After several meetings with Missouri Students Association representatives, Campus Dining Services has made minor changes to its marketing of the Tiger Plan.
Last semester, MSA showed concern about the misleading messages CDS used when marketing for the plan.
“Originally, there wasn’t enough advertising as to where to use the Tiger Plan, how to spend your money properly to come out on top or at least to break even,” said Hunter Windholz, MSA’s Campus and Community Relations Committee chairman. “That advertising for it just wasn’t there.”
CDS updated its landing page on the website to include “How to Maximize the Tiger Plan Value” and “Breaking Down the Tiger Plan.” Both pages explain where students can go to get the most value out of the plan. CDS also organized a focus group to get the feedback of five students who used the Tiger Plan last semester.
“The feedback was very positive,” CDS marketing manager Mike Wuest said in an email. “We learned students primarily ate in central campus (around the Student Center). Flexibility of where they could dine was really important. We learned that students only eat in the dining halls when they have time, so that’s why the Tiger Plan worked best for their schedule.”
Students who signed up for the Tiger Plan will receive weekly emails from CDS clarifying how to use the plan, as well as a monthly balance email tracking where students are spending their money.
Despite marketing changes, Tiger Plan users continue to swipe most frequently at Mort’s and Mizzou Market Hitt Street dining locations, according to CDS plan data. Mort’s and Mizzou Market are a-la-carte locations. For users of the Tiger Plan to save money on the plan, they need to eat at a-la-carte locations for only 17 percent of their meals.
“The data hasn’t changed much, unfortunately most students are still eating at the Hitt Street Mizzou Market,” Windholz said. “[CDS Director Julaine Kiehn] justified this as the Subway being there, and the $5 foot-long becomes a $4 foot-long. There’s high traffic in Mort’s and Plaza 900 right behind the Mizzou Market. Ideally, you’d want to see Plaza on top.”
CDS says it plans to continue meeting with the Tiger Plan focus group to monitor the plan’s success with students.
“MSA is on board with the progression of the Tiger Plan that we have seen thus far,” Windholz said. “We are still hoping to see the signs advertising the specific percentage off for each of the dining locations go up.”
CDS plans to continue the Tiger Plan next year.
_Edited by Emily Gallion | egallion@themaneater.com_