Texas Tech Earns ACTS Fund

The students in Texas Tech University’s Marketing Association got some first-hand experience, inspiration and reward courtesy of Barbara Hubbard’s American Collegiate Talent Showcase (ACTS) program by promoting a Jeff Dunham show Sept. 3.

United Spirit Arena Associate Director Cindy Harper told Pollstar she began working with the marketing students in April at Hubbard’s suggestion.

In addition to managing a $20,000 budget, using Facebook and Twitter, arranging media coverage and ads and canvassing, Harper was impressed with the group’s further ingenuity.

“One of my favorite aspects was their securing sponsorship from an area business to print T-shirts to distribute at new student orientations and the university’s student union building,” Harper said. “This, of course, piqued interest in the event … but there was an added incentive: Students could win a pair of tickets if randomly spotted on campus wearing their T-shirt the week of the show.
“As such, the student body became walking billboards for the show.”

Harper added that Tech Marketing Association President Jaime Resendez took the initiative to wear his lime-green Dunham shirt while studying overseas during the summer and sent back photos from different tourist spots including near the Sphinx in Egypt.

The students’ efforts, which the campus’ Daily Toreador reported sold more than 6,000 tickets to Dunham’s show, paid off in more ways than one: Hubbard was able to donate $10,000 to establish an event and facility management scholarship fund for the school.