Grabbing handfuls of cash is usually just a fantasy. But the Chapman Graduate School at Florida International University (FIU) let some lucky people have that chance—while the college dramatized the value of MBA earnings.
During six “Show Me the Money” marketing events, people whose names were drawn at random got 15 seconds in a phone-booth-sized enclosure with real money swirling around. Each bill they grabbed, they kept.
“The events happened in downtown Miami, Brickell and Ft. Lauderdale,” said Luis Casas, director of marketing, communications and recruiting for the College of Business Administration. “We took our ‘Show Me the Money’ display to happy hour spots popular with our target group of young professionals. We also had an event on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus.”
On display near the booth was a plexiglass container showing, in $100 prop bills, the impressive difference between the lifetime earnings of someone with an MBA versus someone without one.
“While the events captured attention and positioned FIU as cutting edge, our underlying message was the huge financial advantage of getting an MBA,” Casas said.
Over 600 people entered the drawings, happening every 15 minutes. Cash grabs came to between $15 and $120.
“My friends and I watched other people in the booth, so when I won the chance, I knew how to grab,” said Leah Rinaldi, age 28. “I got $53 in my 15 seconds.”
Additional fun: on each entry blank, the person entered a guess as to the amount of money in the stacks showing the MBA difference. At the event’s conclusion, the person closest to the actual amount got 30 seconds in the booth.
Event is part of ‘Stop Dreaming’ campaign.
“Show Me the Money” is one facet of the spring 2011 ‘Stop Dreaming’ campaign promoting the MBA degree.
“The decision to go to graduate school is rarely an impulse move,” Casas said. “A person considers the possibility—but often gets “stuck” in just dreaming about the future.”
“Show Me the Money” visitors were exposed to ‘Stop Dreaming’ messages, including a postcard with information about texting for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship.
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