 1 qualification cutoff, earlier submission time will be used as the tie-breaker. The organisers reserve the right to modify the competition format or schedule in case of unforeseen circumstances. Any changes will be communicated through the official communication channels.