Join our Kick-Off
Get first-hand insights into the challenge, meet the Innovation Trophy team and L’Oréal representatives, and ask your questions in person.
🕑 23 February 2026 | 14:00–16:00
📍 Square | Discovery Grid, University of St.Gallen
🥂 Including apéro
🎓 Open to all students
📝 Optional registration for reminders
Our Partner: L’Oréal Brandstorm
The HSG Innovation Trophy is an independent, student-led innovation competition at the University of St.Gallen. Teams work on real business challenges and develop innovative ideas in close collaboration with selected corporate partners.
In Spring Semester 2026, the Innovation Trophy is run in collaboration with L’Oréal Brandstorm, L’Oréal’s global student innovation competition. Brandstorm gives students the opportunity to work on real strategic challenges, gain insights from L’Oréal experts, and compete on an international stage.
The HSG Innovation Trophy takes place ahead of the official L’Oréal Brandstorm selection phase and is designed to help teams prepare in the best possible way. While participation in Brandstorm is open to all students, the Innovation Trophy offers a unique advantage: early feedback, coaching, and the opportunity to pitch ideas at the L’Oréal HQ in Geneva.
As a result, teams enter the official Brandstorm competition with well-developed concepts, strong slides, pitching experience, and a clear edge when submitting their three-slide deck and short video during the Brandstorm selection phase starting in April.
The Challenge
As part of the HSG Innovation Trophy x L’Oréal Brandstorm, you will work in teams of three on the official case “The Future of Luxury Fragrance”, addressing a real strategic challenge faced by L’Oréal.
Participants will:
-
Analyze market trends and consumer needs
-
Develop a creative, innovative, and scalable business concept
-
Pitch their solution to professionals and industry experts
-
Selected teams will receive sparring and feedback from L’Oréal representatives to
-
further strengthen their concepts and submissions.
Unlock the full mission:
Sign up with your team to receive the official mission document (case outline) by email. The document can be used as a base for creating your exposé.
Exposé Criteria
To apply for the HSG Innovation Trophy x L’Oréal Brandstorm, teams are required to submit a short exposé outlining their initial approach to the case.
Submission requirements:
-
Participation is only possible in teams of exactly three students
-
Deadline: 19 March 2026, 23:59 CET
-
Submission via the Application tab on this website
-
File format: PDF
-
Length: 3 slides
The 3-slide exposé should cover:
-
Problem understanding & opportunity
Key challenge in the luxury fragrance market and the identified opportunity
-
Initial solution idea
Core concept, value proposition, and why the idea is relevant
-
Approach & next steps
How the team plans to further develop and validate the idea
The exposé serves as a first structured outline of your thinking and creativity. L’Oréal will select the strongest teams based on their exposé to advance to the finals in Geneva.