Three Hours, Two Car Brands, One Challenge: Rethinking the Car-Buying Experience

By: Or Mizrahi and Omer Barel, First-Year Students in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration

Sometimes, breakthroughs don’t come from an innovation lab or a massive budget — but from one room full of students with just three hours to think differently.

Last week, we took part in a unique hackathon in collaboration between Meir Group — the importer of Volvo and Lynk & Co — and the School of Entrepreneurship at Reichman University.
The challenge presented to us sounded simple on paper but proved complex in reality:

How can you make a customer choose a car based on value, story, and brand — rather than just discounts and deals?

From the very first moment, we knew this wasn’t “just another idea competition.”
It was a real confrontation with a question that even experienced marketing professionals struggle with:
How do you bring back the sense of excitement and uniqueness to buying a car — in an era where everyone’s used to waiting for the next sale?

The goal was clear: to rethink the way people experience the process of purchasing a car.
To stop talking about promotions, financing, and payment plans — and start talking about an experience built on value, emotion, and brand identity.

We had only three hours, and they flew by!
From the start, we dove deep into the challenge: How do you create a sense of urgency without talking about price?
How do you design an experience that connects people to a brand — not just to technical specs?

The brainstorming sessions were intense, and at times it felt like each team member was pulling in a different direction.
But gradually, ideas started to align.
We realized that the key lies in connection — turning the purchasing process into a community experience, where the customer feels part of something bigger, buying not just a car but a story that reflects who they are.

Working as a team was a lesson in itself.
We all came from different backgrounds, with diverse experiences and perspectives.
We learned how to truly listen, how to combine creativity with practicality, and how to make quick decisions under time pressure. Every minute counted.

In the end, our proposal managed to impress the judges and earned us a proud second place — an exciting achievement considering the short time and the complexity of the challenge.

But more than anything, this hackathon reminded us why we chose to study entrepreneurship in the first place:
For those moments when a small idea becomes a big solution — when a diverse group of people suddenly clicks and creates something that carries experience, value, and inspiration all at once.