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Marketing Idea With No Strings Attached

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By KENNETH KNIGHT

kknight@tampatrib.com

Published: April 1, 2009

TAMPA PALMS - When Josh Porche signed up for Marcia Rivers' marketing class, the Freedom High senior knew he would have to start a business, but he was determined to try something fun.

He wanted to explore a project that represented his generation. So, Porche, his friends and classmates strapped on guitars and began to dance around.

They decided to become guitar heroes.

They have been rocking out to the music video game during their school lunch breaks for the past two weeks.

"I know a lot of kids play 'Guitar Hero,'

" said Porche, who is the chairman of Rivers' first period business project committee.

Porche also is a big fan of the best-selling music video game series that gives music lovers a chance to showcase their instrument-playing skills with fast-pace energy.

Each player uses a mock guitar with colored buttons to simulate playing lead or bass guitar. The more each player can match the buttons on the guitar to those on the screen and strum in time to the music the higher the score. The game now features entire bands.

Porche, 17, of Lutz, said he approached Rivers weeks ago, uncertain how she would accept his proposal. To his surprise, Porche learned his teacher was considering a similar idea. They agreed to let the game begin.

Each school morning Porche and his marketing classmates set up two television monitors and a large folding table on a concrete pad next to Rivers' classroom and the school bookstore, also known as the PX. Students pay $1 per song to play.

"The idea was we can bring all the kids together, make some money and have some fun," Porche said.

By noon March 25 the student enterprise had raised about $150 from practice sessions and more was expected as the deadline for a "Guitar Hero" tournament with a $5 entry fee neared.

Joe Mecca, 18 and a senior, spent most of his 40-minute break strumming the guitar to the beat of the game. His score averaged about 115,000 points. He was fairly certain he would enter the tournament March 26-27. Eleven teams had registered by March 25.

Mecca admits he craves the attention.

"The thrill of having people around you ... is the reason why we want to do it," he said.

Mecca, a student in Rivers' fifth-period marketing class, said he was learning how to run a business and earning community service points as a volunteer at the video game tournament table.

Tommy Kiger, 18 and a senior, said his play was a bit rusty but it wasn't a big deal.

"I just do this for fun," he said. "I haven't played in a while. I hit most of the notes."

When Mecca and Kiger were done, James Joyner, a 16-year-old sophomore from West Meadows, sat down with a laser focus on the screen until he racked up more than 200,000. Joyner said he had played the video game nearly every day.

"I like to support my fellow students, but it's really fun" too, he said.

Organizers were disappointed not as many girls had given it a try as they had hoped.

"We have had about four girls to participate," Porche said. "We thought we would have all types of people who would play because everybody likes 'Guitar Hero.'

"

The money will be used for Distributed Education Clubs of America (DECA) activities, an end-of-school year banquet, the Patriot Exchange bookstore and Relay for Life, a fundraiser to fight cancer.

Rivers said her marketing students are required to thoroughly research their business models. They must also develop a marketing campaign.

Rivers credits all of her marketing students with making business fundraiser as success, but acknowledged Porche, Seth Banberry and Taneisha Torres for being driving forces behind the project.

Seth Banberry, a 15-year-old freshman from Lutz, created commercials to advertise the event on the school television station. Torres, 18, and a senior who lives in North Tampa, handled the money and helped publicize the tournament by posting signs and fliers and developing newspaper and online advertisements.

Torres said she will walk away wiser for the experience.

"I have learned you have to be creative," she said.

Porche said although the work has been hard, he was thrilled to give students a break from school work. It has been the kind of entrepreneurial endeavor he could enjoy.

He plans to launch a John Madden video game tournament this week as well as continue offering "Guitar Hero" practice sessions.

"I've learned a lot of marketing skills, met a lot of new people and enjoyed working with a lot of cool people," Porche said.

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842.

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