Stop Marketing and Start Engaging


Posted by Tom Krieglstein on 10 Nov 2011 / 4 Comments


I spent some time at Carnegie Mellon University visiting a former intern last week. As we walked through their beautiful University Center, I noticed a large number of campus clubs with tables set up trying to solicit students to join their group. Every table was covered with reading material and a bowl of candy to entice students to come closer. My mom taught me when I was really little to never go towards a stranger handing out candy :-) . We also passed several bulletin boards littered with posters for upcoming events. It all reminded me of an advertisement I saw for a marketing class I was invited to attend…

“If you market it, they will come.”

I don’t agree. Both in business and for student groups. I prefer this slogan…

“Show not tell.”

Instead of an info table for your organization, set up an interesting or creative activity related to your topic, in a place with high foot traffic. You’ll get a 1000x times more curious onlookers by showing what you do verses telling people what you do. If nothing else, you’ll have spent your time doing something verses just talking about it from behind a table.

Let’s stop marketing to prospective members and start engaging them.

Written by Tom Krieglstein


  • http://twitter.com/JenniferKeegin Jennifer Keegin

    Agreed. I personally hate “tabling”. We always encourage interactive “booths” for student orgs during major campus events.

  • Kim Scott

    I couldn’t agree more! I work in an all freshman residence hall and student orgs send me marketing info to email out regularly. I agree to send it out, but encourage them to come to our hall and program. I invite them to use one of our open office spaces during our weekly munchies or Sunday night cider events in the main lounge of our residence hall. These events are highly attended so we allow the group to make a quick 2 minute introduction then organization members can walk around and talk with students, invite them to get involved and explain who they are. Our students are blasted with email invites and posters, it’s the groups that get out there and engage students that will stand out.

  • Gavin Weiser

    Tom,

    Thanks for posting. This goes along right with my philosophy of experiential education. The biggest problem though is how to do this in a large open setting with about 100 other organizations. Intentional training with the students is needed, but in an age of over extension of our students, is this possible? Are they there for the organization/program or for their own social needs and development. These are things I am pondering. I think tabling is a too passive to be effective anymore, and we must change this meme.

  • Patrick Love

    Tom,
    I certainly agree with the spirit of what you are saying, but I think what you are describing is ineffective marketing versus effective marketing. I think  engagement IS a form of marketing. We all need to market who we are and what we do all the time, but we must do it effectively.
    Thanks again for a provocative post!
    Patrick

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