Mercer | Mettl’s ideathon platform and case study simulator enabled RB to scale its Global Challenge across 32 geographies digitally

Reckitt Benckiser has consistently perused digital transformation and its effects on people’s buying behavior and consumption, simultaneously finding sustainable solutions to contemporary trends. After six years of successfully hosting the event, this year, RB Global Challenge faced an unforeseeable pandemic at the onset of the planning phase. Determined to continue with its legacy event, RB sought a platform partner that could understand its event’s vision and help it conduct the Challenge virtually.

RB’s requirements were two-pronged:

1. Simulated & customizable assessments: RB Global Challenge required students to create impactful business plans. RB realized that students needed to possess business acumen and mental agility for any team to devise a successful business plan or intervention. Thus, RB needed a sophisticated testing tool administered at the onset to simplify and streamline the process.

2. A scalable & collaborative virtual platform: RB Global Challenge was typically undertaken as a hybrid event, with a mix of online and offline rounds. COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the possibility of hosting an offline challenge, mandating a platform where students could collaborate, read the questions and respond as a team rather than as individuals. There were other complexities of scale, language and time zones. The Global Challenge needed a platform that could work at scale across 32 geographies, take cognizance of language differences and offer round-the-clock support to cater to different time zones.

The Global Challenge needed a dynamic platform, which could be contextualized to RB but simultaneously offer seamless participant engagement. The existing processes needed modifications to suit the virtual environment. RB tied up with Mercer | Mettl’s innovative ideathon platform and business simulator to ensure a seamless transition.

Mercer | Mettl got involved in the conceptualization phase of the RB Global Challenge 2020. Therefore, it provided a solution and brainstormed with the RB team, providing tactical expertise on the best means of launching the event. It also offered expertise on inviting registrations and, ultimately, rolling out the simulation.

Mercer | Mettl’s ideathon platform

RB needed a robust platform to digitize the event, seamlessly integrating it with the business simulator. Mercer | Mettl’s virtual ideathon offered RB Global Challenge a platform that enabled collaboration within teams, and the platform facilitated innovation and collaboration between team members and other stakeholders.

Mercer | Mettl’s ideathon platform helped RB at every stage of the Global Challenge:

• Creating the website and the event page
• Marketing support
• Easy integration with the business simulator and existing assessments

• Quick and linear scheduling of tasks and stages on a single dashboard
• Seamless collaboration among multiple stakeholders
• Submissions management to track all submissions, scores and status
• A 24×7 support team of dedicated professionals to ensure the event’s success

• Data analytics and reports

Mercer | Mettl’s case study simulator

Mercer | Mettl’s case study simulator was the tool of choice as RB’s requirements entailed an engaging testing tool that placed the participants in its business environment.

Mercer | Mettl’s case study simulator is an immersive simulation that assesses participants’ business acumen, mental agility and problem-solving skills. The participants were asked to think from RB business leadership’s perspective and tackle critical and continually emanating business problems.

Mercer | Mettl’s scalable and automated tool, a gamified version of a business case problem, enabled its global deployment. This first step of the process ensured a highly interactive and engaging experience for the participants.

The case study simulator used formats such as situational judgment tests and roleplays that emulated real workplace situations customized to RB’s requirements. For example, it assessed how quickly one could make a decision when confronting a complex business challenge.

The standouts for RB in Mercer | Mettl’s solution were:

RB had previously conducted the Global Challenge on several occasions. However, it was RB’s maiden all-virtual event. RB entrusted Mercer | Mettl to ensure continuity during the pandemic, given the heightened dependence on the virtual interface. Mercer | Mettl’s subject matter experts brainstormed with RB on the next steps, ensuring a highly successful collaboration.

RB and Mercer | Mettl came together to digitize the Global Challenge, with the shared idea of continuing business as usual in 2020. The event’s evolution and the students’ response were steady throughout the event.

RB Global Challenge was successfully conducted in 32 markets the world over, in different time zones, spanning almost the entire year, depending on each market’s university cycle. The event witnessed an excellent turnaround time and a constant evolution in systems and processes. Registration numbers and the quality of ideas were brilliant parameters to evaluate the event’s success.

The RB Global Challenge achieved success on all fronts:

• Quality of ideas
• Quality of talent
• Participation turnout

A seamless shift to the virtual setting was no mean accomplishment because of the ongoing pandemic. Mercer | Mettl flawlessly enabled RB Global Challenge and its participants to evolve and embrace this new setting and continue unabated.