The Online Marketing Challenge (OMC) is a unique opportunity for international professionals—graduates and students—to gain practical experience in the real business world by designing and executing digital marketing campaigns for Saxonian companies from various industries using a budget of 500 euros.
Since 2017, this initiative has been organized by the SEPT Competence Center at Leipzig University and the Internationalisierungsoffensive Sachsen (IOSAX) to merge the academic and business worlds and promote collaboration between international students and companies from Saxony. Since 2022, Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz has joined as a partner organization.
How does the OMC work?
With the OMC, students have the opportunity to work in teams to design an international online marketing campaign in collaboration with an SME and bring it to life.
Over the course of three months (April to June 2025), students will take on the role of online marketing managers, developing and executing campaigns with a 500 EUR budget, aiming to meet the marketing objectives set by the company in order to win the challenge.
In July, the student teams come together at a final event to pitch their results to the companies, share their experiences, and celebrate. The winning team that meets the challenge will receive a prize of 300 EUR.
Our students gain more than “just” practical experience and a certificate: They also benefit from participating in our Digital Marketing Bootcamp, where they receive specialized training and gain a deeper understanding of the most relevant social media marketing platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
What our Alumni say?
Our past winners and finalists agree: The OMC was an enriching opportunity to enhance their marketing skills, gain practical experience running digital campaigns, exchange knowledge with companies, and develop their local professional networks in Saxony.
Duration
The Bootcamp on Digital Marketing will take place every Wednesday (from 16:00 to 18:00) starting on April 16th, 2025.
Upon successful completion and presentation of their practical projects, OMC participants will receive a certificate issued by Leipzig University and the SEPT Competence Center, signed by the partner company.
For more detailed information about the training structure and the schedule, please refer to our activity plan.
Information
Students get:
- All access to our Bootcamp on Digital Marketing: 6 sessions on Digital Marketing Strategy, Facebook & Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Content Creation and AI, and Video Production for Social Media.
- Expert Coaching in Digital Marketing.
- Practical experience in running online marketing campaigns for German SMEs & Startups.
- Participation certificate issued by Leipzig University / SEPT Competence Center, IOSax, and signed by the partner company.
- The chance to be the winning team and receive a prize of 300 Euros.
- Develop local professional networks for your post-academic career.
- Kick-off event & First workshop: April 10th, 2025, at the Heinz-Steyer-Stadion (Magdeburger Str. 2, 01067 Dresden)
- Team Building and Introductory Workshop: 10:00 - 12:30
- Lunch & Break: 12:30 - 13:30 (Lunch provided)
- Außenwirtschaftstag Sachsen: 14:00 - 16:00
- Official OMC Kick-off Event & Meetings with Companies: 16:00 - 18:00 (followed by a get-together with dinner)
- Return to Leipzig: 19:00
- Bootcamp on Digital Marketing (every Wednesday)
- April 16: Digital marketing strategy and planning (15:00 to 18:00 in Leipzig)
- April 23: Advertising on Facebook and Instagram (16:00 to 18:00, online)
- April 30: Finding Customers and suppliers on LinkedIn (16:00 to 18:00, online)
- May 07: TikTok for advertising (16:00 to 18:00, online)
- May 09: Content Creation and AI (11:00 to 15:00 in Görlitz)
- May 10: Video Production & Content Creation Tools for Social Media (10:00 to 13:00 in Görlitz)
- Period to run campaigns: May 2025 - June 2025
- Final presentation: July 02, 2025. From 15:00 to 19:00 at Bibliotheca Albertina, Vortragssaal (Beethovenstraße 6, 04107 Leipzig)
Note:
- All sessions will be conducted in English.
- Excursion to Dresden: The Kick-off event will take place as part of the "Außenwirtschaftstag Sachsen" in Dresden. Transportation costs to Dresden and meal expenses will be covered by the program.
- Excursion to Görlitz: The sessions on May 9th and 10th will be held at the Zittau Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The program will cover transportation and accommodation costs.
Since 2017, 53 Saxonian SMEs and 231 students have joined the Online Marketing Challenge!
Ms. Jazmín Ponce Gómez
- Phone: +49 341 97 33 765
- Email: jazmin.ponce(at)uni-leipzig.de
ARE YOU READY TO JOIN THE CHALLENGE?
The OMC 2025 is open to all international professionals living in Germany who hold a BA degree, as well as students currently pursuing a Master’s or MBA at any university or higher education institution in Germany.
If you completed a BA degree abroad but you are residing Germany, you are very welcome to join the OMC!
Register for FREE and reserve your spot– space is limited! REGISTRATION FORM
Problems opening the link? No worries, send us an email to process your application.
Registration deadline: April 4th, 2025.
Past Winners
The SURAG Medical GmbH team consisting of Tassia Jansen, Malenpunareay Lay, and Pamela Tamara Orellana Campos, won the first edition of the Online Marketing Challenge 2024. Second place went to the team from the Hotel Insel der Sinne, represented by Elena Schirmer and Cindy Noack from Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Anfibio Packrafting Store, Schellin & Kreinacker GbR, with Camilo Rada and Francisco Cerda Martin, secured the third place. The award ceremony was once again held at the Impact Hub Dresden.
Team PI ROPE GmbH wins the final of OMC 2023! With their campaign for the Chemnitz-based company, Arminius Ezer, Isabella Niebling and Lisa Richter convinced the jury. Team Public Value Hub UG took 2nd place and Team PURTEC Engineering GmbH 3rd place. The award ceremony took place at Impact Hub Dresden.
The team MediaInterface GmbH, a Dresden-based company, emerged as the winners of the Online Marketing Challenge 2022! They impressed the jury with their campaign targeting the French market, led by the SEPT MBA students Fabio Samuel Díaz Caballero and Luis Angel Reynoso Trujillo. Team mecorad GmbH secured second place, while PALOSA Palettenlogistik claimed the third spot. The award ceremony took place online.
In 2021, the team diafyt Medtech, represented by the SEPT MBA students Brenda Irala and Marcela Lara from Mexico, emerged as the winners. They received guidance and support from the online marketing expert Max Schneider from Projecter GmbH. ARI Motors GmbH secured second place, with Team Umweltanalytik coming in third. The award ceremony was held on July 15, 2021, at the Basislager in Leipzig.
In 2020, the victory was claimed by the team SportSpar GmbH, a sports apparel retailer based in Leipzig. Rashid, Cris, Sadikin, and Anurag, who are part of the SEPT MBA program, presented their campaign focused on the Spanish market. The award ceremony took place online.
The team Westernbedarf Halang, a company based in Freiberg, was selected as the winner of OMC 2019! The team, comprised of SEPT MBA students Federico Rodriguez Sanchez from Colombia, Diana Alvarez Rodriguez from Mexico, and Jazmin Ponce and Magnolia Hurtado Soria, both from Peru, secured their victory through their comprehensive market analyses and the exceptional quality of their advertising campaign.
In 2018, the team ServFaces GmbH, a Dresden-based company, emerged as the winners. The SEPT MBA students Jhon Ramirez from Colombia and Madina Rasulzade from Tajikistan impressed the jury with their campaign designed for the British market.
