HSE GSB students’ marketing projects receive high praise from industry
More than 120 students were divided into 20 teams and worked on briefs from 7 companies. This year, students were tasked with developing marketing plans and launching new products by the following companies: EkoNiva, Level Group, Bobimex (brand “Senezhskaya”), Novabev Group, Ural Granite, Mayoly Farm, and the retail chain Podruzhka.
Russian businesses continue to show strong and systematic interest in partnering with HSE GSB, engaging students and program participants in solving real-world challenges. The Marketing and Market Analytics program is closely integrated with industry, with partner companies spanning sectors from FMCG and pharmaceuticals to real estate and retail.
According to Vera Rebyazina, Professor and Head of the Marketing Department at HSE GSB, working on such projects allows students not only to apply their knowledge in practice, but also to interact with real clients at every stage — from receiving the brief to presenting the final solution.
Vera Rebyazina
Professor, Head of the Marketing Department, HSE GSB
“Our students work on the very challenges that businesses are facing right now. Developing a marketing plan based on real industry briefs demands deep analysis, strategic thinking, and creativity. For companies, it's a chance to receive fresh, well-founded, and often unconventional solutions; for students — it’s a unique hands-on experience and a confident step forward in their professional development. As a first-choice business school, we place a strong emphasis on systematic partnerships with leading companies and early immersion of students in real practice.”
Among the projects that received high praise was a marketing plan developed for Level Group — one of the leading real estate companies in Russia. The task was to design a marketing strategy for attracting and retaining the attention of a younger audience aged 18–25, with a focus on increasing brand awareness. HSE GSB students described the company’s business model, conducted market and competitor analyses, explored motivations, barriers, and key insights of the target audience, and proposed a relevant marketing mix with a strong emphasis on digital channels and new formats of engagement.
Stanislava Minkina
Participant in the Level Group Project
“The project wasn’t just a course assignment for us — we aimed to deliver a result that could genuinely help the business build communication with young audiences as future customers. We decided to go deep into research, understanding that our value lay in offering an insider’s perspective from Generation Z. We focused on segmentation that will remain relevant as the audience matures and tried to gain real insights into how young people perceive their future housing and what they expect from brands in communication.
From a teamwork perspective, the project made us rethink many work processes. We realized that real quality comes from being willing to disrupt — to adapt to new information and change direction if needed — while maintaining structure and open communication within the team.”
Alexandra Pak
Head of Marketing Communications, Level Group
“The team did a great job. It’s nice to see that they took our feedback and suggestions from the interim meeting seriously. I want to highlight their solid theoretical knowledge and ability to apply it in practice. The team thoroughly researched the market during the project. They took an in-depth approach to studying the target audience and applied a non-standard segmentation model. We are planning to implement some of their ideas.”
Another project focused on launching a new product in the brand portfolio of Novabev Group. The student team proposed a market entry strategy aimed at expanding the brand’s presence in the emerging “easy mix” home cocktail niche. They conducted an in-depth analysis of the company’s business model, market and competitor research, target market segmentation, and a segment-based SWOT analysis.
Sofya Drozd
Participant in the Novabev Group Project
“Our team developed a marketing plan for Novabev Group to launch a new product in their portfolio — the Tete de Cheval vermouth. This was probably the most comprehensive project we’ve worked on, requiring significant time and resources. Over several months, we were able to meet the company’s expectations and even created a complete brand book. Throughout the project, we communicated with both our academic advisor and the company representative. This experience allowed us to apply our knowledge of marketing planning in practice and dive deep into the industry. Most importantly, we had the chance to work with a real business and received their highest evaluation.”
Anna Shalaeva
Marketing Director, Novabev Group
“The comprehensive marketing solution presented by the team earned the highest score. I would especially note the thorough and strategic approach to promotion that underpins the entire marketing plan. Every tool used was well-justified with respect to the target audience, consumption context, and communication channels. The quality of visual content — from creative ideas to the proposed brand book design — was particularly impressive.”
The project defenses were held in the format of open presentations before representatives of the client companies and experts from the HSE Graduate School of Business.
The vast majority of student projects received high evaluations for their analytical depth, relevance, and practical potential for application in real business environments.
