Best Newspaper Marketing and Promotions Plan UNC Charlotte
STUDENT NINER MEDIA - UNC CHARLOTTE 9 2 0 1 U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y B LV D , C H A R LOT T E , N C 2 8 2 2 3 - 0 0 0 1
Best Newspaper Marketing and Promotions Plan UNC Charlotte Student Niner Media staff is always thinking of new and innovative ways to reach students and the campus community. The promotions team sought to put papers directly into the hands of students through several new events this past year. SOAR During the months of June and July, volunteers from Student Niner Media worked at tables during the Student Orientation and Registration sessions. They gave out promotional materials as well as issues of the Survival Guide and Parents Survival Guide. These issues are distributed to each incoming freshman, as well as their parents. This provides not only an introduction to UNC Charlotte, but also an introduction to Student Niner Media. This is a great way to recruit talented new staff as well. Workshops Students who express interest in Student Niner Media are invited to attend a three-day workshop held the week before classes begin. This is a time to gather the returning staff so that they can discuss the previous year and make changes for the upcoming year. New recruits are introduced to all areas of Student Niner Media including the Niner Times, Nineronline, Student Media Marketing, Radio Free Charlotte and Sanskrit Literary Arts Magazine. They can then decide what specific area they might like to work in. Even if they don’t join the team, they still get a wealth of knowledge about the products offered. Pizza and a Paper The annual event is held in front of the Student Union. More than 15,000 students have been counted coming in and out of the doors during the lunch rush. Student Niner Media staff hands out more than 320 slices of pizza along with the Welcome Back issue. The pizza is donated and house/online ads are run in advance of the event. GoldRush UNC Charlotte welcomed its first football team this year! Students produced the GoldRush, an inserted special section that ran in the regular issue before each home game. To sweeten the pot for advertisers and fans, students passed out the GoldRush at strategic locations before each home game.
Student Niner Media Retreat This annual event is held in the mountains. Staff brings representatives from each department of Student Niner Media to review the past year, plan for the current year and brainstorm. It helps the students to learn about other departments and think of ways to better promote all departments to the student body. Southern University Newspapers Conference (SUN) This conference is targeted to the marketing and advertising staff. They attended the conference in Raleigh where they were able to work with students from a dozen other schools to share ideas and brainstorm. They come back refreshed and ready to work! Popcorn and a Paper This year’s event was the first ever held by Student Media. The campus food service company provided popcorn in exchange for advertising space in the Niner Times. Bags were purchased and labels were printed and place on the bags to promote all areas of Student Niner Media. We had so much popcorn that we held the event for a second day. Halloween Candy The street team dressed in costumes to hand out the current issue that featured the Halloween Theme Page. They also handed out candy. Such a simple idea was very well received by the campus community. Planned Activities for Spring App Launch Party: For January we are having an App Launch Party. In preparation for the event, Student Niner Media staff has been able to garner 22 gift cards from area businesses valued at $520. There will also be an iPad giveaway. All students who download the app can fill out a two-question survey to be entered to win the iPad. The event will be promoted on social media, as well as with print and online ads. All of this is in an effort to get people to use the app, therefore increase awareness of Student Niner Media. Valentine’s day: In light of Valentines Day, we are going to have a sex survey, and we will publish the results in the next Niner Times. We will also pass out candy/something sweet in return for likes/follows on FB/twitter.
Easter: We will have the street team dress up in bunny costumes with Easter eggs in baskets containing information on how to like /follow Niner Media on FB and Twitter. Targeted Communities: Our targeted communities are the students and faculty of UNC Charlotte, as well as the surrounding businesses. Our strategic aim is to blast social media. We want students on campus to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and by doing so, it creates a buzz around campus about who we are and what we do.
STUDENT NINER MEDIA MARKETING AND PROMOTION SCHEDULE
June and July SOAR Sessions Survival Guide and Parents Survival Guide distributed to more than 5,000 incoming freshmen and their parents August Niner Media Workshops August 14-16 Pizza and a Paper Pass out Goldrush issue prior to football game August 27 Pass out Goldrush issue prior to football game August 31 August through May House Ads in Niner Times and on Nineronline Employee of the Month ads run regularly September Pass out Goldrush issue prior to football game September 7 Pass out Goldrush issue prior to football game September 14 Student Niner Media Retreat September 20-22 Southern University Newspapers Conference September 23-24 in Raleigh, NC Popcorn and a Paper September 26
Â
October Popcorn and a Paper October 1 Pass out regular issue featuring Halloween Theme Page In costume, hand out candy October 29 November Pass out Goldrush issue prior to football game November 9 Pass out regular issues November 19
Planned activities for Spring: Mobile App Launch Party January 14 Pass out Valentine’s Day issue with candy February 11 Pass out Living Guide February 25 Pass out first-ever Spring Fever Issue March 25 Pass out Easter candy while dressed in bunny costumes, along with current issue April 15
Â