Students in Industry’s Largest Analytics Competition to Work with Adobe and MLB

Now in its 14th year, the Adobe Analytics Challenge brings together the nation’s brightest minds and tests their abilities to use data in addressing complex business problems. For the first time, the competition will challenge students to leverage AI and advanced analytics to better understand data, with $60,000 in cash and prizes at stake. Working with Major League Baseball (MLB), students will be given a unique challenge faced by the global sports brand. They will be provided access to AI and advanced analytics through Adobe Analytics, along with an intense in-person judging for the finalists.

The Adobe Analytics Challenge has seen record submissions this year, with over 1,500 students applying from 100 business schools around the nation. After several judging rounds, the teams have been narrowed down to the top six schools including Brigham Young University, Cornell Tech, Duke University, University of California at Davis, University of Texas at Dallas and Yale School of Management. Each will fly to Adobe HQ in San Jose, and duke it out for the top prize.

The Adobe Analytics Challenge aims to shine a light on a skills gap that exists in the business world. While the amount of data a company has access to has skyrocketed, brands lack resources and business leaders that know how to address complexity and make critical decisions based on data. At the same time, teams are having to better leverage AI and advanced analytics, to be more creative in how they solve challenges facing their business. Adobe has been committed to improving data literacy, as well as access to AI and privacy training through the Adobe Analytics Challenge. Over the years, the program has exposed students to in-demand career fields that are anchored by an understanding of how to leverage data.

Working with MLB

Through the Adobe Analytics Challenge, MLB will provide students access to real data points including in-game purchases, website traffic, customer drop-off figures, and more. The winning team will be the one who delivers the best recommendation on how to take a beloved in-person experience and expand it to create the same excitement and personalized touch online.

To inform their proposals, students will need to look into the data and get a deep understanding of how fans engage across digital properties like MLB.com and the League’s mobile apps, along with nuances across different fan segments. They will need to pull out actionable insights, to inform a detailed recommendation for MLB. Adobe Analytics, the leading solution for real-time data insights and predictive analytics, will provide students with the latest AI and deep learning capabilities powered by Adobe Sensei.

According to Barbara McHugh, senior vice president, marketing at MLB: “The Adobe Analytics Challenge has played an important role in nurturing the next generation of data talent, exposing thousands of college students over the years to the power of analytics. The competition has shown that regardless of discipline or technical background, data is critical in driving business objectives and helping a brand maintain competitive advantage. We’re proud to support and learn from this educational initiative.”