Adweek

At Texas A&M University, knowledge comes with a larger responsibility: to put it to work. Through an educational experience grounded in learning, leadership, and service, Aggies are encouraged not simply to understand the world, but to engage with it, applying what they know to solve problems, strengthen communities, and improve the lives of others.

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Audrey Kemp brings together R. Ethan Braden, VP and CMCO at Texas A&M University, and Tyler Merrick, founder and CEO of Joyride, to explore how very different brands can turn authentic storytelling and bold marketing decisions into measurable growth.

According to R. Ethan Braden, vp and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M, blue ocean opportunities consist of large, live, emotionally engaging cultural moments with attentive people in an environment where higher education is largely absent. This is the gap Texas A&M wants to exploit; it wants to go beyond a typical university sponsorship and position itself as a modern consumer brand launching a fully integrated national campaign.