Last week I had the pleasure to speak to two of Professor Herb Miller's undergraduate marketing classes at The University of Texas at Austin ("UT").
I started off by asking the students who in the lecture hall was already familiar with Formula 1™ and was pleasantly surprised with about 30-40% of the class raising their hands. I went on to discuss a brief history of the sport and share some heart-pounding sounds and sights of F1. They were early classes so if the students had missed out on their morning coffee, that surely awoke their senses. I then spoke about what The Austin Grand Prix was doing for Austinites and international motorsport fans, and how we've used social media to grow our business.
Professor Miller added:
I have become a Formula One fan over the last year and a half and I wanted to expose my students to a sport that is the most watched sport in the world. I also wanted UT students (10% of which are international students and are more aware of F1 Racing), to see the value of using ‘social media’ to market and expose the world to this exciting sport and the upcoming November 2012 Austin Formula One Race. I constantly tell my students that marketing is key to the success of any venture or idea and The Austin Grand Prix.com is using a very popular medium to market and expose the sport to Austin and the world community.
It was great to connect with so many students and spread awareness within the collegiate community. The Formula 1™ excitement continues to grow in Austin!
