Kaitlyn Silk and Serena Ranganathan are mixing business with pleasure this semester at the University of Maryland, as they are the first Victoria’s Secret PINK ambassadors on campus.
The Campus Rep internship is a yearlong position where Campus Reps “will receive marketing, public relations, and event planning experience,” according to Victoria’s Secret PINK’s website.
Silk, a junior kinesiology major, obtained the position after she emailed VS PINK about the opportunity, mentioning that the university did not have a line or a Campus Rep and if it were something they would begin. She was contacted shortly after that with an email thanking me for giving them the idea and asking to set up an interview.
An associate of VS PINK held a Skype interview with Silk to ask her a few questions about her involvement on campus, what the brand means to her and why she was interested.
“I think that a lot of students wanted PINK at Maryland, especially with a Collegiate Collection. It was something fun for me to do while learning about working and representing an international company,” Silk said.
Silk received a congratulatory email from the associate two weeks later and said her involvement on campus, specifically in the Greek community, and her access to resources to help spread the word about PINK on our campus were what made her stand out.
Silk and Ranganathan, a junior business major, were sent out to VS headquarters for three days over the summer to learn about the brand, their responsibilities and to have fun.As an ambassador, Silk plans events to engage students on campus with the brand. This includes partnering up with sororities to talk about the brand and hand out PINK items. The ambassadors also have giveaways on Twitter or Instagram where they will usually ask followers to post a picture of them showing their Maryland Pride or how much they love VS PINK. They frequently take surveys and give designers at Victoria’s Secret their own feedback so the company can find ways to improve.
“I’m a huge PINK fan because the clothes are soft and cute! I love the PINK Maryland gear. I would love it if there were more styles to choose from like other schools!” Lexie Elise, junior behavioral and community health major, said.
One of the most recent events VS PINK UMD held was an in-store event at Prince Georges Plaza to launch the new Campus Bra. Students who came received scratch offs to win either $5 or $10 off a purchase or even a free bra. Six lucky winners also got $50 gift cards.
The other event held this semester was a Welcome Week event where a table was set up with freebies and information about VS PINK UMD’s social media at the Fall Welcome “Terp Market” event in Stamp.
Not all the details have been planned, but VS PINK UMD is having a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show viewing party on December 9, which is considered “the sexiest night on television.”
Silk said she has received feedback from the girls saying they love freebies and giveaways from events and social media challenges, along with the new merchandise in stores. She is excited to see university students as excited about PINK as the ambassadors and street team are.
The street team, which was put together by Silk and Ranganathan at the beginning of the semester, consists of seven students of different grades and majors. Silk said the girls on a street team love the brand and many of them have interest in this field for a future career.
While Elise likes the idea of having VS PINK ambassadors on campus, she believes there should be more diversity within the people who lead it and help with the street team. She attended one of this semester’s events but left early because there was not much diversity, which Elise believes is important to have at a university that prides itself on diversity and unity in cultures.
Elise hopes “VS PINK will be more inclusive in the future whether it’s adding more diversity to their street team or making it less intimidating for minority women at events.”
Along with planning events, Silk said the other perks of being an ambassador, such as the trip to headquarters and weekly freebies are her favorite part. Not only is she having fun, but she is also gaining experience in many different aspects.
“We love doing it and hope that the interest for PINK at Maryland grows each semester. We hope to gain a big enough following for VS Pink to begin selling our apparel online and maybe even coming to the school for fun events and promotions,” Silk said.