Advertising
The Harvard Crimson is the nation’s oldest continuously published daily college newspaper and the only daily publication of Cambridge, Massachusetts. We work with advertisers ranging from national companies to local businesses, from student recruiters to advertising agencies.
​
The media and advertising industry is a constantly changing landscape, and our business team is focused on innovative advertising solutions to stay ahead of the curve and deliver results to our clients.
The Harvard Crimson Business Board
.png)
Our Structure
On the Harvard Crimson Business Board, our organization is run by an executive board consisting of the Business Manager, two Associate Business Managers, and two Directors of Staff Development.
This executive board oversees the managers and associates of the Business Board's three distinct departments: Advertising, Programs, and Strategy.
Our Departments
​Global Programs
​
The Programs branch of The Harvard Crimson prepares and executes educational programs for high school students primarily focused on journalism and business. Our mission is to raise the next generation of writers, thinkers, and innovators by delivering high-quality curriculum and mentorship that will enable students to recognize their full potential. We design our events to be accessible to students of all experience levels, ensuring an inclusive environment for learning and growth.
​
Since our inception in 2014, we have successfully reached over 7,000 students through more than 10 distinct programs. Our offerings range from international conferences hosted in four different countries to native conferences held at our very own building, 14P, along with global writing and business competitions.
​
The Programs team powers the success of our initiatives through a dynamic workflow that includes curating tailored curriculum for varying experience levels, building lasting relationships with global partners, securing sponsorships, managing conference logistics, and coordinating with industry experts to serve as judges and speakers.
​
Advertising
​
The Advertising department of The Harvard Crimson is responsible for coordinating client relationships to monetize all of The Crimson’s core content, accounting for over 70% of The Crimson’s operating revenue. The department has a tight-knit community of 15-20 members that meet weekly to coordinate pitch sprints, develop client relationships, and discuss team strategy.
The Advertising team is responsible for closing contracts and ensuring the delivery of the Crimson’s broad suite of advertising products including standard newsprint, the website, email newsletter, social media, on-campus digital news display, and sponsored content.
​
The Crimson is the most direct way for companies to reach the entire Harvard community including students, faculty, alumni, and parents. Whether it be to share consumer products with a national audience or recruit Harvard undergraduates for internships and career opportunities, our diverse product suite creates room for creative and effective campaigns.
Advertising Associates reach out to hundreds of companies per month, negotiate high-value contracts, and build long-term client relationships with local, national, and international companies such as Adobe, Uber Eats, D.E. Shaw, and Citadel.
​
Strategy
​​
The Strategy Department of the Crimson Business Board ensures that all of the analytic, design, and business development needs of the Crimson are met. With regard to analytics, the Strategy department assumes a support role for the Advertising and Programs departments; we utilize platforms such as Salesforce to synthesize data that drive insights we utilize to interdepartmental performance. With regard to design, the Strategy Department curates professional designs as part of our sponsored content and social media advertising. Finally, with regard to business development, the Strategy Department constantly develops new initiatives for the Crimson to generate new, unique sources of revenue.
Some examples of past projects across all three areas:
Analytics: A Pricing/Seasonality Analysis of our Advertising Product Suite (Digital News Displays, Facebook Campaigns, Print Advertisements) to determine when to pitch products and at what price points these products are best sold.
Design: Sponsored Content Pieces for TaiwanPlus (a large broadcasting company based out of Taiwan) and advertisements for The Coop.
Business Development: Publishing editions of 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, collaborating with Crimson Multimedia to determine a pricing structure for all Crimson Media, and maintaining and expanding the Crimson's merchandise store.
Testimonials
Allison Mi '27, Strategy Associate
​
It’s no doubt that my time on the Business Board has been a highlight of my college experience. More specifically, I have adored my time on Strategy — the work we do is like a choose your own adventure. Any idea I have, no matter how small or sudden, the team supports me to make it happen.
For me, I first witnessed this open mindedness, “yes, and” supportive energy when I wanted to sign our first event sponsor and create a new advertisement product through event opportunities. Every year, The Crimson hosts a party to celebrate St. Paddy’s — one of our biggest events of the year, where 500-700 students attend throughout the course of the night. In other words, this was the perfect event for high visibility, an attractive trait for advertisement products. Though I had no experience with event sponsors and was amongst the newest members of the team, the Strategy team showed me that would not be an obstacle in letting me lead this project — all I needed was an idea.
In the thick of finals, an upperclassman kindly took me under her wing to create a timeline for reaching out and provided guidance on how and who to pitch to. In the New Year, I began pitching for an event sponsor product. During the hiccups along the way or when the project was stagnating, another Strategy team member would always be present to share takeaways and advice. In the end, we signed a $2K deal with a beverage company. Not only was the product successful at the event, the company expressed curiosity about future event sponsoring opportunities with us. Strategy’s flexibility, support, and innovative structure allowed me to not only sign an event sponsor, but also set the tone for a new product to grow over the coming years.
​
Nigel Savage '27, Programs Associate
​
When I joined The Crimson, I was surprised by how quickly I was able to dive in and contribute meaningfully. My first project involved establishing a new partnership with Asdan to create a joint conference. We handled everything from drafting the contract to curating the content and managing every detail in between. This experience of collaborating with a strong, fun, and capable team to tackle real-world business challenges was exactly what I sought from The Crimson Business Board.
It wasn't always easy, but I can confidently say that I have grown tremendously in less than a year. This project was particularly special to me because I not only helped plan it, but I also stayed over the summer to help run it. To me, this embodies what The Crimson is all about: creating and executing. These two skills are crucial in business and are precisely what you develop most on The Business Board.
Overall, I’ve loved my time with this organization and look forward to growing even more in the future.
​
Eric Li '25, Social Chair
​
The social committee of the Crimson Business Board plays a vital role in fostering community, engagement, and morale within the organization. As a social chair, I am responsible for organizing opportunities to uplift the Crimson Business community and thinking outside the box to introduce new social events. This can be anything from weekly “Happy Hours” where people can come and debrief about their week, to BBQs on the rooftop!
​
Other key responsibilities include coordinating logistics such as running errands, arranging transportation, managing budgets, and making sure we always have snacks and beverages in stock. The social committee often collaborates with other members and listens to what they want to see more of in order to host events that are inclusive and fun for everyone on the Business Board.
​
Janna Habibulla '27, Advertising Associate
​
My experience in the advertising department has improved my overall professional skills while providing me with one of the best communities on campus.
Joining this department during my freshman fall allowed me to gain tangible business experience right from the start. Within my first few weeks of being in the department, I was already able to get on advertising calls with business professionals and negotiate deals with large companies.
As a member of the advertising department, I find my work to be extremely rewarding as our hard work is directly tangible to the success of the business. I take pride in knowing that I am able to play a major role in overall success for the business.
However, the most rewarding part is the community. Everyone in the advertising department is constantly supporting and uplifting each other to achieve a common goal. Each week during meetings whenever someone rings the bell, which symbolizes closing a deal, there is a shared sense of community and support from everyone in the room celebrating each other's accomplishments. This positive atmosphere is evident in the hard work that goes into the advertising department. We are not only passionate about the work we are doing, but the people we are doing it with.