Wanted: Marketing Genius

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 10, 2010) — A challenge awaits University of Kentucky’s creative students.

A Marketing Genius Contest is being sponsored by the Follett Higher Education Group (FHEG) to promote its national textbook rental program. Four years ago, FHEG was awarded the operations contract for the UK Bookstore, which is located in the Student Center, a division of UK Student Affairs.

“The challenge is to create a national marketing campaign promoting the course material choices students have at Follett-owned college bookstores for the fall 2011 back-to-school season,” said Sally Wiatrowski, director of the UK Bookstore.

The objectives are:

1.  Build awareness of the many options available for course materials at Follett bookstores.

2.  Drive students to the bookstores to learn more about these options.

3.  Get students to obtain their course materials from FHEG bookstores.

Students are to create an intelligent, provocative and highly effective marketing campaign to be implemented in more than 700 college bookstores nationwide. The campaign should demonstrate a clear understanding of the Follett brand identity and reinforce its core value of providing high-quality, affordable texts for students.  It should cost no more than $1 million to execute and include both traditional media as well as innovative, new ways of communicating with students in unexpected places and reflect a comprehensive understanding of Follett’s products/services.

Students must enter a completed form by Feb. 5, 2011.

The prize for the winning team that creates the most interesting, unexpected and jaw-dropping innovative campaign will receive a paid summer marketing internship (free housing included) at Follett corporate headquarters in Chicago.

Forms are available for any teams interested by contacting Wiatrowski at sally.wiatrowski@uky.edu.