Capturing the College Market

College students are a massive demographic and consist mostly of 18 -24 year olds. Since college students are geographically stagnant for 4 – 5 years, a business has a lot of time to develop branding and marketing aimed specifically at them. However, they also represent one of the world’s most elusive types of customers. They have certain noteworthy characteristics which make them a viable market segment for new product strategies. Given below are some effective ways to market to college students.

1) Trials and samples – College kids like free stuff. Free samples also lead to heightened visibility. Brand ambassadors should often hand out samples at campus-sponsored events, or host their own events where students can try out their products for free. With the pandemic changing everyone’s behaviors, traditional sampling is no longer considered to be a safe practice. Ambassadors have been replaced by vending machines. Students can enter their contact information on a vending machine and receive free samples and coupons for products.

2) Discounts – Discounts are also a great way to engage college students. Students love buying a lot for less. Knowing school schedules and routines can help companies plan their discounts for students. Oregon State University entered into an arrangement with AT&T to sell prepaid phone cards whereby students would get a 6% discounted rate on their long-distance calls.

3) Promoting civic involvement – College students are keen to immerse themselves in causes and community service. Nonprofits can also target college students to champion their causes.For instance, students can book local artists for events as promotion for a brand that sells art supplies. The artist can be a part of events that show how art creates awareness about the pandemic.

4) Influencers – Given the prevalent role of the internet in the lives of students, the campus crowd likes to interact with influencers. College students are accustomed to receiving messages through social media platforms. Hence, they are more likely to notice influencers who have already built trust with their social media followers. Having a student posting about a product resonates much more than a refined piece of marketing. One platform where influencer marketing is really taking off is TikTok. It has quickly become the most popular app for college students.

5) Campus events – Campus events can also be marketing opportunities. An effective incentive to use for a promotional event for a business would be to offer a discount or include giveaways at an event. Whether it is a large corporation or a small business, connections between people make a huge impact, and hence customer interaction should be given importance. For instance, Ikea organized campus tours with a custom van. The concept was called “The Ultimate Dorm Room”. The van had glass sides to permit onlookers to see the dorm room containing Ikea furniture and merchandise. The Ikea brand name featured prominently on the van to drive home the branding. A raffle was also run, which was an effective way to collect student information for future direct mail.