Business Associate
Bethlehem, PA
Aug 2021 – May 2022
The Story
The Brown and White is Lehigh University’s student newspaper dating back to 1894, produced entirely by students. In the business unit, I communicated with both on-campus departments and external companies to acquire paid advertisements for the paper. This revenue funded all publication costs for The Brown and White as well as covered the Journalism Department’s educational expenses. I utilized my skills negotiating ad placements at Broken Myth to make monumental strides in our financial goals. I loved finding new local restaurants and businesses while ad hunting.
The Results
- Devised bundle deals to incentivize 33% more digital ad placements following a national print decline.
- Presented successful budget request presentation of $25,000 to Student Senate committee.
- Increased year-over-year revenue by 85% with tailored outreach tactics and decreased operational costs by 25%.
The Learnings
- Maintaining business relationships is as much an art as it is a science. Be personable.
- It’s easy to lose track of leads. Keep an updated CRM database with accurate client information.
- Cold calls are scary at first, but spending time practicing can eventually make them feel natural.
