Osijek, January 29, 2024 – The award ceremony for the most successful students in the „Planet of plants“ business case competition was held at the Faculty of Economics in Osijek. This business case competition was held in cooperation with the Croatian Marketing Association (CROMAR) and allowed students, as part of the Marketing Strategies course, to gain important practical knowledge and experience in managing strong and well-known brands, such as Zvijezda. First place was won by the team of EFOS students Marcela Kranjčec, Nikolina Lucić, Iva Maria Marošičević, and Eva Misir.
Zvijezda, a member of the Fortenova Group, and the Faculty of Economics in Osijek have realized an important segment of their mutual strategic cooperation with this project, which was formalized in December of last year by signing the Agreement on Scientific and Professional Cooperation. The competition among 14 student teams from the Faculty of Economics in Osijek produced outstanding examples of the competence, knowledge, and creativity of the new generation of future marketing professionals, and the three best teams were also awarded special prizes for successfully solving Zvijezda's marketing business case. The competition is also part of the required Marketing Strategies course in the second year of the marketing major, led by Professor Dr. Marija Ham.
First place was won by the team of Marcela Kranjčec, Nikolina Lucić, Iva Maria Marošičević, and Eva Misir, while second place was taken by Geošić Daniel, Kovačević Andrea, and Kožić Tajana. Third place went to the team consisting of Anica Varnica, Maja Lončina, Marijana Delić-Hederić, Ivan Špiranović, and Matej Šimić. This type of competition has a long-standing tradition at the Faculty of Economics, and through collaboration with the Croatian Marketing Association (CROMAR), it provides students with the opportunity to apply their marketing knowledge in a practical setting while still in school.
„Planet of Plants“ is the first Croatian plant-based a product line that proves we have the knowledge and experience in Croatia to compete with global trends. It is also a reflection of Croatian higher education, and Zvijezda proudly supports initiatives for excellence development. The collaboration with the Faculty of Economics creates a bridge between theory and real-world experience, fostering the development of high-quality professionals who will contribute to the growth of the Croatian economy. The students demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm, knowledge, and creativity in solving the business case, and we especially congratulate the team that won first place. “We will continue to support initiatives that connect academia and industry, and we look forward to further successful cooperation with the Faculty of Economics," said Dajana Mrčela, a member of the Zvijezda management team.
„I congratulate all the teams that competed to solve this business case, and especially those who submitted the three best papers. We believe that the experience gained will serve as a solid foundation for their future academic and career paths, and that these awards will provide them with a valuable reference for future employment. In line with our goal of enriching the curriculum with practical experience, the Faculty of Economics in Osijek will continue to provide students with valuable hands-on experience from the real sector by involving them in real business cases from our partner companies. Through guest lectures by business experts, company field trips, and other related activities, we aim to provide students with not only theoretical knowledge but also the practical skills needed for a successful entry into the job market,“ said Prof. Dr. sc. Boris Crnković, Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Osijek.
„Competitions provide students with opportunities to gain practical knowledge of marketing strategy and accelerate the development of competencies for future marketing professionals. Zvijezda proudly participates in such higher education initiatives because they reflect our commitment to excellence and the development of young talent. Congratulations once again to all the teams on their achievements,“ said Gašpar Novak, Marketing Director of Zvijezda.
