Use of Student Plants to Pitch Products Rising

theodp wrote to mention a Seattle PI article about software and niche companies using college-age hucksters to get the word about their product out. From the article: "Microsoft is among a growing number of companies seeking to reach the elusive but critical college market by hiring students to be ambassadors -- or, in more traditional terms, door-to-door salesmen. In an age when the college demographic is no longer easily reached by television, radio or newspapers -- as TiVo, satellite radio, iPods and the Internet crowd out the traditional advertising venues -- a microindustry of campus marketing has emerged. Niche firms have sprung up to act as recruiters of students, who then market products on campus for companies such as Microsoft, JetBlue Airways, The Cartoon Network and Victoria's Secret."

Comments

Re:If this actually worked, then kids would vote

[Hao Wu]

"Kids will take what is pushed into their hand, especially if the pusher is attractive, and they don't stand to lose money immediately on the free product."

It's reflex. You are only annoying people when you do that, and once they figure out that you're just a salesman - they litter.

"I may not be attractive enough to market democracy,"

WOW - you're in college!?!

Yeah

[pHatidic]

I know at my Uni (Cornell) they pay kids good money to go sit out on the quad playing Xbox and PS2 to promote the latest games. It is something like 500 bucks for a day of playing video games, so all the undergrad business kids to compete to get the job. Talk about corporate whoring...

Re:Already a term..

[Arandir]

I think it's great. It teaches kids salesmanship and entepreneurship. Much better than sitting in Socialism 101 and hearing about how horrible the world is.

You don't like the product they're selling? Don't buy it!

Re:Already a term..

[killjoe]

To a republican there is no such thing as a "deceptive business practice". Oh and you are a socialist for saying there is.