Where to place advertising today

Lots of debate about advertising around the office lately. Do we do traditional print and broadcast, non-traditional Web banners at places like Yahoo or with Google Adwords, or even more non-traditional Facebook ads and new applications to go along with them.  Our goal, to create a passionate group of disciples for NC State University.

I’ve always believed in trying something new and am leaning toward being very non-traditional.  Right now we need to focus on our family, so to speak, and that means talking to our alumni, their families and friends.  Also reaching out to those here on campus (students, faculty and staff) and in the Raleigh area.  How do make the advertising scream with passion?  That is the question.

So, maybe we don’t look at it as advertising.  We create an integrated marketing communications program.  You know, some advertising to drive traffic, but instead of the ordinary, we send ’em to a Facebook fan page for NC State.  We create a couple of tabs on the page to take people down a level or two to academics, the arts, athletics, that kind of thing.  The ole drill-down menu, if you will.

We create some buzz with the advertising, and we give people something to talk about with the fan pages.  Good old fashioned PR.  They talk to their friends, who talk to their friends, who talk to their friends.  Before you know it, there’s this buzz going around about all the cool things happening at NC State University.

To make things even more interesting lets create an iPhone app too.  Did you know there are 67 million iPhone users in the United States and that those users can choose from more than 100,000 apps. Why not a really tricked out NC State iPhone app.  We developed the technology that allows transit systems to track their buses via Google Earth and GPS.  Lets include that. We have killer technology and great liberal arts all around campus.  Lets include that too.  People would talk. Right.  And when the new G4 cellular network comes out next year, we’ll be right there with NC State. Streaming video on your iPhone. Sure.  Why not.  People would definitely be talking.  You could actually watch the wolf howl!  Very cool.

Yeah.  I wish it was so easy.

Facebook and iPhone applications may be the wild west, but I think I want to be part of it.  I think NC State needs to be part of it. What do you think.

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