RoverTown’s student discount program is able to differentiate itself in the saturated market by meeting students where they are most: online.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alum Jeffry Harrison is RoverTown’s chief operating officer. His marketing and sales strategies have significantly aided RoverTown’s growth to over 70 colleges and universities nationally. Over 1.4 million students now have access to RoverTown’s Student Discount Program.
Jeffry shared his strategies insights during the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) National Convention in Chicago. The annual conference brings together students, faculty, and young entrepreneurs to learn skills and expertise from successful entrepreneurs.
By providing their services via the web and mobile applications, the RoverTown team is able to collect much more interesting and useful data on the coupon-provider’s customers. This data, previously unavailable to businesses that collect paper coupons, is valuable for future marketing and customer relationship purposes.
In addition to the digital and analytic components, the strategy of working directly with the colleges and universities has been successful. Whereas competitors hand out paper coupon books on campus, RoverTown contacts the school’s administration directly, so as to be promoted by the individual college or university.
CEO is an entrepreneurial network with over 245 collegiate chapters. Harrison’s interview with CEO can be heard here. He co-founded a CEO chapter while a student at SIUE.
A Redbud native, Harrison arrived at SIUE as a result of the Homer L. & Helen L. Cox Scholarship from the School of Business. He earned a bachelor’s in finance and entrepreneurship in 2012. Harrison served as the SIUE student trustee for the SIU Board of Trustees for two years.
Photo: Jeffry Harrison presents to a large group of students at the 2013 CEO National Conference in Chicago.