During winter break I was at home in Buffalo when I saw an ad on Indeed for event marketing staff for a local company called Mad Hops. Since I am planning to go into marketing when I graduate I was looking for a part-time job that would offer experience and the chance to earn some beer money. So I went to the informational meeting and signed up to be a Campus Champion at Cortland State for Mad Hops Flavored Beer Drops.
This semester I’ve represented Mad Hops at my school at events that I organize and run. My main goal is to spread the word all over campus and get people to try the product. Once I was accepted into the program, Mad Hops sent me a beautiful display case with 24 bottles of Mad Hops. If I sold them all, that would be a $170 value, for just $28! Of course I needed to use some of the bottles for taste tests, but still, what a great way to start my own little Mad Hops store.
My first step was to develop my marketing strategy and plan some events. That was great work experience and skills for someone like me. Being a Campus Champion has helped me get to know my fellow students better, all while having a great time and padding my resume.
The photos and reviews generated by the events are used on the company’s Instagram page – @gomadhops. I also started a Mad Hops Instagram page just for Cortland State, showing students trying out and loving the product, which is a great way to advertise on campus. I just launched it so go follow me right now! https://www.instagram.com/madhops.cortland/
Here’s a video from my first tasting event at a local bar, the Red Jug Pub in downtown Cortland, NY:
How to put on a Mad Hops beer tasting event
Here’s how to create an event with a Club, Sorority, Fraternity, or group of friends and get publicity!
- Choose a group of people that you can market Mad Hops to – it can be anyone from a campus frat to a group of your friends! Organize a date for a small beer tasting – the weather is getting nicer so day drinks are always a great idea.
- Make sure you get enough beer so that everyone can try out all six flavors! Perhaps a frat is already buying a keg for an event and you can set up your tasting table next to it.
- Recruit a couple friends to help you pass out stickers and coasters and serve Mad Hops. You are going to draw a crowd!
- During the tasting, explain the product as you flavor the beer. You can even have some unflavored beer to compare it to so that people can really see and taste the difference!
- Take tons of pictures and videos at your events so you can showcase that people are trying – and LOVING – Mad Hops. Putting these pictures up on social media is a great way to market the product. Make sure you tell everyone to follow us on Instagram – @gomadhops!
- Try to take videos of people commenting on the product as well – these endorsements are incredibly valuable to the brand. Mad Hops is a new concept for people. Besides trying it themselves, watching other people loving Mad Hops is the best way to convince them to buy it.
Campus Champions can recruit friends or others to help them represent the brand and possibly take over in the future.
Anyone that is outgoing, interested in business, marketing, or event planning, and wants to gain real experience while having a blast would be a great Campus Champion. I learned how to reach out to businesses in the area and make deals with them, as well as how to use tastings to gather valuable market research information about the product from real consumers. It’s been great for me.
Once I did my first event, news of Mad Hops spread across the entire campus. I’m doing my second tasting in a couple weeks and expect an even bigger turnout. Stay tuned!
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Interested in being the Mad Hops Campus Champion at your school? Email us today!
