Sta. Barbara student run Ad Agency adds new clients.

SB Media Group, a student-run advertising agency at the University of California, Santa Barbara, formerly known as AAF at UCSB, has recently signed a few large clients, including the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Santa Barbara Airport, and the Santa Barbara Waterfront, as well as smaller local businesses such as Fresh Start Café, Miss Behavin’, and the IV Liaison Office.

These clients have been added to the list of other businesses that are recognizing SB Media Group as a great vehicle to reach UCSB students. Each business has sought SB Media Group to complete various campaigns and projects. For instance, the Santa Barbara Zoo has hired the group to produce a television commercial to appeal to the students and attract them to the establishment.

The organization was founded in 2007 by Dmitriy Katsel. Now, with over 50 members, SB Media Group has become the nation’s largest student-run advertising agency, connecting outside businesses and organizations to the school and its students. “The group’s success is a result of hard work by members as well as a strong demand for advertising education from students,” said Katsel.

SB Media Group has also obtained exclusive privileges to advertise commercially on the otherwise highly restricted UCSB campus. In addition to having this special access, they also have a comprehensive first-hand knowledge of their target audience, being students themselves. In order to understand their target audience even more, they are in the process of adding a research team to run focus groups and conduct surveys.

In addition to taking on more clients, SB Media Group is taking on extra work by doing their own “Made You Look” promotional campaign, sponsoring an anti-sexual harassment campaign, and developing a long-term partnership with one of their other large clients, Wells Fargo.

The agency is dedicated to helping advance its members by giving them a real world experience comparable to that of a mid- to senior-level agency employee, while providing them with knowledge and industry connections. They have connected with over 20 major executives from the industry and have a guest speaker almost every week.