Tash Mahnokaren
Staff Writer
Take a look around you. What do you see?
Aspects of technology, fashion, beauty and, of course, the people t
hat consume these goods.
That’s where marketing strategies come in.
From the intrinsic values of a product down to the way it is packaged is one specific motivating force: a target audience.
Producing a product that caters to demand is one aspect.
Convincing people to purchase that particular product is a skill on its own.
For the members of Idaho State University’s American Advertising Federation Club, this is their cup of tea.
Unlike other clubs, membership is somewhat exclusive.
Members are individually referred to the club by professors who find advertising potential in certain students.
“It is a gift,” said GaBrielle Boyd, member of the American Advertising Federation.
“Not everyone can do it, and is a chance to see if they have that skill and, if not, to see if they can obtain that skill,” Boyd continued.
The American Advertising Federation club prepares all year for the annual National Student Advertising Competition.
In the competition, each competing university is approached by a brand for which it will campaign.
Brands approach these groups with a product and a certain demographic that they are trying to appeal to.
The groups then devise campaign strategies to market the product, which will determine their place in the competition.
“The club is mainly about the NSAC that we prepare all year for,” said Boyd.
“We compete by creating a campaign, and this year’s brand of campaign is Mary Kay,” she said.
Apart from being a good source of experience for those seeking a career in advertising, the competition also trains individuals mentally and physically for the reality of the rigor that goes into campaigning.
“What we are doing in a year takes about two week in reality,” said Boyd.
Competing groups are given the opportunity to get a well-rounded experience of the internal and external factors of campaigning.
“We get the experience of working with video, research, media, graphic design, speech proposals and even budgets,” said Boyd.
Like any other club, the American Advertising Federation also hosts fundraisers throughout the year.
The proceeds go toward raising money for the competition.
Through fundraisers, the club also hopes to appeal to the students of ISU to let them know what the club is about.
Every year the club also holds a golf fundraising event, in which advertising agencies are invited to play golf, courtesy of the club.
In return these agencies offer tours of their establishments.
Proceeds fund the NSAC competition.
Currently, the club is raffling off a week-long vacation for two people in Hawaii, Mexico or Walt Disney World.
The drawing will be held on April 1.
The tickets are $5 each.
