The Student Government Association executive board knew they had to do something to get their name out to the student population.

Help is now on its way as WKU’s American Marketing Association has partnered up with SGA to market the organization.

AMA President Currie Martin is a former SGA senator, and he knew promotion is one of the organization’s weaknesses.

“I knew exposure was one of their problems, and a lot of people did not know what went on in SGA,” Martin said. “I knew marketing majors and minors could help them out.”

SGA President Colton Jessie said it was a win-win situation to partner with AMA.

“It seemed like a good opportunity to help us out with our public relations and to help them out by giving them actual experience in marketing a plan for an actual organization,” he said.

SGA passed a bill at its last meeting that gives AMA $885, which they will use to purchase 500 Koozies and 500 keychain bottle openers. Those items will have the SGA logo on them and the phone number for Provide-a-Ride, one of SGA’s services.

Wade Pierce, SGA administrative vice president, said they have many plans to distribute these materials to students.

“We will have them in the office, but we will also be passing them out at tailgating events,” Pierce said. “We also thought it would be a good idea to have them set up at Hilligans or where people go and drink.”

Jessie said that after Martin showed him the initial plan, he knew it was something that SGA should do.

“It looked really good, so we just went with it,” Jessie said. “We want to be more prevalent on campus, and they are doing a good job of helping us achieve that goal.”

Pierce and Martin are both in Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and Pierce said the relationship he has with Martin was a large reason he supported the partnership.

“Knowing Currie on a personal basis was a big contributing factor,” Pierce said. “I trust him, and I trust his ideas that he was giving to us.”

Martin has high hopes for this project and has already begun working on a new marketing plan.

“We are drawing them up a strategy, and we plan on implementing that strategy, so they can take it as it is,” Martin said.

Pierce said he hopes the partnership with AMA will continue into the future.

“They have some really good ideas of getting our name out there,” he said. “The materials we will be handing out is hopefully just the beginning.”

Jessie said the materials should arrive in the next couple weeks, and they will begin their distribution soon after.