The Honors Marketing Practicum class hosted Subaru Safari as a marketing campaign for Subaru’s Project Acceleration yesterday at Mockingbird Station from 5 to 8 p.m. The class, or marketing team, consists of 17 seniors and is instructed by Judy Foxman of the Cox School of Business’s Marketing Department.
Mockingbird Station was filled with music from Kiss FM, and the SMU pom squad supported the team by performing every 15 minutes for an hour. Their act was followed by performances from three comedians.
Three Subaru challenges offered chances to win prizes ranging from iPod Shuffles to gift certificates to various shops in Mockingbird Station. With each entry, participants had the opportunity to vote for a Relay for Life team to receive a donation from the event.
“We did a tie-in with Relay for Life, and at the end of the event we want to donate $500 to Relay for Life on behalf of Subaru,” said Jessica Blackburn, a member of the class who worked with the public relations aspect of the event.
Following the Subaru Safari, the Relay for Life votes were tallied and the winning relay team will be announced today at the commencement of Relay for Life. This donation will go directly to the American Cancer Society on behalf of the chosen relay team.
The marketing team was given $3,000 by Subaru for the campaign. Their job was to research, design, execute and later evaluate the campaign. A Subaru representative met with team to brief them on their objectives.
One initiative the team took was to expand their budget. They raised more than $3,600 through donations, according to Carlyn Helmuth, the team’s treasurer.
All aspects of the campaign were completely executed by the students, Foxman said. “I acted as a consultant to the students…they are responsible for the success of the program.”
The competition focuses on what Subaru has to offer to the college consumer: safety and affordability. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded three Subarus out of 13 cars as “Top Safety Picks for 2007,” according to its Web site. Subaru received the most Top Safety Picks than any other car and are recommended more than any other automotive brand by the IIHS.
One of the major challenges the team faced was pulling all the elements together in order to result in a successful event that would represent their client to the best of their ability.
“You have an idea of what you need to do for the client, what you need to do for Relay for Life and then it’s just trying to tie it all together,” Helmuth said.
The next step for the marketing team will be to prepare a report of their campaign for executives. The class will send approximately five students to pitch the campaign to Subaru executives at headquarters in New Jersey. There, they will compete with six other contending universities, said Joaquin Acevedo, a member of the team.
Last year’s marketing team won second place out of 12 universities as a result of their event, Imprezapalooza. The University of Southern California placed first and Emory University placed third.
SMU’s marketing team will compete again with both of these universities.
Overall, this opportunity has allowed the students to experience what the marketing industry will expect from them after graduation. They will take this experience with them on interviews and this real life experience will impress prospective employers, Foxman said.
Relay for Life, an all-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, begins at 6 p.m. During the 12-hour event, at least one member of each team has to be walking on the Boulevard. Teams were required to raise $100 per team member in order to participate. For more information or to make an online donation, visit www.cancer.org and click on the Relay for Life link.
