Auxiliarists from San Diego, CA, took part in a community-based advertising project at San Diego State University. In an effort to give an undergraduate marketing class real world experience in working with clients, students were tasked to develop an advertising poster for the USCG Auxiliary.

Under the supervision of their professor, Dr. Cristel Antonia Russell, students worked in small teams of three or four to develop a print advertisement based on the objectives of San Diego Auxiliary. Marketing students learn how to develop messages that resonate with the target audience. The messages call attention to them, are easy and clear to process and, ultimately, are engaging and persuasive.

At the initial client presentation, conducted by Michael Saverson, Rear Commodore-South, the students learned that the Auxiliary was attempting to revamp and modernize its image with the hopes of attracting new and younger volunteers. They also want to produce a general awareness campaign for the organization.

Upon receiving the mission statement, the students spent the next four weeks developing a print advertisement. Mr. Saverson then returned to the class to attend the advertising presentations. They call this the “pitch” in the business world. The eleven student teams competed for the client’s account, as would real advertising agencies.

Mr. Saverson commented that he was “very impressed with all the hard work and enthusiasm exhibited by the students.”

The students created eleven different advertising messages, all using different strategies and appeals. Some emphasized the Auxiliary’s role in Homeland Security, while others drew from the safety aspect of the job by depicting emergency or disaster situations where the Auxiliary comes to the aid of the public.

The uses of highly symbolic images, such as the American flag or a life preserver, were designed to attract the audience’s attention and associate the Auxiliary with meaningful signs. Format and design choices were also instrumental in ensuring that the audience would process the information easily and correctly.

Other communication strategies focused on the sense of excitement and pride that comes with being an Auxiliary volunteer, this in an attempt to lure younger volunteers. For example, the ad that included a helicopter might appeal to younger persons seeking some adventure.

Choosing children as their focus, some of the teams sought to show the softer side of the Auxiliary. One of the ads, for example, establishes a parallel between children and heroes while targeting young parents. The students took their own photos in San Diego and the art looks as professional as a real studio’s!

In addition to the professor and client’s ratings, feedback on the ads was sought from a group of 50 marketing students. The students, acting essentially as a test audience, reviewed all of the posters and were asked to select their top three ads. The four ads portrayed here were those that: 1) best accomplished the goals of rejuvenating the image of the Auxiliary and recruiting volunteers, 2) most clearly communicated the message and 3) were the most appealing.

Dr. Russell’s husband, LT Dale Russell, who is a former Auxiliary member and active Naval Reserve officer, developed and coordinated the project. LT Russell felt such a project would be of great benefit to both the Auxiliary, given its marketing need and limited resources, and the students who learn a lot and gain on the job training by working with real clients. The students also enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a real world situation.