Newspaper for college Greeks in rush to hire

A publisher of newspapers and digital content delivered to fraternity and sorority houses nationwide plans to add 15 jobs at its northwest-side headquarters over the next two months.

Olympia Media Group, whose weekly newspaper The Odyssey can be found at 39 universities, is expanding to new markets and redesigning its content for Web, mobile and tablet formats.

The company is increasing the size of its editorial staff and adding designers and a campus marketing manager. “Millennial content and marketing company hiring for cultural fit—fraternity and sorority alumni need apply,” Olympia wrote in its jobs announcement. It plans to hire at least 10 of those new employees in the next two weeks.

The company launched by two Indiana University students in 2009 now employs more than 20 people at 5201 W. 86th St. Circulation is estimated at more than 250,000 readers.

Last month, Olympia struck a partnership with Chicago-based SceneTap, a tech firm that provides real-time foot traffic and demographic analysis for the nightlife and hospitality industry. That data also is available through an app for consumers to gauge crowd size, gender and age demographics of their favorite watering hole at any given moment.

The partnership could drive revenue for Olympia and help SceneTap tap into Olympia’s knowledge of the Greek community in dozens of college towns.

“We are doing a rapid expansion as well as some national partnerships,” said Adrian France, chief creative officer of Olympia, who co-founded the company with Evan Burns, the CEO, at IU.

"Olympia will serve as an extension of SceneTap into college markets,” Burns said last month. “Not only are we offering SceneTap to our local advertising partners, but we will also be running SceneTap’s college marketing campaign with a hyper-local strategy. Our goal is to bring an innovative marketing service to our local partners while providing valuable information to our audience.”

In 2011, the company had more than $2 million in revenue, although France and Burns declined to elaborate on current financials.

Olympia’s initial financial backers included Harlan Bakeries executive Doug Harlan and Indianapolis marketer and fundraiser Wade Garard.

Much of the editorial content is produced by writers at college campuses, sometimes earning credit toward their degrees. Olympia employs an ad sales team that works on commission. It targets a wide base of retailers and other companies interested in reaching college-age consumers.

The Odyssey circulates at several of Indiana’s largest universities, such as IU and Purdue. Its growing national footprint includes Michigan State University, University of Florida and Texas Tech.