Business PBL Idea

This project overview is based off my Substack post HERE. Downloads are also featured at the bottom of this post. If you run it, let me know how it goes!

Driving Question

How can a legacy brand reconnect with college-aged consumers by studying why they stopped choosing it—and what would it take to win them back?

What You’ll Explore

You’ll investigate why once-dominant brands lose younger customers and how smart companies win them back. Using the real-world Nike × Gamma Phi Beta (University of Alabama) activation during sorority rush as a case study, you’ll analyze consumer behavior, brand strategy, and cultural moments that shape what college students buy and wear.

Final Product

Working in teams, you will create and deliver:

• A professional pitch presentation (5–7 minutes)
• A one-page campaign brief

Your pitch must include:

1. Analysis of why your chosen legacy brand lost relevance with college students
2. Key insights drawn from the Nike × sorority rush case
3. A concrete, realistic activation or campaign idea that could help the brand reconnect with college consumers

Culminating Experience

Brand Revival Shark Tank
Teams will present their pitches to an authentic audience (classmates + invited guests such as local entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, or college students). Feedback will focus on strategy, creativity, and real-world feasibility.

Project Phases & Deliverables

Phase 1 – Study of Legacy Branding
Research 2–3 legacy brands that once dominated youth culture. Map their rise, cultural peak, and periods of decline with younger consumers.
Deliverable: Brand equity timeline + short written analysis of the cultural signals that showed the brand was losing the next generation.

Phase 2 – Analysis of Nike and Sorority Rush
Dive into the Nike × Gamma Phi Beta customization trailer event and the broader conversation it sparked. Examine consumer behavior patterns among college students (especially college women) and how brands show up in cultural moments like RushTok.
Deliverable: Case analysis brief connecting the Nike move to larger patterns in why college kids buy (or stop buying) certain brands.

Phase 3 – Pitch to Revive a Legacy Brand
Select a legacy brand (or stay with Nike and propose its next move). Use insights from Phases 1 and 2 to design a strategic activation or campaign.
Deliverable: Final pitch presentation + one-page campaign brief ready for the Shark Tank event.

Suggested Timeline

• Week 1: Project launch + Phase 1 research & deliverable
• Week 2: Phase 2 deep dive + case analysis
• Week 3: Phase 3 pitch development + peer feedback
• Final days: Polish work and present at Brand Revival Shark Tank

How You’ll Be Assessed

Your work will be evaluated on:

• Depth of research and understanding of consumer behavior
• Quality of analysis (especially connections to the Nike case)
• Creativity and strategic thinking in the revival idea
• Clarity and professionalism of the pitch and campaign brief
• Collaboration and process (team contribution)

You will receive feedback at each phase so you can revise before the final presentation.

Tips for Success

• Talk to actual college students (surveys, interviews, or informal conversations).
• Look beyond product features—focus on identity, belonging, status, and cultural relevance.
• Keep your pitch realistic and actionable. Brands care about ideas they can actually execute.
• Use visuals wisely. Strong images and clean design strengthen your message.

PBL downloads & Resources

• Student overview
• Rubric
• How I used AI to design this project idea (in less than 5 minutes!)