How MAM got started...

I was having lunch at Rich JC last March (2006) with a good friend of mine when the idea of starting Michigan Advertising & Marketing (MAM) came up. My friend was the president of a Korean traditional drumming group called Sinaboro on campus and he mentioned how they could really use some help from us (Michigan Entrepreneurs- I was president of the group at the time).

It was an interesting idea - helping other student groups in their advertising and marketing - but that wasn't really the focus of Michigan Entrepreneurs. So, half jokingly said, "Why don't I start my own group?"

So, the long process began; I registerting with MSA, put together a team of well-qualfied friends who shared my vision, and started pitching the idea to potential clients. Looking back, it's quite amazing how I was able to pull it off, not to be bragging or anything, but they were betting on a group of unexperienced college students to help out with their advertising on campus.

There were two things that really made this work, however:
1) it was a FREE service since most students simply needed the EXPERIENCE
2) we WERE the TARGET audience: local businesses and other student groups were targetting us and who knows better about "consumer behavior" than the actual consumers!?!

Another KEY factor; I got a summer internship at Mindshare in the Chicago office. Working as a media planning intern along with the creative team at Ogilvy was a valuable experience that allowed me to learn how agencies work with clients. This was basically the "business model" for MAM and my goal was to simulate as much of the real-world setting as possible.

Also, while working in Chicago last summer, I witnessed the huge network of UIUC alumi in the advertising industry in Chicago, and thought to myself, "What about the Wolverines? I know we don't have an advertising major, but it doesn't mean that the students at U of M aren't as talented or qualified!" In fact, I knew a bunch of friends who were interested in advertising, but given the lack of academic support, ended up majoring in Communications, English, or Psychology.

So, I spent a bulk of my time over the summer, planning for MAM and its first official launch in September 2006. Believe me, it was A LOT of work... but all VERY WORTH IT. Thanks to the support from our Core Planning Team members who agreed to commit their time and effort in making this happen, we've made it this far...

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Michigan Advertising & Marketing

This is the logo of the student organization I started in September 2006. Our creative director, Megan came up with the design.