Establishing Campus CEO as an Indispensable Tool for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Kaplan Publishing hired Rose Communications to promote its big winter title: Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a Multimillion Dollar Business. The book, by Randal Pinkett -- winner of NBC's The Apprentice, an academic superstar, and CEO of a multimillion dollar business -- empowers students to create and grow their ventures.

Fresh Perspective

Google. Yahoo! YouTube. Facebook. The much-publicized list of successful businesses started by college students was growing exponentially. We noted, however, that there was a disconnect: While nearly two-thirds of college students said they intended to become entrepreneurs, research showed most of these would-be business builders had nowhere to turn for advice. With that in mind, we took a multifaceted, influencer-heavy approach to the campaign. We emphasized Pinkett's early success as a student entrepreneur himself, his outstanding academic achievements, his role as CEO of a multimillion dollar business, and his Apprentice win.

Authentic Approach

To generate excitement we:

- Tapped Pinkett's credibility and positioned him as a coach for burgeoning entrepreneurs

- Capitalized on his existing celebrity

- Earned support from influencers: teachers, entrepreneurship professors, bloggers, leaders of entrepreneurship groups, and media

- Created a media campaign which tied the book to related topics/trends

- Staged the "Most Promising Campus CEO" contest to engage the audience on campuses nationwide and inspire word of mouth

- Organized a campus-centric tour

Meaningful Impact

As a result of our efforts we:

- Secured media coverage in over 200 outlets including Nightline, Entrepreneur Magazine, Ebony, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, satellite radio, and dozens of college papers

- Garnered hundreds of positive blogs on the book and contest

- Inspired action: nearly 50,000 people voted for the "Most Promising Campus CEO"

- Galvanized partners: contest information appeared on Web sites of key entrepreneurial organizations

Credit Information
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Client: Kaplan Publishing
Agency: Rose Communications
Budget: Undisclosed
Date of Campaign: November 2006 - March 2007