5 min read

IE Business School shapes top talent for the world of marketing and communications. An integral part of this process is the Capstone Project, a moment when graduating students put new skills into action.

This year we caught up with students from the Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior and Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication to see how they went about finding solutions and success.

The concept of the Capstone Project

The Capstone Projects mark the final academic milestone. Working in small teams under the guidance of professional mentors, students collaborate with private, public and nonprofit organizations on challenges ranging from brand positioning to consumer engagement.

Recent clients include household names such as Porsche, Mondelez, Johnson & Johnson, and emerging brands like OJX. The projects demand extensive data collection, multi-method research, strategic analysis and the crafting of actionable recommendations. They then present their findings directly to the clients.

Both programs offer unique skill sets. The Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior contributes specialized knowledge in consumer psychology, blending neuromarketing, data analytics and market research to provide insights for business strategy. The Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication, on the other hand, provides a 360-degree approach to the field, preparing students to craft compelling brand narratives and engage with hyper-connected audiences.

What unique marketing challenges did the teams face?

Unique briefs were assigned to test the teams’ skills. For Camilla Carnevale, that meant stepping into the shoes of OJX consumers. “We had to understand the perception of the brand and what market strategies OJX could implement to better position itself,” she explained.

Similarly, Juliana Fernandes’ group had to reignite Johnson & Jonhson by aligning the brand with modern parents’ needs.

The theme of working out what’s not working and why was continued in a brief from Le Petit Marseillais. “We needed to assess why it wasn’t resonating in the market in Spain,” said Giacomo Buraschi. “It has really low awareness compared to France, where it’s actually a market leader. So we had to find out what’s missing for it to reach that kind of position here.”

For other teams, the challenge revolved around dominance. “Our main challenge was to make sure that Monalize would become the number one chocolate brand in Spain by 2030,” said Rita Mota. “We had to tackle both direct competitors—big brands like Fejero—and also private-label brands.” Similarly, Beatriz Ribeiro’s team faced a seasonal but equally complex task—elevating Mondelez’s brands, Suchard and Milka, during the competitive Christmas period. “Suchard is already a very well-known brand… but it’s becoming very mature,” Beatriz explained. “So we had to find a way to innovate while still preserving its tradition. With Milka, the challenge was different. People see it more as an everyday brand—it’s purple, fun, but not something they associate with Christmas.”

How did the teams overcome their marketing challenges?

With a variety of challenges set, the teams began researching for actionable insights. Camilla’s gathered data using everything from Google and Statista to Qualtrics and social listening tools like Appify. Juliana’s team had a more structured approach—splitting into smaller groups to collect insights before coming back together to shape their final strategy.

For Marianne Obregón, whose team sought a strategy to sell Porsche’s Timepieces watch collection, the key was emotional storytelling. “Our approach focused on understanding the target audience,” Marianne explains. “After doing our research, we realized that people here aren’t necessarily interested in showing off the watch brands they wear. Instead, they care more about the heritage and story behind the watch. That wasn’t something that was being communicated well with Porsche’s watches. So we felt that if we could clearly deliver and explain the storytelling and heritage behind the Timepieces, it could gain a lot more traction with customers.”

Emotion was also central to Rita’s approach, whose group focused on tapping into holiday spirit rather than competing on price.

Beatriz Ribeiro’s group took a broad approach, researching across age groups to create a unified plan for Milka and Suchard. The aim across all teams was the same: deliver real solutions backed by solid insights.

Key learnings for marketing success

A key takeaway for many was learning how to apply everything they’d covered in the master’s into one real project. “The key learning, honestly, was putting everything together,” said Camilla. Giacomo agreed: “At the beginning, the picture felt way too big. But, step by step, part by part, we ended up building something that directly addressed our objectives.” Beatriz Ribeiro’s group tackled their brief through raw ideation: “We sat in a room for two hours, just throwing out ideas—without judgment. Then we stopped to evaluate what actually worked.”

For some, the biggest learning came from being pushed into unfamiliar territory.

Juliana’s team had to focus on pregnant people and new parents—an audience they couldn’t easily reach: “Figuring out how to work around that and still get valuable insights really surprised me.” Marianne noted how working on a client-facing project raised the stakes. “We had to take on the mindset of Porsche employees,” she explained. “We couldn’t just wing it.” Others found unexpected complexity within the brands themselves. “Suchard is so strongly tied to Spanish Christmas traditions,” said Rita Mota, “but that can also become a weakness.” Even well-known brands still have room to grow—if you know where to look.

Many were also surprised by how much they learned from watching other teams. “There were always two teams working on the same topic,” said Beatriz. “You’d worry—‘maybe their idea is better’—but in the end, we learned a lot from each other. The ideal solution would probably be a mix of both.” Zoé Reding agreed: “We really learned how to work with people from all around the world—different backgrounds, different ages.”

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