Team 'The Victorious Secret' From NMIMS Mumbai - Winners Of HUL Carpe Diem Share Their Success Story

‘Talent wins games, teamwork wins championships’

This was our - The Victorious Secret's (Anupama Trivedi, Divyansh Bhateja and Taranum Randhawa) - ideology right from the start, by all means the differentiating factor too. Individually poles apart, we came together for the common passion we share for Marketing. Our journey towards holding the trophy of HUL CarpeDiem was nothing short of a fairy tale. HUL CarpeDiem was our first National Level event as a team, which only added to our enthusiasm and excitement. It would be untrue if I said that those were the only emotions we felt, because given the stature and importance of this competition, we were equally nervous too.

We knew that each team that has come this far is bestowed with talent, but what set us apart from all of them was our seamless synergy and relentless teamwork. With dreams in our eyes and creative juices gushing to flow, we set foot into this competition. The first round of CarpeDiem 2016, was an individual submission challenge. We were provided with a case study on Ponds Dreamflower talc, which we had to, as individuals solve and submit. Having burnt the midnight oil, 12 students from NMIMS, Mumbai were selected to represent the college in further rounds. The next round required the 12 of us to assemble in teams of 3, which paved way to scouting, phone calls, and numerous sessions to form a team that fits. This was the beginning of our adventures together.

Our first task as a team was to formulate a strategy that would collate all our ideas into one synchronised presentation which encapsulated the best of all our ideas. At stake were spots for 2 out of the 4 teams to make it to the National finals. This step towards the final was the hardest. There was a huge gap in our ideas due to which we were not able to come to a consensus as easily as we expected. There were delays, disagreements, but one thing was common – our goal to win the championship. It wasn’t about shining individually, it was about etching the name The Victorious Secret in the hall of fame.

The hectic routine of first year and the never-ending presentations and exams made us strive for this competition. We did not want to quit or be substandard with our presentation, so we took turns, studying and working on the competition, ensuring we managed everything well. We had tasted blood for the first time in our b-school life. And it was starting to getting exciting.

The D-Day had arrived here, and it couldn’t get bigger than this for us. The finals were held at the HUL head office, Mumbai. We were anxious and scared, but the team always knew how to keep the spirits lifted. Having spent days together, we had developed a certain camaraderie which translated into a friendship that would last a lifetime. The HUL office was nothing short of a delight. It made us forget our nervousness for a while, and remain awestruck at what the larger picture. 5 minutes were all we had, to make or break it. We had everything planned for the presentation, but as all competitions go, there’s always a curve ball. It was our first competition and we were visibly anxious. We stumbled, we fumbled, but we knew our idea well. Our ideas were are strengths and our coherence as a team sailed us through. We came out of the conference room with a set of mixed emotions; happy for making it to the finals, nervous and sceptical about what would come next. We were given a tour of the HUL office which made us want to work there as an employee even more. The final bell was here, time for results. The panel spoke highly of some ideas that weren’t ours. We convinced ourselves that there’s always a next time, although there wasn’t a next time for CarpeDiem. We were glad we made it this far. The winning team was announced and we froze in our seats for a good 45 seconds after we heard ‘The Victorious Secret’. They had to announce it again. We were surprised, elated and so relieved.