Student promoters tap fickle college market for Apple, Napster
Tyler Whitmire
Issue date: 10/14/05 Section: Campus News
They man display tables in Faunce House, tape up promotional posters and auction off free products at sports games. Their attitude is friendly, their tone is informative and their manner projects college-student cool. They're student promoters, hired by large commercial companies to promote their wares on college campuses around the country.
Companies such as Napster and Apple Computer use student promoters not only for advertising, but also to keep tabs on often unpredictable college trends and opinions.
Christine Fleming, a marketing manager for Napster based in Los Angeles, said that this is the first year the company has used students as promoters and that they are effective at promoting Napster on college campuses. Right now there are 20 students around the country working to raise awareness about Napster, a music downloading service that is free for Brown students living on campus this year.
The choice to use students to promote Napster came "out of a need" to extend Napster's workforce onto college campuses, Fleming said. Unlike efforts to market credit cards to students, she said, Napster's student promoters publicize a beneficial service.
Fleming pays student promoters a flat rate per semester for assignments such as setting up booths at large campus events, encouraging student governments to integrate Napster into campus programs and using radio DJs and school newspapers to raise awareness about the service.
In the hiring process, Napster often relied on recommendations from college administrations about particular students who had been involved in previous marketing campaigns and might have been interested in the promotion job. Napster also posts a job description and contact information on each participating college's career center Web site.
Geoff Stetson '07 first heard about the Napster promotion job through an online posting. He was one of 20 students nationwide hired by Napster at the beginning of this year. In order for Napster to keep track of his work, Stetson sends biweekly e-mail updates on his promotional activities to Fleming. He also receives weekly mass e-mails with promotional suggestions and updates.
Companies such as Napster and Apple Computer use student promoters not only for advertising, but also to keep tabs on often unpredictable college trends and opinions.
Christine Fleming, a marketing manager for Napster based in Los Angeles, said that this is the first year the company has used students as promoters and that they are effective at promoting Napster on college campuses. Right now there are 20 students around the country working to raise awareness about Napster, a music downloading service that is free for Brown students living on campus this year.
The choice to use students to promote Napster came "out of a need" to extend Napster's workforce onto college campuses, Fleming said. Unlike efforts to market credit cards to students, she said, Napster's student promoters publicize a beneficial service.
Fleming pays student promoters a flat rate per semester for assignments such as setting up booths at large campus events, encouraging student governments to integrate Napster into campus programs and using radio DJs and school newspapers to raise awareness about the service.
In the hiring process, Napster often relied on recommendations from college administrations about particular students who had been involved in previous marketing campaigns and might have been interested in the promotion job. Napster also posts a job description and contact information on each participating college's career center Web site.
Geoff Stetson '07 first heard about the Napster promotion job through an online posting. He was one of 20 students nationwide hired by Napster at the beginning of this year. In order for Napster to keep track of his work, Stetson sends biweekly e-mail updates on his promotional activities to Fleming. He also receives weekly mass e-mails with promotional suggestions and updates.