Class uses new media for game

Getting a world record number of people to play in a dodgeball game is no easy task, but one marketing class at IU has made it a mission to help do just that.

Professor Sarah Smith-Robbins’ Digital and Social Media Marketing class in the Kelley School of Business used Facebook, Twitter and traditional marketing strategies to promote the dodgeball game. The game benefits Samaritan’s Feet, a charity that donates shoes for children and families worldwide.

The class found out about the event after the founder, Broderick Thompson,  approached them with a pitch.

“I wanted help because it gave our club members a chance to focus on other aspects of the game,” Thompson said. “The marketing is very important because you have to spread the word about the event. If people don’t know about it, no one will come.”

Students are assigned a marketing campaign project every semester, although usually it doesn’t involve a charity.

“In previous versions of the course, the students created their own campaign rather than supporting an existing event,” Smith-Robbins said. “I think this project is much more satisfying to the students because they get to use their knowledge, create a great campaign and work for a good cause.”

The class was divided into three teams to focus on different marketing outlets. Pam Dickson worked with the Facebook team and helped create and manage the event page.
“We used Facebook as a central hub for all of our class marketing efforts for the dodgeball game,” Dickson said. “We created an event page where we posted links to our class Twitter feed, the viral video Broderick and his team created, as well as links to Samaritan’s Feet to learn more information about the organization.”

To help spread the word, Dickson said each student sent out invitations to all their Facebook friends.

Another team focused on Twitter.

“Our strategy for the Twitter team was to create content for the Twitter community which was ‘sticky’ enough to drive traffic to the Facebook event site,” said Will Peabody, a student on the Twitter team.

The team members worked to create an interactive environment with their followers and spark interest in the game.

“We attempted to build a competitive environment with separate Twitter accounts for the ‘Cream’ and ‘Crimson’ teams, which are going to be represented at the game on Thursday,” Peabody said. “Our thoughts for this strategy were to get people emotionally committed to a specific team ... and build our support base that way.”

Peabody said Twitter is becoming a necessary component to successful marketing campaigns and sees its increasing use by companies and organizations as a complement to Facebook.

Student Ashley Dobbins worked with the team that focused on traditional marketing strategies, such as posters, word-of-mouth, radio and sidewalk chalk. They also implemented new marketing techniques.

Dobbins said they used QR codes, which could be scanned and then immediately directed to the Facebook event page.

“I think the customized QR codes are the most innovative,” Dobbins said. “Smartphone and QR code scanners are on the rise, and it’s a quick and easy way for audiences to engage in and receive more information.”

The project required effort from the whole class, Dobbins said.

“I’ve never been part of a project like this that directly simulated real-world project experience, where the class acted like a marketing firm carrying out different functions,” she said.

For many, it was a cause that made the hard work — and end result — well worth it.

“Who could ask for a better way to leave IU for the summer?” Dickinson said.