Hale, who majored in strategic communications and media analytics, is learning a broad range of skills as a “PR agency on wheels” for the popular hot dog maker.
Shreveport, Louisiana. That’s the city that stands out the most among the many Alex Hale ’19 has visited since starting his new marketing job in June.
It was in Shreveport that he and his colleague met members of a wedding party and hatched a plan. Hale’s work vehicle would serve as the “getaway” car following the nuptials the following day.
What was he driving? The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
That’s right — Hale is midway through his year-long appointment as a “hotdogger,” spreading the word about Oscar Mayer’s signature hotdogs around the country while piloting the popular and hard-to-miss Wienermobile.
The job is a perfect fit for Hale, an outgoing Atlanta native who graduated from Elon in May with a degree in strategic communications and media analytics. The year-long appointment has provided him an avenue to hone his marketing, sales and media relations skills while also providing a path — and a distinctive vehicle — to see large swaths of America.
“I love the idea of travel, and you’re getting to drive a piece of Americana. That’s so unique and cool, and you’re getting paid to do it,” Hale said. “And who wouldn’t want to drive a giant hotdog?”
Landing a spot as a “Wienermobile Spokesperson” (the more formal title for his role as hotdogger) has long been a goal for Hale, and he worked during his college career to position himself for the opportunity. While at Elon, he worked with the student-run marketing agency Live Oak Communications and also participated as a host on “Win Stuff,” a program on the student-run television production organization ESTV.
But it was an internship with a local company, the San Giuseppe Salami Co., that provided the real-world experience in marketing and customer relations he would later leverage when applying with Oscar Mayer and out on the road as a spokesperson. Hale’s internship paved the way for him to move into the role of marketing manager.
As marketing manager, he overhauled packaging design for Elon-based San Giuseppe, which relies heavily on its mail-order business. He bolstered its e-commerce site, which resulted in a three-fold increase in online sales.
When it came time to apply with Oscar Mayer, he mailed a box of San Giuseppe products with his application, highlighting his unique experience in the industry. “You can’t ignore a box of cured meat, at least not for very long,” Hale said.
After winning one of 12 hotdogger spots for the year, Hale attended “Hot Dog High” at the company’s office in Madison, Wisconsin, in June 2019 to learn the ins and outs of media relations, social media, event planning and management and, of course, how to drive the Wienermobile.
“I think Elon very much values and emphasizes relationships, and that’s a lot of what this job will be,” Hale said after completing his training last summer. “It’s building relationships with consumers and creating relationships between a hot dog manufacturer and those who buy hot dogs.”
The 12 hotdoggers travel in pairs, with six Wienermobiles on the road around the country. They participate in fairs, parades, store openings and other public events. They make pitches to media and routinely appear on television broadcasts. As Hale found, they even serve as “getaway” drivers for newlyweds.
“There are times I forget I’m driving a hot dog until I see people waving and hear them honking,” Hale said.
From June through the end of the year, Hale and his partner covered the South, and with the start of 2020, shifted to the Atlantic Coast. Hale said he and his partner are essentially a public relations agency on wheels, which has helped him hone a broad range of marketing and communications skills.
“It’s been great, being in a new city every week,” Hale said in January as he shifted to his new territory. “It’s all about spreading miles and miles of smiles, and it’s fun to have a job where people are genuinely happy to see you.”