Clutch! launched our Brand Ambassador program at the University of Alabama during the 2018 football season. Clutch! Brand Ambassadors help spread the word about Clutch! to sellers, students, and incoming fans alike (you may have seen one on a Tuscaloosa gameday last season).
Today’s blog is written by Jordan Miller, a Clutch! Brand Ambassador at the University of Alabama. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Jordan is pursuing her Master’s in Marketing after getting a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from UA. Jordan was one of our very first ambassadors.
I had the opportunity to be a Clutch! Brand Ambassador at the University of Alabama for the app’s first official football season! I absolutely loved my experience, and I truly can’t imagine what my last Fall semester at the Capstone would have been like without working for Clutch!.
The minute I saw the listing on the University’s job page back in August, I knew it was perfect for me. I’m currently earning my Master’s in Marketing here at UA, and I thought being a brand ambassador for a tech startup would be a great way to experience multiple sides of marketing in a real-world setting. From grassroots door-to-door conversations to crafting social media content, the Clutch! Brand ambassador position truly encompasses it all.
Pre-Season Preparation
The first duty we had as ambassadors was to prepare for the football season! We spent a few afternoons walking around residential areas that were popular for gameday parking and started knocking on doors so we could start conversations with potential sellers about Clutch!.
Common feedback we got from students was, “WOW, that’s such a good idea!!” As students, we all know that gameday parking can be a nightmare for anyone who drives into town. Students who sell spots also know how miserable it is to stand out in the blazing heat with a cardboard sign, not to mention how frustrating it is to miss out on time with friends and family before the game!
Receiving such great feedback really helped push us ahead as we continued pitching the app to potential new users. We started making announcements in our classes, posting on our own social media accounts and joining Sarah, Clutch!’s Marketing Associate and Director of the Ambassador Program, in pitches to campus organizations.
The Season Begins
Soon enough, the first home game rolled around. We had an amazing first day! Ambassadors split up and took different “zones” around campus. I stopped anyone selling parking “the old fashioned way” and gave a quick pitch about Clutch!. Much like the previous conversations I had, the responses I received were extremely positive. Working on gamedays was also helpful because they helped us pinpoint the heavily saturated areas that we can not spot on a regular day during the week. We were able to take notes and know which parts of campus we should be targeting in the future.
The next gameday, we were in a groove. The weather had finally started to cool down; it was breezy, sunny and 75 degrees outside, and some of the other ambassadors and I rode a golf cart to talk with sellers in the downtown area! We had a portable speaker, which we used to play some classic Alabama gameday songs, and I was in HEAVEN! When we arrived downtown we met lots of excited sellers and fans we hadn’t yet gotten a chance to chat with. It was such an incredible way to spend the hours leading up the game.
The flexible work schedule is one of the major perks of being a Clutch! Brand Ambassador. I was still able to attend each game and even had some free time in between my shift and heading into the stadium. Meeting new fans, selling spots on the app, enjoying the weather, and still getting to attend the game… It really doesn’t get better than that!
Post-Season Final Touches
After the season came to a close, the ambassadors had a final dinner meeting where we all gave presentations about our experience. We were asked to cover fan and seller feedback, things we liked about the app, improvement suggestions and overall feedback on the ambassador program.
It was very helpful for the Clutch! team to hear all of our different feedback, suggestions and views. I know they are going to take it all into consideration for next season. Talking about next Fall makes me sad, as I am graduating, but I know Clutch! is going to just keep on growing!
I can’t thank the Clutch! team enough for being so amazing to work with, for having such an incredible company, and for extending the opportunity to be an ambassador this season. It truly made my last year as a student Clutch!
If you want to hear more from Jordan, check out her blog Coffee with Jordan Lee. Even though Jordan won’t be able to join us again this fall because she is graduating, Clutch! will be available once again for Alabama fans during the 2019 football season. Until then, check out our upcoming Legion FC games, minor league baseball games, and races coming up on the app! You can also find Clutch! at the Alabama A-Day this weekend where you’ll have a chance to compete for tickets and free parking!