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Showcasing the People Behind Venku [SkIP 2020]

Rachel Colligan (BSBA '22)
August 7, 2020
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My name is Rachel Colligan, and I’m a rising junior studying Political Science, Writing, and Business at WashU. This summer, I’m doing marketing work with Venku, the fastest-growing online marketplace for discovering and booking outdoor experiences like hunting, fishing, and glamping. Even though the worldwide economy has nearly come to a standstill over the past several months, the outdoors segment has exploded as people safely escape outdoors. Venku also recently went through a name change and added new features to the website. With this and the pandemic, it has been an exciting summer of change and learning!

The company name changed about halfway through my time with Venku. Once the name changed, we started a blog, worked on partnerships, and ramped up our marketing. After that, it was full steam ahead for growth and getting our name out there.

The people at Venku are incredible. Everyone has their own unique passion for the outdoors, whether that be owning land, hunting all over the country, or fishing around Missouri rivers and streams. Not to mention the hundreds of hosts on the platform, many of whom are Coast-Guard Certified Captains or hold degrees in Wildlife Management.

Research shows that most people don’t want to hear the corporate mumbo-jumbo of traditional advertising–they want something more authentic and realistic. As a Gen Z consumer myself, I can relate to this! More and more companies are sharing behind-the-scenes information about their business to relate to consumers. And I think this trend is a good thing since it creates more transparency around values and standards in the marketplace.

Therefore, when I was planning the direction for our social media, I wanted to show the people behind Venku. Even though it’s easier to use stock photos to curate a perfect social media feed, it’s more meaningful to share real moments and real people. (Although I admit, I used some stock photos too!) One of my favorite projects was creating a host highlight for our Instagram story. It has photos, fun facts, locations, and a preview of the offerings from each host. They’re not “Instagram perfect,” but they’re real and informative and show the “behind the scenes” view of Venku.

Image credit: A Venku Blog Post

The new blog is another way to share the people and values behind Venku — and to provide value rather than only selling. I’ve written almost a dozen articles so far, ranging from topics like women in fly fishing to good fishing trips for kids. I’ve interviewed the editor-in-chief of a fly fishing magazine, a dog trainer, and a Venku team member who happens to be an expert hunter. The blog post above was one of my favorites this summer. A Venku team member recently took a road trip to Colorado, and she let me recycle her amazing photos and detailed itinerary for a blog post. Since the blog post was published, it has been one of our most high-traffic posts.

With the internship coming to a close, I am so grateful to Venku and the Skandalaris Center for this opportunity. Even though I was initially apprehensive about a completely virtual format, the program was wonderful. Working in a startup, there is no “day-to-day” since you’re doing new things every day. It’s been the most incredible opportunity to try new things, learn from my mistakes, and gain confidence. I hope that I was able to make a positive change at Venku, and I can’t wait to see where the company grows in the future!