This year’s BCom Case Competition challenged students to solve a real-world business problem for Who Gives A Crap (WGAC), the Melbourne-born toilet paper company known for combining playful branding with a strong commitment to global sanitation.
Student teams were tasked with designing a campaign to unlock $1 million in additional donations to global sanitation projects while remaining true to WGAC’s purpose-driven brand identity. In this article, we hear first-hand from the winning team Terravista Consulting on their experience throughout the competition. As well as this, we learn key industry observations directly from Jehan Ratnatunga, Co-Founder of WGAC.
Forming Terravista Consulting
Alex, Lara and I came together through complementary strengths and shared interests in problem-solving and strategy. Having worked together previously, we shared a positive work ethic and could quickly gain momentum in identifying potential solutions. Our main driver behind participating was the opportunity to gain valuable experience outside the classroom and to put our university learnings to the test.
Finding a solution: Balancing creativity with traditional strategy
“Who Gives A Crap (WGAC) exists to generate donations that provides access to clean water and sanitation. We do this by donating 50% of our profits. That model is working and growing, so the challenge for students was how we could generate additional donations beyond the 50% model and continue to grow the WGAC brand,” Ratnatunga explains.
The competition pushed us to think beyond what looked feasible on paper and would work logistically in the real world. Beyond financial considerations, we balanced behavioural psychology, scalability, risk mitigation, and long-term implementation, all while staying true to the WGAC brand. This was a real highlight – to go beyond traditional business strategy and incorporate elements of storytelling and branding while forming an effective solution. The chance to creatively experiment with ideas and develop a campaign that reflected the humour and customer engagement style of WGAC was an enriching experience.
One of the challenges in the case was bridging the geographical and emotional distance between everyday Australians and the global sanitation crisis that would genuinely motivate people to donate. We explored several campaign concepts and although it sometimes felt like we were taking a step backwards, the iterative process proved invaluable. It taught us that refining and even discarding ideas was essential to building confidence in our final recommendations. More importantly, it encouraged us to approach the case as a genuine business problem rather than a classroom exercise. Through weeks of brainstorming, testing and refining our ideas, and much team bonding, we developed a solution we believed could deliver meaningful impact.
Our final concept, Flush Your Crap Habits, encourages Australians to make the world a better place by flushing away one bad habit at a time while committing to their New Year's resolutions. The campaign centres around an immersive pop-up experience featuring a larger-than-life WGAC-branded toilet in Federation Square, where participants write down a habit they want to leave behind and watch it flush away on WGAC toilet paper. The experience is complemented by year-round digital engagement and progress tracking, encouraging participants to remain accountable. We felt that Flush Your Crap Habits combined fundraising potential, sustained engagement, humour, and behavioural relevance – making it a compelling and effective solution for both WGAC and its audience.
Reflecting on the journey
I found myself in a supportive environment where the objective was not simply to win but to grow in teamwork, pitching ideas and communicating with clarity and nuance. The competition challenged us to step outside the classroom; to be creative and strategic in making impactful solutions. In every step of the competition, we were supported - whether to find team members, through skills workshops, or at feedback sessions.
The BCom Case Competition accepts students regardless of their experience level. If you’re considering participating, make sure to register. Regardless of the outcome, this experience is valuable in building skills and fostering confidence. Socially, it’s a great way to meet your peers and develop authentic connections. From a career perspective, you’ll gain transferable skills and help strengthen your own self-belief. Moving forward, we’re eager to explore career paths where we can continue to develop and apply our skills to solve real problems and contribute positively to the world around us.
Industry observations from Jehan Ratnatunga, Co-Founder of Who Gives A Crap (WGAC)
WGAC is all about demonstrating that businesses can be a force for good. On top of that, I’m a Melbourne University alumnus, making our involvement a full-circle moment to return to campus.
The competition is about testing how to ideate within constraints. It pushes students to take the theory they've learned on campus and apply it, and the team-competition element adds just enough friendly pressure to sharpen their creativity.
I reviewed all the submissions - not just the four finalists - and the breadth of ideas blew me away. So much thought went into building a movement around impact, not just a campaign.
It was such a tough call between the finalists; however, Terravista Consulting nailed the mix. Excellent presentation skills, a bold idea that manages to be both silly and serious, and you could feel the depth of thinking behind it. A giant toilet installation to allow people to flush away their bad habits is a fantastic concept.
I walked away inspired by all the ideas on display and by a fantastic cohort of highly motivated students. The future is bright!
Are you a Bachelor of Commerce student wanting to participate in the next Case Competition? Find more information here.
Are you a business interested in getting involved in the BCom Case Competition? Please contact us to discuss how we can work together.