Class:
Consumer Promotion/Budget

Objective:
To open 2,500 checking accounts and reduce the amount of time necessary to open new accounts during University of Texas freshman registration.

Strategy and Execution:
A "Safari" promotion employed specialties, premiums and direct mail for one-month campaign targeted to new students. With "It's a jungle out there" referring to the survival tactics of making it through college, the bank offered itself as a "financial guide." More than 9,500 freshman and transfer students were mailed an invitation to open an account through the mail or at the bank's university branch. Bank employees wore pith helmets and safari t-shirts imprinted with the "Let us be your guide" slogan. Theme t-shirts were also given to the first 100 students at the bank's remote radio broadcast during registration. Sport bottles were given as premiums to students opening checking accounts. Support efforts included a bank employee with a "sandwich board" walking the main area of the university passing out flyers, student newspaper ads, posters and jungle music within the bank.

Results:
The bank reported opening more than 1,600 checking accounts, with $2,200 the average amount deposited, for a gross income of $3,520,000.