The Rochester Every Day program has teamed up with over 100 Rochester area businesses as well as the Rochester Transit Service bus system, providing UR students with “off-campus social options.”
While RED has great potential to create a successful connection between campus and the city, many students are unaware of the discounts that this program has to offer.
The program includes businesses that many students frequent. Neither RED nor these businesses make an active effort to advertise their participation to students.
However, there are many ways to improve communication between students and businesses.
The UR Cinema Group has had success with offering a wallet-sized card that lists their movie times for the semester. RED could create a similar, fold-out card that lists discounts from businesses.
The Web site can also be improved to help the RED program’s popularity. Currently, it only lists businesses in alphabetical order. It could be improved by cross-listing each business by category and bus routes, allowing students to quickly access information about the program.
During Freshman Orientation week, all freshmen were required to participate in a day devoted to exploring Rochester through the RED program.
This program was very effective in familiarizing freshmen with the Rochester area. It is important that students feel comfortable in leaving campus and become associated with the available options for off-campus activities.
These outings could become regular events, featuring different businesses every week. With a more creative public relations campaign, RED will receive more attention from students, gaining credibilty as program that’s here to stay.
