Surprise

The Surprise Case stands out for its cross-disciplinary nature. All areas of marketing could come into play, placing the emphasis on adaptability, creativity, and depth of skill within participating teams. This case is designed to assess delegates' versatility as well as their ability to draw on a broad range of knowledge in a context that is deliberately less defined than the competition's other cases.

One important distinction sets this case apart from the others: to participate, the team must be composed of participants from other academic cases, as well as at least one delegate from another component of the Happening Marketing 2027. The Surprise Case is therefore not a standalone competition, but rather an additional responsibility for delegates who are already involved in elsewhere. This requires strong time-management skills and the ability to juggle multiple responsibilities in the lead-up to the academic competition.

One of the central elements of this case also lies in the uncertainty surrounding it: teams learn the exact nature of their assigned mandate only two weeks in advance. This lack of prior information calls for a different kind of preparation, one focused on developing cross-functional skills and the ability to respond effectively to the unknown. To rise to this challenge, teams must bring together complementary profiles capable of tackling a range of sometimes unexpected issues together. Notably, the Surprise Case is resolved before the competition itself takes place, adding an extra layer of time-pressure to the challenge.