The Presidency School of Commerce, Presidency University, Bengaluru, organised “The Viral Heist: A Brand Management Challenge” on 17 September 2026, exclusively for Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) undergraduate students. The competition provided students with an experiential platform to apply brand management and digital marketing concepts to real-world business scenarios.

The event challenged 15 participating teams to “steal” market share from established industry giants by developing high-impact viral marketing strategies within strict time constraints. The activity encouraged students to demonstrate creativity, strategic thinking, consumer understanding and marketing agility.

The competition was conducted in multiple stages. In the Blueprint Round, participants analysed market disruptions and developed quick-turnaround guerrilla marketing campaigns, including creative Instagram posts. Teams presented their campaign themes and concepts to the judges for evaluation.

Shortlisted teams then progressed to the Execution Round, where they delivered five-minute pitch presentations explaining how their viral marketing concepts could enhance brand awareness, engage consumers and drive conversions. The competition also included an elimination round, testing participants’ ability to adapt and perform under pressure.

The event provided students with an opportunity to apply concepts related to brand positioning, digital consumer psychology, crisis communication and marketing strategy to practical business scenarios. It effectively bridged classroom theory with real-world marketing challenges while fostering creativity, collaboration, strategic thinking and student engagement.

Team Vortex Five secured first place, while Team Did It Bluds emerged as the runner-up, presenting innovative social-media-led campaign concepts.

The event was graced by Dr Ashish Sharma, Associate Professor and Head of the School of Management Studies, as the Chief Guest. The competition was coordinated by Dr Syed Abid Hussain, Professor, Presidency School of Commerce.

The judging panel comprised Prof Bakhtha Sabari Rajan V, Professor of Practice; Prof Neelkateshwarswamy, Professor of Practice; Dr Anuoja Mohanty, Associate Professor; Dr Ankita Mulasi, Assistant Professor; and Dr Nandita Malini Barua, Assistant Professor, from the School of Commerce, along with Dr Musheera Ashraf, Assistant Professor, School of Media Science.

The event successfully transformed theoretical learning into an engaging, competitive and practice-oriented experience, enabling BBA students to explore the dynamics of modern brand management and viral marketing.