Advertising

Flyering

Student organizations may flyer around campus as long as they follow all policies and procedures outlined by individual department and building policy, and as outlined in the Essential Policies for the Columbia Community. Student organizations are further subject to New York City ordinances when flyering off-campus. Please contact your local police precinct if you have a question or concern about off-campus flyering. Student groups should also be aware that placing flyers on pavement or ground is a hazard for individuals living with disabilities, and will be removed promptly by Columbia University staff.

Publication Advertising Policy

Advertising in student publications and soliciting advertisements for your student group publication can be an excellent way of increasing your financial resources. With many publications  competing for advertising revenue, being well-prepared and thoughtful in creating a strategy is essential. Some helpful hints for putting together the best strategy for your publication include:

Have current statistics ready including:

• Distribution amounts and locations
• Population demographics 
• Publication Frequency 
• Relevant or timely themes/issue/articles and targeting specific businesses

Also, consider the following principles:

• Make it Easy to Say “Yes” – Businesses, especially small local ones, will respond better to clear and simple information. Have a handout sheet ready which will include information about demographics and distribution, timelines and standard ad sizes as well as acceptable formats for submissions. You most likely will want to include the price of each advertisement on this sheet. Also include contact information should they have questions.

• Pricing – Are your prices competitive? Come up with a good pricing structure that will serve your needs but still remain attractive to businesses. Think about whether you would benefit from offering volume discounts.

• Be timely – Provide enough lead time for the business to review your materials and prepare an ad. Be clear as to deadlines and publication dates. Think about when other publications are seeking advertising dollars and when businesses might have more or less of them available.

With all of that in mind, there are some rules which must be followed in soliciting and running advertisements in your publication:

• All monies collected must be deposited into your Undergraduate Student Life account 

Advertisements placed in student group publications:

• may not support or promote illegal activities including but not limited to the sale and/or use of illicit drugs.
• may not promote or encourage the consumption of alcohol. 
• may not promote for-profit gambling ventures.
• may not include sexually explicit images or content.

Student leaders are encouraged to consider the impact of any advertisement on the Columbia Community, especially in cases where there is reason to believe the running of this advertisement might be incendiary. If there is any question regarding the ramifications of accepting an advertisement, group leaders are encouraged to discuss the matter with their Undergraduate Student Life adviser.  Please note, if publication leaders or their Undergraduate Student Life adviser deem the advertisement inappropriate, the group may be responsible to refund any fees collected for the specific advertisement or accept a mutually agreed upon replacement for the unacceptable advertisement.

By planning a strategy, maintaining clear communication,  staying aware of your target audience and role in the community, your publication can successfully use advertising to support and enhance your group’s activities.