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Kum & Go Crew....They Go
All Out
By Laura Angst
Kum &
Go proudly welcomes the Go Crew to Springfield. The Go Crew is a summer
promotion plan that runs from May 21 to August 15. The Go Crew consists of
16 teams located in nine different states (Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming, Arkansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota). Each
team has five to six members working the summer long campaign. Missouri
State Marketing students, Kayla AuBuchon and Courtney Roach,
are two members from the Springfield Go Crew team. The promotion is the first
initiative of its kind in the convenience store industry, and Roach and AuBuchon are excited to be a part of this event marketing phenomenon.
Kayla
AuBuchon, a native of Washington, Missouri, is a senior at Missouri State University majoring in Marketing,
with an emphasis in Advertising and Promotion. AuBuchon is also a member of Missouri State's
Marketing Club. After graduation in August 2006, she plans to move to St. Louis. AuBuchon
is the assistant leader of the Go Crew Team and helps oversee the team and
drive the Kum & Go car.
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AuBuchon laughs with a construction worker as she grabs him a cold
drink from the Go Crew Chevy HHR. |
Courtney Roach
is a graduate student at Missouri State pursuing a Master of Business
Administration with an emphasis in Marketing Management. Originally from
Arkansas City, Kansas, she graduated in May 2006 with her degree in
Marketing. She is a member of the Missouri State Marketing Club as well as
Beta Gamma Sigma honors business fraternity. Roach serves as the Go Crew
Team Leader. She oversees the team, and handles employee scheduling, payroll, event planning
and coordinating, expense tracking, inventory tracking, driving, and
maintaining the vehicle.
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"It's
really nice to have a job where it doesn't even feel like work because
you are having so much fun!"
Kayla AuBuchon |
Kum & Go is
owned by Krause Gentle, which is the company that also owns Liberty Bank.
Known for being a community leader, Krause Gentle gives
ten percent of profits back to the community.
The Kum & Go campaign is designed to drive customer count, inside sales,
gallons sold and brand recognition by sending highly energetic ambassadors
into the market place to interact with customers.
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The Go Crew teams up with radio station 100.5 The Wolf to promote Kum & Go. |
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Go Crew Team leader,
Courtney Roach, poses with the new Chevy HHR promotion vehicle. |
Go Crew delivers the "Ideal Customer Experience" at store locations by
offering coupons, samples and giveaways at community events. The team wants
to take the customer service received inside the Kum & Go stores out into the
community. Go Crew member
have a vehicle, a new maroon Chevy HHR, which they drive to all events. They service several markets including Springfield, Republic, Strafford,
Marshfield, Lebanon, and Joplin.
The Springfield Go Crew has been involved in numerous community events since
it began its promotional tour in May.
In June, the team participated in a fundraiser at Bass Pro Outdoor
World to benefit the Developmental Center of the Ozarks (DCO). They
helped sell beverages and took donations for a chance to win a party barge
donated by Bass Pro. The Crew also provided giveaways including frisbees,
koozies, hats, balloons, and coupons for discounts and Kum & Go stores.
AuBuchon comments, "Go Crew has allowed us to experience all Springfield has
to offer outside the normal college life."
The
team also assisted in The Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. Kum &
Go stores collected donations within stores for the Children’s Miracle
Network. The team members went live on the Telethon to present a check
for more than
$4,000 to the children's charity.
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"Go Crew has
taught us a lot more about
actual promotions that we didn't
necessarily cover in our classes."
Courtney Roach |
To celebrate the Fourth of July in style, the Go Crew participated in the
127th annual Marshfield Independence Day Parade. They
drove the Chevy HHR in the parade and handed
out giveaways to patrons throughout the parade.
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Courtney poses with children at the Marshfield rodeo after
passing out several promotional items. |
Roach, AuBuchon, and the other members also
attended the 'Cruisin’ for Kids' motorcycle rally to benefit Boys and
Girls Town as well as the 'Take a Ride for Kids' rally to benefit the Make
A Wish Foundation. Go Crew provided bottled water for the events and
handed out giveaways and coupons at both. They have also enjoyed
attending sports events at Springfield Raceway, Springfield BMX
Park, and local softball and baseball games.
In addition, Go Crew stops by construction sites at least once a week to deliver
ice cold beverages and coupons to workers. They also go to local area
businesses and radio stations to make promotional deliveries. Since this is the first year Kum
& Go has instituted the use of the promotional Go Crew, the success of this
first summer will determine if the program continues in future summers. AuBuchon comments, "It
has been a great experience and we are
all really excited to see the results of the Go Crew."
Be
sure to keep a lookout this summer for the Go Crew. They might just be
filling up your tank, offering you a cold drink, or just driving by. When
you see them, don’t forget to give them a friendly wave and honk.
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