Press releases

Students looking for a career in the creative and marketing industries are being challenged to consider how they would build on Birmingham’s green credentials for a chance to secure work placements with the region’s leading agencies.

Now in its second year the B Hive scheme, supported by Marketing Birmingham and Pitch Consultants, has been developed to give students from the city’s universities and colleges the opportunity to win one of 24 paid placements in four categories; PR, graphic design, web design and marketing.

To secure one of the coveted placements, students and graduates will need to respond to a brief that addresses how Birmingham can become the greenest city in the world by 2020. They will be required to demonstrate how they would encourage residents and businesses to become more proactive with green initiatives including using public transport, reducing energy usage, recycling and choosing local suppliers.

Emma Gray, Head of Marketing at Marketing Birmingham, said,
“This year we wanted to ensure that the brief presented a real marketing challenge. Birmingham has some ambitious plans to improve its green credentials and become an even better place to live, work and visit over the next decade. For the city to achieve this, it will need to have the support of residents, businesses and stakeholders, and this provides a genuinely challenging but exciting opportunity for students to come up with some creative and effective marketing solutions.”

B-Hive was developed last year by Pitch Consultants who awarded paid work experience to 12 students and graduates from Birmingham. This year, Pitch and Marketing Birmingham are working together to expand B-Hive to offer twice as many placements. Agencies and companies involved include KLM, Freestyle Interactive, Leader and COI.

Ollie Purdom, Director of Pitch Consultants, said,
“Potential employers are always looking for solid experience to support academic qualifications, and in a highly competitive job market, B-Hive gives students and graduates a rare opportunity to get that experience with the best in the business.”

The briefs are now available to download from www.bhive-creative.com with the closing date of 8 March 2010. Short-listed entrants will be invited to present their strategies to a panel of agency and marketing heads at the end of March before the 24 work placements are awarded.