One week to help a social and solidarity economy (ESS) organisation boost its visibility. That was the challenge Germinal set for second-year Master's students at Digital Campus in Lyon.
From 7 to 11 October, they had to step into the role of a creative communications agency to tackle this real-world challenge.
A mission with impact
Founded in 1995, the Germinal association has been supporting entrepreneurs in social difficulty for 25 years.
This player in the social and solidarity economy (ESS), part of Groupe SOS, is now looking to increase its national visibility.
It is for this reason that the association, represented by Caroline Garlatti, decided to call upon second-year Master's students in Lyon and challenge them to devise an innovative communications approach.
"The hackathon allowed me to work on a project with a strong real-world challenge, all within a well-structured framework, thanks to the excellent organisation of our instructors."
Mathieu, second-year Master's student
Blandine Tracol and Nathalie Farrouilh, two lecturers at Digital Campus, expertly organised this hackathon, enabling it to meet three pedagogical objectives:
- Highlight the impact-driven work carried out by the social and solidarity economy (ESS) sector
- Support a major player that has been active for over 40 years.
- Combine skills in communication strategy, art direction (DA), and UX.
Divided into groups, students then had to propose a positioning, along with unique and impactful content, while respecting Germinal's brand guidelines.
A hands-on project
Throughout that October week, the two coaches guided the students step by step — answering their questions, offering advice, and preparing them for the final presentation of their project.
This first hackathon of the year was an opportunity for students to put their skills into practice by bringing solutions to real-world challenges. It also allowed them to develop competencies such as time management, teamwork, and creativity.
And it seems the adventure with Germinal is not quite over… but we won't say any more about that for now.