51探花

Team Cantix consists of Sarah Eudora Simamora, Paramadina Kinarhasna Bulfiah (commonly known as Kinar), and Tazkia Zahra Aulia from the Management Study Program at 51探花鈥檚 School of Business and Management (SBM). They completed the entire process independently, without an academic advisor or mentor.

A Young Man and Wet Wipes鈥擭ot Yet a Habit

All three learned about this competition from information shared by their professor. Kinar was the first to invite Sarah and Tazkia to join, believing that their skills and perspectives would complement one another.

Market.inc was initiated by Markathing Indonesia, a boutique marketing communications agency, in collaboration with the Applied Syndicate Project (ASP), an industry-based capstone program at the University of Melbourne, with GATSBY as the brand partner. Out of approximately 250 applicants from eight countries, five teams from five universities in Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia advanced to the finals. The case study to be solved was not released until September 7, 2026.

The competition鈥檚 theme was a go-to-market strategy鈥攐r a plan to bring a product to market鈥攆or a new GATSBY product category. The case, titled 鈥淏uilding Indonesia鈥檚 Next Grooming Category,鈥� tested whether GATSBY Wipes could become a new growth engine. This product, owned by Japan鈥檚 Mandom Corporation, currently contributes only about Rp2 billion per year鈥攐r 0.2 percent鈥攐f GATSBY Indonesia鈥檚 business. It costs 15鈥�22 times more than regular wet wipes, while the habit of men using wipes has not yet taken hold. Participants were asked to develop a three-year marketing plan to convince management to invest.

According to the team, the biggest challenge is making consumers feel that this product is worth buying. Therefore, they began by finding out what consumers actually need and what is keeping them from being interested.

From Interviews and Focus Group Discussions to the GATSBY for What鈥檚 Next Campaign

Cantix gathered data through secondary research, surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Their primary target was the 鈥淪ocial Hustler鈥濃�攜oung men who nimbly move from one activity to another. The 鈥淐ommuter鈥� and 鈥淪ports Enthusiast鈥� segments were also targeted, each with a distinct strategy.

The research showed that consumers鈥� needs extend beyond simply cleansing their faces.

鈥淭hey want to feel refreshed and confident before moving on to their next activity. We developed this finding into the 鈥楪ATSBY for What鈥檚 Next鈥� campaign, which positions GATSBY Wipes as an on-the-go grooming essential鈥攏ot just a premium-priced wet wipe,鈥� explained Kinar.

^{The opening of the team鈥檚 presentation titled 鈥淏uilding Everyday Grooming Habits Through Trial, Relevance, and Scalable Access,鈥� Tuesday (October 6, 2026). (Courtesy of the Cantix Team)}

A Strategy That Shapes the Entire Customer Journey

Cantix doesn鈥檛 stop at campaigns. Their approach maps out the entire consumer journey鈥攆rom product awareness to trial, purchase, and repeat purchase. The concepts they鈥檝e developed include the Digital Trial Pass, trial packages, vending machines, and collaborations with various partners. The team wants each solution to be engaging, but also tailored to consumer needs and practical to implement.

Tasks were divided based on areas of focus. Kinar handled consumer and market analysis, Tazkia handled the commercial and activation aspects, while Sarah handled competitor and substitute product analysis. Solutions were formulated collaboratively. Afterward, Kinar and Tazkia developed a roadmap, risk mitigation strategies, and performance indicators, while Sarah prepared the financial analysis.

Ideas came and went, but not all of them were viable. The team filtered them by referring back to their research findings and the consumer journey. A packed schedule that often conflicted with their academic commitments nearly made them give up. They persevered because they believed in their idea and had already invested a great deal of time and effort.

Succeeding Thanks to a Deep Understanding of the Market

Competing against universities from various countries made the team both nervous and excited. They saw firsthand just how diverse the perspectives on a single issue can be in other countries. Cantix鈥檚 strength, in their view, lies in its proximity to the market in question.

鈥淲e鈥檙e Indonesian students working on a case for Indonesian consumers, so it鈥檚 easier for us to understand consumer behavior and the problems they actually face,鈥� said Tazkia.

On the day of the finals, the atmosphere was tense, but the judges were supportive and open to a variety of ideas. The team used the Q&A session to explain the reasoning behind their solutions, rather than simply defending their ideas.

From the start, the team hoped to win, but the final result exceeded their expectations.

鈥淔rom the start, we hoped to win and remained optimistic, but honestly, we didn鈥檛 expect to take first place鈥攅specially given the large number of participants from various countries,鈥� said Sarah.

When 51探花鈥檚 name was announced, the three of them were in different locations and felt a mix of joy, pride, and disbelief. All the hard work, revisions, and discussions felt worth it.

The biggest lesson they took away was that a good idea alone isn鈥檛 enough. Solutions must be rooted in an understanding of the target market and be feasible. The marketing knowledge they gained in class鈥攔anging from consumer behavior to market analysis鈥攑roved very useful. Tazkia and Kinar are, in fact, majoring in Marketing. Their problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills also played a key role.

To other 51探花 students who are still hesitant about participating in international competitions, Cantix advises them to be bold enough to seize the opportunity, give it their all, and not be afraid to represent 51探花 on the international stage.