History of the Student Survival Kit

Student Survival Kit History and Facts

History. Fresh out of college, founder Rick Giesa produced the first Student Survival Kit at Western Washington University in the fall of 1981. It had 22 coupons and 15 participating sponsors. Today, a typical Student Survival Kit Coupon Book contains nearly 200 student deals and 50-80 individual partners offering discounts to students.

Distribution. The Student Survival Kit is distributed at seven major universities in the Pacific Northwest: Montana State University (16,000/semester), Oregon State University / Linn Benton Community College (20,000+/quarter), University of Washington (20,000/quarter), University of Oregon / Lane Community College / Bushnell University (20,000+/quarter), Washington State University/University of Idaho (25,000/semester.) Together, nearly three hundred thousand (300,000) copies are distributed free on these campuses each year.

Sponsorship/support. The Student Survival Kit Coupon Book model is largely successful due to a unique partnership between Giesa Communications and the universities we serve. A portion of all ad fees are returned to non-profit campus sponsors to fund student programs and scholarships. This partnership enables Giesa Communications to mail the book to students into their homes, and to distribute the printed version in very sensitive "on-campus" areas, including many student bookstores and student's on-campus and off-campus mailboxes. Additionally, Rick and Melissa support higher education in the Pacific Northwest as a life member of both the WSU Alumni Association and WWU Alumni Association.

Low, competitive ad rates. Our "strength in numbers" allows us to pass on extremely competive advertising rates to local businesses. We know that in order to produce a book that students will use, we must first produce a book that delivers exceptional value. The bigger the book, the better response rate for all advertisers. The results of this strategy are coming in....a University of Idaho Business Department study revealed The Student Survival Kit as the #1 buying influence among college students.

No alcohol/no tobacco/no weed on coupons at OSU, WSU/UI, UO/LCC/NCU, UW, UM, MSU. Since many of our readers are still minors, the publisher in 1996 voluntarily implimented a "no alcohol/no tobacco" policy for coupons. Advertisers may, of course, advertise the fact they serve alcohol and sell tobacco, but coupons may not be designed to sell alcohol at a discount.

Member, Pullman Chamber of Commerce, Corvallis Downtown Association, Downtown Missoula Association, Downtown Bozeman Association & Seattle's Greater University Chamber of Commerce.Giesa Communications is not only a responsible member of the collegiate community, we're a responsible member of your local community.

For more information about the Student Survival Kit, visit our sponsor page or call Rick at 425-503-2698 or Melissa at 425-503-3015.

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Rick and Melissa Giesa, Publishers