Executive Summary

Our main goal is to make sure that we bring awareness to the Meredith student body about the Spring Career Fair in February 2014. We want to increase attendance and make this one of the most beneficial events in students Meredith College careers.

                                                   
Academic and Career Planning currently serves 2000 undergraduates, 200 graduate students, and 18,000+ alumnae/s as well as students enrolled in the post baccalaureate and professional certificate programs.

The Marketing Environment

1. Competitive Forces: 
-Class Schedules
-Campus Events along with Student Clubs and Organizations
-Transportation schedule

2. Economic Forces:
-Students usually do not have disposable income to afford
-Proper dress attire
-Printing business cards and resumes
-Transportation costs

3. Political Forces:
-The student board
-Administrative Staff

4. Legal and Regulatory Forces:
-Misinformation in advertising methods
-Wheeler-Lea Act

5. Technological Forces:
-Social Media
- Advertising on less popular sites
-LinkedIn provides free networking for students
-Emails
-Poor Subject Lines
-Students dont read

6. Sociocultural Forces:
-Students think career fairs are only beneficial for seniors
-The idea of how you are expected to dress

Current Target Market

ACP is currently marketing to:
        -Juniors
              -Networking
              - Career Opportunities
              - Internships
        -Seniors
               -Networking
               -Potential Careers

Current Marketing Objectives and Performance

ACP Objectives

-Increase attendance and awareness of the 2014 Spring Career Fair

ACP Performance
-Last year only 30 Meredith students attended the Spring Career Fair 

Situation Analysis (SWOT)

Strengths: 
-Having companies there that pertain to the Meredith curriculum.
-Networking Event

Weaknesses: 
-Classes are in session
-Awareness
-Location
-Students might not have proper attire to attend

Opportunities:
-Career and Internship Opportunities
-Networking

Threats:
-Classes are in session
-Clubs and other campus organizations might have events
-Other Obligations
-Transportation Cost

2014 Marketing Strategies - Place/Distribution

2 ways to get there!! Either bus or car!!!

-Provide a clear map to get to the Spring Career Fair
-Provide the wolf line bus schedule
-Maybe create a way for students to be able to ride together











101 Gorman Street!!!!

2014 Marketing Strategies - Promotion

Clubs
-Connect with different campus clubs and let them know about the career fair; this will get      students involved and get the word out about the Spring Career Fair

Emails
-Let advisors know which companies will be attending
-Advisors can email students directly (students are more likely inclined to look at an email that is sent by their advisor than a mass email)
-Email professors the date of the career fair so they can include this into their lectures.  That way professors don't schedule a test for that day

 

GET CREATIVE!!!!! Make a campus commercial for social media!!!

2014 Marketing Strategies- Price

                         Advertisement Printing Cost

                                -Meredith Copy Center: 0.8 per page
                                -Vista Business Cards: 250 for FREE
                                -http://www.vistaprint.com/

Business Attire

     -Buying on a College Budget

     - Average cost of an outfit: $75-$115

     http://tjmaxx.tjx.com/store/jump/category/women/cat260062

     http://www1.marshallsonline.com/tjx/browse.as

2014 Marketing Strategies - Product

-Make Career Fair attendance a graduation requirement

-Make Career Fair attendance apart of the business toolkit

-Offer transportation to Career Fair
                                     

Implementation for 2014 Spring Career Fair Timeline

September:
- Academic Career Planning should make the academic advisers and administrative faculty aware about:

• The date and location of the Spring Career Fair
• Who and what companies are going to be at the fair
• The date of the SHRM business attire fashion show
• The fashion show provides students with examples of proper business attire to wear at formal functions and career fairs

- This allows professors to implement the fair into their syllabus and course outline
- Professors could consider making attendance to the fair mandatory or an extra credit opportunity

October:
- SHRM business attire fashion show takes place
- Notify advisers and faculty about the date of the fair a couple days before students register for the spring semester

December:
- Professors include the career fair into the creation of their course outline and syllabus for the 2014 spring semester

January: 
- Professors inform students about the career fair in their syllabus