In order to draw customers of all ages, businesses recognize the importance of smart and powerful marketing and advertising. Who better, these days, to find fresh new ways to gauge what consumers want — particularly young consumers — than technically-savvy young people skilled in marketing and advertising who will soon be graduating and looking for gainful employment?
At the University of Pittsburgh, a hands-on course called “Projects in Marketing” essentially turns the class into an ad agency and the students into advertising reps creating ad campaigns for real businesses. This semester, the class’s “client” is Chevrolet. At the same time, 19 other schools are doing the same thing and all are part of a national competition.
The outcome of the competition could spell not only good grades but possible employment futures for the winners — the top three will be given the opportunity to present their campaigns at Chevrolet’s corporate headquarters.
Among the Projects in Marketing students working at a feverish pitch is Annie Lesher, a 2009 Lewisburg Area High School graduate and senior at the University of Pittsburgh, studying marketing and economics.
“Our class has been given the challenge to create a semester-long campaign that promotes the Chevrolet Spark, Sonic, and Cruze vehicles,” she said. The class has set in motion a number of clever, attention-grabbing events around the campus but Lesher figured, why think small?
Using some real marketing smarts, she reached out to The Daily Item to “gain more exposure for our campaign and what we are doing. I thought it would be highly relevant to reach out to my local newspaper back home for some additional exposure for our campaign.”
One of the first efforts the class did was put red balloons that read “Chevy Loves Ya” on all of the Chevy vehicles around campus to make them stand out even more. Another was the “Spot the Chevy” photo event. Students simply had to snap a picture of any Chevrolet vehicle they saw and then upload it to the group’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AdventureOnPitt). This was so successful the class decided to continue it throughout the semester.
Another was what Lesher called “a surprise flash mob” held one autumn afternoon. “We did it right in front of Cathedral of Learning on campus — a high-traffic area and which definitely attracted a lot of confusion and attention,” she said.
For those who may not know, a flash mob is when seemingly innocent people all of a sudden start dancing predetermined moves in a public place in order to grab the attention of people around them. “To make sure ours was ready to go, we held two private rehearsals to learn the moves and figure out exactly how the flash mob was going to take place,” Lesher said.
Another successful attention-getter was a “Chevy Lockdown” where two students (Adam Leggieri and Blair Humienny) spent 22 straight hours in a Chevy Cruze. “They were allowed to leave the car if they had to use the restroom,” Lesher said, “but someone always had to be in the car at all times. They took pictures and video documentaries throughout the night, had plenty of blankets, and let other class members know if they needed any food or water. Definitely a cool experience!”
The class’s main campus event took place on Nov. 8. “Our main goal was to get students physically in the vehicles, so they could see how nice they are,” she said. The way they drew crowds was to also feature games, free food and freebies like T-shirts and sunglasses.
More than 1,500 people showed up “which was great since our initial goal was 1,000,” she said.
The final presentation will be made Dec. 6. “We will know who wins the competition by the end of the semester,” Lesher said.
In the meantime, she encourages readers to find out about the campaign by visiting the group’s web site at www.AdventureOnPitt.com.
News
Related Photos
-
The class did a surprise flash mob in the middle of campus which drew a lot of attention Photo provided
Discussion
Class assignment: Selling Chevy
- News
-
- Bucknell grads pleased with prospects
-
50 learn to be savvy shoppers
SUNBURY — Approximately 50 area residents gathered recently at the Sunbury Social Club to attend a Consumer University sponsored by AARP-Pennsylvania.
-
Scammer: This is not a scam
Residents from Danville to Beavertown are reporting they’ve been receiving “exciting news!” via postcards in their mailboxes.
“We are holding $100 in gift cards for YOU — good at Walmart and Target — your choice!” Just call a toll-free phone number and claim your reward.
-
BBs damage car on Route 15
An incident that began along Route 15 near Allenwood ended Wednesday at the Watsontown borough building, with police arresting one man for numerous charges, after they say he shot a BB gun at another man while threatening him.
-
Penn State report reviews women's status at university
STATE COLLEGE — Women at Penn State either haven't made progress or have lost ground when it comes to being represented in several key areas, including leadership positions and enrollment, according to report from a university commission.
-
State unemployment rate drops slightly in April
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate declined slightly last month, but remains above the national rate.
-
State attorney general says she opposes decriminalization of marijuana
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane says she opposes legislation to decriminalize marijuana.
-
Texas residents missing after tornadoes are found safe
GRANBURY, Texas — People who were missing in the wake of the destructive tornadoes in North Texas have been found safe, officials said Friday, but they didn’t indicate when residents of one hard-hit neighborhood will be allowed to return to survey damage to their homes.
-
Today's Top Videos
-
Police Log
A daily roundup of police news from around the region.
-
Hartleton police chief faces felony theft and conspiracy counts
HARTLETON — Donald “Larry” Zerbe, Hartleton police chief for more than 30 years, was charged Thursday in Union County with theft and conspiracy for allegedly funneling traffic citation fines to a community playground fund.
-
Trial to be scheduled for Mifflinburg businessman
MIFFLINBURG — A Union County businessman waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges that he spent $241,000 for personal debt and expenses instead of investing it in a storage facility partnership in West Buffalo Township as he told 10 clients he would.
-
Restaurant owner: 0.05 percent DUI level is too low
SELINSGROVE — The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tueday that states should shrink the standard from the current 0.08 percent blood alcohol content to 0.05 percent - and that doesn’t sit well to many Valley business owners.
-
Danville's Mill Street to be featured in new TV series
DANVILLE - For the premier episode of the Pennsylvania Cable Network’s “Discover Main Street PA” program, viewers will see the sights and sounds of Danville’s Mill Street.
-
OJ back in court for Day 4 in bid for new Vegas trial
LAS VEGAS — The lead defense attorney in O.J. Simpson’s armed robbery trial had a conflict of interest because he could have been a witness in the case, a lawyer who worked on Simpson’s unsuccessful appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court testified Thursday.
-
Sen. Bob Casey defends Pennsylvania military bases from cuts
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is asking a Senate committee to forgo the process of looking at potential closures of military installations.
-
New study: Fracking hasn’t polluted Arkansas water
PITTSBURGH — A new study has found that natural gas drilling, or fracking, hasn’t contaminated drinking water wells in Arkansas. But researchers say the geology there is more of a natural barrier to pollution than in other areas of shale gas drilling, such as Pennsylvania.
-
Obama: No special prosecutor to investigate IRS
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today dismissed the idea of a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service, saying probes by Congress and the Justice Department should be able to figure out who was responsible for improperly targeting tea party groups when they applied for tax-exempt status.
- More News Headlines
