November 8, 2007 - While it is not unusual to hear about local business leaders educating Wesleyan students, it is news when students educate those same local leaders.

On Monday, November 6, the public relations team of WV Greek Management Inc did just that at the Buckhannon Chamber of Commerce.

Ashley Hodak, Editor of Communications, and Shaina Winternitz, Director of Public Relations, were asked by Chamber of Commerce President, Keith Buchanan to come and speak to local business leaders about the importance of marketing to college students.

Buchanan worked with the PR team in association with the Greek Alumni Council in the past and recognized that WV Greek Management had a knack for marketing to college students and felt their ideas needed to be shared.

“All of Greek life is run like a business. We are marketing our services and opportunities to college students, just the same as any business. Most people don’t seem to recognize this,” said Hodak.

The presentation focused on several topics, the first of which was why businesses should market to college students. Hodak and Winternitz emphasized the importance of age stability and spending power of this age range.

In working with the college-age sector, a business can tailor their advertising message to a degree that’s almost impossible with general marketing techniques. This age range is also key to building brand loyalty.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 15 million US college and university students spend well over $200 billion annually (with seven billion spent on beer alone).

“We [college students] don’t have a lot of money, but we sure know how to spend it,” Hodak pointed out.

The PR team identified businesses such as Carmona’s, Annie’s Market, and the Daily Grind that were already successfully marketing to the college-aged sector.

            The business leaders were encouraged to use several techniques to attract a larger student public, such as posters, advertising with school media such as The Pharos and C-92 FM, student discount, and coupons.

The team also recommended businesses sponsor school activities such as the HeartWalk and 5K for a Healthy Life. In sponsoring these types of activities, they have the opportunity to get their name out in a positive light.

The team emphasized that most of these advertising techniques were very cost effective and just a little bit of effort could go a long way.

“I feel this meeting really helped bring the community closer. Buckhannon business leaders realize what kind of influence the college community can have on local businesses and they are interested in tapping into this market,” said John Bohman, Coordinator of Greek Affairs.

“It was an enlightening experience -- not only from a personal level, but also from a professional standpoint. We learned a lot and got numerous ideas we can use in the future,” said Winternitz.

Ashley Hodak