From Student Org to Living Brand
Ad Club at VCU Presidency · May 2025 - May 2026
Strategy · Leadership · Brand Platform
Backstory
When I was a high school junior, I chose VCU because I wanted to eventually become President of its Ad Club. A few years later, I was repositioning the org as a living, breathing brand inside a nationally recognized program for aspiring industry professionals.
Problem
When I joined as a member in 2023, I noticed Ad Club had potential but not pull.
Students were juggling jobs and didn’t see clear value in adding one more commitment.
The brand was confusing. What did Ad Club actually do and who was it for?
Complaining wouldn’t fix that.
So I treated it like a strategy problem.
Research
I started by listening far more than I spoke.
1:1 conversations with members, exec board, and alumni and reviews of feedback forms and previous exec board exit surveys
The pattern was clear: students loved the professional opportunities but craved authentic social connection. They wanted a place that felt alive and welcoming, not just another info session.
Key Questions
Who currently feels like Ad Club is for them and who assumes it isn’t? If a freshman walks in alone, what happens in the first five minutes that tells them they belong here? What’s the emotional gap between how Ad Club shows up now and how students wish it felt? If every event is technically good what would make it genuinely unmissable? What kind of structure would actually create more opportunity and ownership? What systems and traditions would make Ad Club stronger than when I found it? When students choose not to come, what are they choosing instead and why does that feel like the better use of their time?
Insight
Ad Club’s barrier wasn’t interest in advertising.
It was access and belonging.
Strategy
Two principles became the bullseye:
Approachability and Opportunity.
How do we make Ad Club feel as natural as “see you at the library” or “see you in class”?
The answer became the brand platform:
See You at Ad Club.
A simple line designed to slot Ad Club into students’ everyday routines just as normal as class, lunch, or the gym.
Strategic objectives:
Make Ad Club a default part of the VCU Undergraduate Advertising experience, not an optional extra.
Drive attendance and retention, not just sign-ups.
Build a socially magnetic identity that balanced professionalism with genuine community.
Execution
I treated every touchpoint as a branding opportunity: social, website, programming, structure and even the club constitution.
Brand Refresh
Developed a clear brand platform and updated web and social copy to reflect a more welcoming, high-energy, low-intimidation tone.
Created a more legible journey from curious to core member through clear calls to action.
Programming That Felt Like the Industry
Designed events that mimicked real agency environments through strategic and creative sprints, guest speakers who stuck around for conversations, and an award show that felt meaningful instead of obligatory.
Turned flagship sprints into themed worlds that encouraged experimental portfolio-worthy work instead of class-assignment duplicates.
Built collaborations with orgs like Women in Business and the American Marketing Association to reflect how advertising actually intersects with other disciplines.
Infrastructure and Governance
Led a full rewrite of the Ad Club Constitution and student government documents to match a modern, evolving industry.
Restructured the executive board to mirror how great work actually happens: clear roles, more ownership, and stronger collaboration instead of vague titles.
Introduced a formal election process for key roles, giving candidates the chance to campaign, share their vision, and earn votes, mirroring real-world leadership transitions.
Developed a comprehensive room-booking and scheduling system to ensure consistency in weekly experiences.
Impact
Membership: 2x increase in overall membership compared to the previous period.
Average turnout grew from 9 to 29 students per event.
Robertson Rush sign-ups matched the previous year’s total in just 8 hours.
Secured partnerships with companies including Capital One, CarMax, Madison + Main, and West Cary Group to create deeper pipelines for mentorship and recruiting.
Raised over $4,500+ to fund programming and trips, including New York agency visits.
Achieved a 72% increase in social engagement, making the club feel more accessible and alive online.
Delivered 30+ events connecting students directly with professionals, plus + guest speakers and panelists
Built a culture where staying after the event became just as valuable as the event itself.
Legacy
A clearer brand platform that future leaders can adapt to.
A restructured executive board and constitution built to evolve with the industry.
Stronger pipelines to local and national partners in Richmond and New York City.
A community that understands Ad Club not just as a an extra circular, but as a place where you can belong, grow, and build something real.
Page Work In Progress
Creative Coming Soon