FCB Students Showcase Business Communication Skills at the Golden Pitch
The business communication contest challenged students to turn product concepts into persuasive pitches for a panel of faculty and business professionals.
What does it take to convince an audience that a product is worth bringing to market? Students at Northern Arizona University’s W. A. Franke College of Business put their presentation skills to the test at the Golden Pitch business communication contest on Oct. 30, 2026.
The competition challenged students to pitch product concepts while considering customer needs, pricing, competition and marketing strategies. Each team presented its proposal to a panel of faculty and business professionals, making the case for how its product could succeed in the marketplace.
Ashley Schneider and Shria Domadia took first place.
Liberty Erickson, Alyssa Temby and Emma Rink earned second place.
Trevor Powell and Emilie Wittoesch placed third.
Different approaches to the same product
For Schneider and Domadia, Blade Butler was more than a solution to dull kitchen knives. Their presentation introduced the concept with the tagline “The Sharpest Luxury in Your Kitchen,” positioning the product as a premium kitchen accessory that combines convenience, storage and automatic sharpening.
The team built its pitch around the challenges of maintaining kitchen knives and the appeal of simplifying that process. Their proposed marketing strategy included influencer partnerships, digital advertising, retail distribution and e- commerce, with an emphasis on reaching customers looking for convenient, premium kitchen accessories.
Powell and Wittoesch took a different approach to the same product concept. Their presentation focused on home cooks and culinary enthusiasts, offering two proposed purchase options: a $100 standalone knife block and a $150 bundle that included knives.
Rather than focusing primarily on branding, the team outlined ways customers could see the product in action. Their ideas included short-form videos on TikTokand Instagram, demonstrations with cooking and recipe creators, and potential in-store demonstrations at retailers such as Costco and Sam’s Club.
The team also proposed a $500,000 funding plan, explaining how the money would support manufacturing, product development, marketing and other launch expenses.
Although both teams worked with Blade Butler, their presentations reflected different decisions about target customers, product positioning and promotion.
Finding a market for BrushPure
The second-place team addressed a different everyday concern: keeping toothbrushes clean. Erickson, Temby and Rink introduced BrushPure as a system designed to charge, sanitize and dry toothbrushes while reminding users when to replace brush heads. Their pitch focused on consumers interested in convenient oral care and households managing orthodontic appliances.
To support their proposed $75 price, the team compared BrushPure with existing electric toothbrushes from Oral-B and Philips, considering both product features and replacement-head costs.
The students also outlined a marketing plan involving digital advertising, product demonstrations and promotional offers. Their presentation connected the product’s proposed features with the needs of potential customers and the costs of introducing it to the market.
Other teams presented concepts including KineCard Learning, an interactive learning technology, and decorative light-emitting plants. While the products varied, participants faced a common challenge: explaining not only what their products could do, but also who would buy them and why.
Bringing classroom skills to a professional audience
The judging panel included faculty members Cory Angert, assistant teaching professor of management at FCB, and Lisa Bliss, associate director and associate teaching professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
They were joined by Fraser Forde, director of training and sales enablement at Cameron Ashley Building Products; Anna Litovskaya, general manager of Mercedes-Benz of Northern Arizona; and CT McMurry, executive director of membership at the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce.
The Golden Pitch gave students an opportunity to practice a skill that extends well beyond the classroom: communicating business ideas to an audience. By presenting their research, explaining financial decisions and making the case for their products, participants gained experience with the kind of communication required in professional business settings.
Written by: Yating Wu & Sarah Wilkinson