Originally run out of a post office box and an answering service, JCA now has a good-sized office replete with a FAX number and a Telex machine. Chung says he doesn't have to meet his clients in the airport hotel anymore.
The Big Time
While Aiken works with Chung on those two areas, Chung's partner, George Krause '88, takes care of the administrative tasks for the college market consulting work. Chung says his college marketing work is quite distinct from the ski trip industry.
For example, JCA's college marketing branch is now working in the airline industry, Chung says. One of the firm's clients, which he calls simply "a trans-Pacific airline," has hired the firm to target the college market nationally.
"They know students are a distinct and extremely price-sensitive market," Chung says, "but they can't afford to just lower their fares across the board, so they hire us to determine what student fares should be and how to target them, without letting, say business travelers, also catch on." JCA's job is not to get students to fly more often but also to make sure that they fly the client's planes. The firm also determines how to handle promotion and ticket distribution, Chung says.
The firm is fairly unique in its approach to college marketing schemes. Most firms put ads in campus newspapers and magazines, but JCA actively advertises for students using a variety of marketing techniques.
In order to reach out to other campuses across the United States, Chung hires campus coordinators "on-a-project basis." Rather than using passive media, such as blanket campus newspaper advertising, JCA targets specific groups on specific campuses and has the campus coordinators determine what would be a wise strategy for that school. He says: "We try to evaluate what our clients' advantages are and which groups on campus would be the most likely targets and how to target those groups."
One of JCA's interesting active advertising features is sports marketing, which uses athletically-tied promotions. Sports marketing works especially well with college students, who are generally more active and athletic than the general population, Chung says. JCA develops programs where students participate in athletic events against other schools or student groups for fun. These events are sponsored by Chung's client.
Business has been good recently, Chung says. He reports that JCA has been able to be fairly discriminate about which clients they take. The firm has a policy not to take on any beer companies because only 25 percent of the college market is of age to use the product. Recently, JCA picked up the account of a national promotion for a "major watch manufacturer" who is releasing a new line. Chung says that the manufacturer has already done testing in 29 college markets and that JCA will try 30 more during the summer.
Due to the firm's uniqueness, clients do not approach Chung and say "we are considering you for this account along with these other firms," but rather must decide whether they wish to actively target the college market in the special JCA way.
Chung says his special methods require, more than anything else, a good deal of brainstorming. "We try to sit down and figure out what would capture our attention and then we call people on other campuses and ask them what they think would be most effective," says Chung.
Between brainstorming, meeting with clients and training part-time employees, how does Chung manage to do his school work? Well, for one thing Chung majors is a special concentration on organization and management.
After originally concentrating in Economics, Chung turned to Organization Studies as a special concentration at the beginning of his sophomore year because he could not handle Economics 1010 and 1325. "I dreaded Economics as a major because they make all these assumptions about humans being rational and self-interested," he said, adding "I know I'm not like that."
Chung says the field of Organizational Studies has a more human outlook than Economics. And Chung plans to write a thesis on the effects of the airline industry's consolidation on its employees.
Professor Philip J. Stone III, Chung's faculty advisor for Organizational Studies, says that this young businessman is generally on time and well-prepared for tutorial. But Stone adds, from time to time he comes into class late after meeting with airline representatives in New York. "James has had experience running a company in high school so it isn't really a problem for him," said Stone.
Stone also doesn't think Chung will have any difficulty in finding the time to write a thesis. "It's okay to simply study Organizational Behavior, but it's better if you have first-hand experience like James," said Stone.
On top of all that, Chung has found time to work with Student Productions Association (SPA), but he says that, due to time constraints, the upcoming Elvis Costello concert will be his last job with SPA. Although he doesn't particularly enjoy the music industry, Chung has put a lot of time into the concert. "I had to take about a month off of work to work on the concert," he says, "but I hope it works out well and Harvard will have more concerts."
Success is no stranger to James Chung. He was recently named a finalist in the Time Achievement Awards and he maintains a position on Senator Dole's campaign. But the true measure of James Chung's fortunes is the fact that one of the proposed Cabot House t-shirt designs for this year alludes to him by name. The slogan reads: "Everybody James Chung Tonight."