Westminster students pitch marketing campaign to environmental charity Bees & Refugees

Working in small consultancy teams, students were tasked with uncovering insights into Bees & Refugees’ ideal audiences and pitching creative marketing campaigns to help grow income and engagement. The charity, based in London, supports ecological conservation and refugee inclusion through beekeeping, education and sustainable products.

As part of the assessment, students designed and distributed their own surveys, analysed quantitative data and translated findings into clear insights to help define their target audience and make creative marketing recommendations. Each group then delivered a 12-minute professional pitch alongside a Q&A to simulate an agency-style client presentation. 

The pitches demonstrated a high level of creativity, strategic thinking and professionalism, with campaigns tailored to Bees & Refugees’ mission, scale and ethical values. Students showcased skills in consumer research, insight generation, storytelling, teamwork and persuasive communication - all central to careers in marketing and insights.

This live client project was led by Module Leader and Lecturer Miguel Noite and supported by seminar tutors Dr Pinar Demir and David Brook. Live client projects such as this are a core feature of the Discovering Consumer Insights module, reinforcing Westminster’s commitment to experiential learning, employability and authentic assessment. By working with real organisations and real data, students gain practical experience of how consumer insights directly inform marketing decisions in purpose-driven organisations.

The opportunity to work alongside industry professionals is a key priority of the University’s latest investment in its students’ futures, Zone29, Westminster’s new home for careers and enterprise, which will provide students and graduates with access to work-related programmes, opportunities and experiences. Due to open in Central London in Spring 2026, Zone29 will create new practical opportunities for learning and engagement with employers within and outside of the curriculum in an inclusive, sustainable environment. 

One student Maymunah Qamar said: “Working with Bees & Refugees was a genuinely rewarding experience, as it allowed me to collect primary data, critically compare it with wider research and translate those insights into realistic, ethical recommendations around audience growth, visibility and income. The project reinforced that effective marketing is not just about analysing information, but about turning consumer insights into meaningful, practical change that works, and Bees & Refugees were an inspiring organisation to work with.” 

Module Leader Miguel Noite said: “The quality of these pitches was genuinely impressive. Students produced campaigns that felt client-ready, grounded in real data and delivered with confidence. This is exactly the kind of applied learning that prepares students for industry-facing roles in marketing, strategy and consumer insights.”

Ali Alzein, CEO and Founder of Bees & Refugees, added: “Working with the University and its students has been a genuinely enriching experience for Bees & Refugees. The students brought fresh perspectives, creativity and a strong sense of purpose, which helped us reflect on our own work in new ways and strengthen how we communicate our social and environmental impact. Collaborations like this not only supports our organisational development, but also help amplify our mission of using beekeeping as a tool for social inclusion, skills-building and environmental stewardship.” 

This project directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

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