IFC courses are designed to offer second-year students in the two-year MBA programme an experiential learning opportunity in an off-campus setting. The students focused on identifying the optimal go-to-market strategy for launching a new premium apple brand presence.

“Understanding consumer preferences, pricing and distribution dynamics is invaluable when introducing premium apples to the UK market and building a brand consumers can trust and love,” said managing director of Tru-Cape Roelf Pienaar.

Recommendations

The student’s recommendations included influencer-led storytelling, targeting high-frequency health-oriented online shoppers, innovative packing solutions, expanding customer base and increasing brand awareness. 

“It pushed us to think differently about the entire process and challenged us to improve the way we work,” said Tru-Cape’s quality assurance manager Henk Griessel.

Students from the Harvard Business School. Photo: Tru-Cape

This year, more than 285 students elected to take part in the Immersive Field Course. A cornerstone of the programme is the expertise of the faculty members, who develop course content aligned with teaching objectives that are met primarily through student-centred, active learning opportunities.

The participating students are typically in their twenties and have an average of five years’ work experience across a wide range of fields, including finance, real estate, consulting, healthcare, the military and technology.

‘Students gained insights’

“We are extremely grateful to Tru-Cape and all the host organisations around the world for all they do on behalf of our students,” said Hakeem Belo-Osagie, who led the group.

“We are pleased to be working with Harvard Business School to provide students with a real-world learning experience in South Africa. We are confident the students gained insights here they would never acquired from a classroom discussion alone,” said Pienaar.

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OFM Agri/Isabel van Tonder dg