Elliot Pak (Economics ’18), met with David Vinjamuri (Left) about his venture, Drake’s Place | October 18, 2018

On Thursday, October 18th, David Vinjamuri provided insight on branding and marketing to four WashU venture teams at our inaugural Expert Hours.

David Vinjamuri is a consultant on branding and social media, working with corporate brands such as Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson. He currently writes the Brand Truth column for Forbes online and is a professor at New York University. Additionally, Vinjamuri is a published author, having written Accidentally Branding: How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Brands and Operator.

Expert Hours with David Vinjamuri were held for two hours, where four WashU venture teams had the privilege of spending 30 minutes with Vinjamuri one-on-one. Students were able to ask questions and receive advice about how to improve their ventures’ branding and marketing.

One of the students who met with David was Elliot Pak (Economics ’18). Pak’s venture is Drake’s Place, an upscale dining experience in Ferguson, MO, that provides premier service and food at an affordable price.

“[Vinjamuri] helped clarify the best way to go about marketing plans,” Pak commented, “The venture I work with is a small business, and in order to get our name out, David suggested that we do client-focused marketing and partner with local businesses instead of going promotional. He was definitely really helpful and I appreciated his advice!”