Using Advertising for Social Good
How advertising management student, Josh Cooper, is innovating in the advertising industry
By Mark Pipp
Student Transportation Photo Credit: Michigan State University
Traditionally college students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to their careers post-graduation. Advertising management junior, Josh Cooper, is bucking the trend. He’s the founder and CEO of Skoop, a taxi service with a twist. Taking a ride in Skoop pedicabs is free for riders thanks to the digital advertisements on each vehicle.
Cooper says he has always been fascinated by digital advertising, which led to his initial idea to, “create a cheaper alternative to rideshare services while leveraging the power of digital advertising for social good.” The social good being the free rides his company provides to people who need them.
Cooper started the business before he was an advertising management student and wishes he could have gained knowledge from valuable AD+PR coursework prior.
“Those classes would’ve been super beneficial. I’ve kind of had to learn how media is bought and sold on my own so it would’ve been great to have that skill,” said Cooper.
Cooper said that a huge benefit of the AD+PR department is the emphasis on experiential learning. He says the knowledge he has gained by using concepts from his advertising classes in Skoop has been more beneficial than traditional classroom-only learning. He also said that this has helped him feel more engaged in his classes since he is applying what he is learning in the classroom to his business. In turn, he’s also applying is own business acumen in classes.
Cooper also said that he wanted his business to give back to the community via free rides and is proud that Skoop is able to leverage the power of advertising to do that. He has even noticed other companies are starting to use similar models, and he is happy to see more companies using advertising for good rather than purely for profit.
For more information on Skoop pedicabs, check out skoop.ditigal.