There's an ice cream truck that parks itself at my favorite Cape Cod beach, and it's always a treat to get a Chipwich or a good old-fashioned Popsicle in the heat of the summer sun. Last weekend, when buying a treat for my son and one for myself, I randomly thought of one of my favorite Far Side cartoons by Gary Larson. Called "Failed Marketing Gimmicks," the strip features the driver of an asparagus truck (looking just like an ice cream truck) calling out to the neighborhood: "I cuss, you cuss, we all cuss for asparagus!"As a marketer who spends a lot of time in Gen Y land, I'm constantly thinking of how to better engage the 18 to 30 year-old demographic who interact with Experience in one form or another. And like the driver of the ill-fated asparagus truck, there are times when trying to persuade college students to actively engage with career services feels like selling veggies to kids who just want a sundae. Know what I mean?
With the fall semester and recruiting season about to begin, the team at Experience is currently producing many back-to-school themed marketing messages for our partner schools. Our clients can then tailor these messages to market career services directly to their constituents, including everyone from incoming freshmen to seniors looking to set up interviews with employers. And as is always the case, we're walking that fine line between what we think will be both creative and effective.
Getting one's career off the ground is serious business. It can be stressful and even scary for some. So as we enjoy these dog days of summer, treat yourself to some ice cream and then take a look at what you've done to connect with college students and young grads -- whether it's marketing messages of your own, a job posting, direct emails or even advertising. Are you giving Gen Y what they want? If you're not, you might as well be driving that asparagus truck.
Photo by Roadsidepictures
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