Spring Break
A gift from your 'Uncle E'
Coupons for you and profit for himself: Ephraim Rinsky '09 wrestles with Waltham businesses
by Hannah Edber
Features Editor
Features | 8/28/07
Posted online at 11:40 PM EST on 8/27/07
When he started thinking about the magazine he wanted to create, Ephraim Rinsky '09 used a simple business model: "Students are cheap."
By this standard, Rinsky's publication-which he calls Uncle E's Bargain Buyer-should be met with great success on the Brandeis campus. After all, it's essentially a book of coupons.
While many Brandeis students toiled in air conditioned offices this summer, Rinsky-a self proclaimed "straight shooter"-made his rounds in Waltham seeking financial support from local businesses. Rinsky worked with owners to create special coupons for Brandeis students, which he says will improve business for establishments while providing students with affordable pricing for a variety of different goods and services.
Rinsky also says his magazine will inform students about what's available to them beyond Brandeis borders.
"I didn't even go to Moody Street until I was a sophomore," Rinsky says. "I didn't know it was there. A lot of local businesses haven't made themselves necessarily available to students."
Rinsky believes that his magazine could be a good way to improve relations between students and these businesses. A magazine that runs coupons instead of ads, Rinsky says, might draw students in and will also allow businesses to track how affective the advertising scheme is.
"Obviously, then, the advertisement is worth it," Rinsky says, "whereas if it's a straight up advertisement [businesses] have no way of gauging how affective it is."
The first issue of Uncle E's Bargain Buyer, which is due back from the publisher Sept. 2, holds six pages of coupons between a colorful front and back cover filled with crosswords, horoscopes, games and a brief word from Rinsky himself.
"Students always get bombarded by advertisements," he explains. "People are always shoving things in your face. I tried to make this fun and interesting to read."
The process of creating his savvy publication begins with a meeting between Rinsky and the owner of a particular business. This first step is often hard to initiate, Rinsky says, because it's difficult to sell something that business owners can't see. Without a prototype to exhibit, Rinsky has to persuade potential clients with his business pitch alone. If Rinsky is successful in his first meeting, the owner signs a contract and provides him with a deposit worth 30 percent of the price of the advertisement.
By this standard, Rinsky's publication-which he calls Uncle E's Bargain Buyer-should be met with great success on the Brandeis campus. After all, it's essentially a book of coupons.
While many Brandeis students toiled in air conditioned offices this summer, Rinsky-a self proclaimed "straight shooter"-made his rounds in Waltham seeking financial support from local businesses. Rinsky worked with owners to create special coupons for Brandeis students, which he says will improve business for establishments while providing students with affordable pricing for a variety of different goods and services.
Rinsky also says his magazine will inform students about what's available to them beyond Brandeis borders.
"I didn't even go to Moody Street until I was a sophomore," Rinsky says. "I didn't know it was there. A lot of local businesses haven't made themselves necessarily available to students."
Rinsky believes that his magazine could be a good way to improve relations between students and these businesses. A magazine that runs coupons instead of ads, Rinsky says, might draw students in and will also allow businesses to track how affective the advertising scheme is.
"Obviously, then, the advertisement is worth it," Rinsky says, "whereas if it's a straight up advertisement [businesses] have no way of gauging how affective it is."
The first issue of Uncle E's Bargain Buyer, which is due back from the publisher Sept. 2, holds six pages of coupons between a colorful front and back cover filled with crosswords, horoscopes, games and a brief word from Rinsky himself.
"Students always get bombarded by advertisements," he explains. "People are always shoving things in your face. I tried to make this fun and interesting to read."
The process of creating his savvy publication begins with a meeting between Rinsky and the owner of a particular business. This first step is often hard to initiate, Rinsky says, because it's difficult to sell something that business owners can't see. Without a prototype to exhibit, Rinsky has to persuade potential clients with his business pitch alone. If Rinsky is successful in his first meeting, the owner signs a contract and provides him with a deposit worth 30 percent of the price of the advertisement.
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