Want to reach today's savvy college student ONCampus? Engage them, move them and stay authentic.
Category:Blog
Posted by: Dawn Rahicki
Marketing to 18-24 year old college students?
Barnes & Noble College Marketing Report offers Insights to help brands enhance the Students' OnCampus (Media) Experience
The elusive college student is unlike other demographics. They are a highly tech-savvy audience. They were raised connected to the internet and surrounded by advertising messaging. This audience is looking for authentic conversations with brands. Yesterday's on campus offer to "sign up for a credit card and get a free T-shirt" just won't fly. They see through the hype. Advertisers looking to build lasting brand equity with this group, need to move them, engage them, influence the influencers and reach them in fresh, non-intrusive ways.
·The Mad Men Era Lives On: Although Internet and social media usage is strong among college students, 42 percent still say TV ads are a highly effective form of advertising.
·'Like' It or Not: 65 percent of college students engage with brands via social media at least weekly primarily on Facebook and a third do so at least three times a day. At the same time, brands have to be careful with how they approach students in this environment 55 percent do not think Facebook is a good place for brands to advertise to them.
·What Moves You: Not surprisingly, students are most motivated by brand loyalty as a key driver of social engagement (26 percent), although they also love a good coupon offer (26 percent) or fun contest (19 percent).
·Pls Dnt Txt Me: With the prevalence of smartphones, one would assume students prefer to be contacted on their mobile device. Surprisingly, 61percent do not believe a text message campaign is a good way for a brand to connect with them. And further, most students (58 percent) view the majority of their emails on their laptops.
·Lip Service: Theres no substitute for word of mouth, especially on college campuses. More than half (59 percent) of respondents say friends have the biggest influence on their purchasing decisions, both online and off.
·Are QR codes DOA? QR codes arent very popular among college students according to the survey, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) never scan QR codes located on ads.
·Have Dorm, Will Work for Freebies: Todays college students are proactive and very open to direct brand engagement. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of college students would be interested in becoming an on-campus student brand ambassador, while half of students would like brand ambassadors to help during move-in.
·Shop for the Greater Good: 70 percent of students say they're more likely to buy from a brand that supports a charitable cause and the majority (63 percent) is willing to spend more on products tied to a charity.
Additionally, to better reach this tech-smart audience digitally, Barnes & Noble has partnered with rVue Network Partner OnCampus Media to bring their national TV Network Screens to college campus stores. Their exclusive partnership with Barnes & Noble College allows OnCampus to reach students at the cultural heart of the campus, placing advertisers in a desirable position to connect with college students.
rVue's network partner, ONCampus Media, the largest national digital media company to serve college campuses, announced its partnership with Barnes & Noble College Marketing a division of Barnes & Noble College and are delivering a national digital TV network in Barnes & Noble College stores. The network of more than 800 screens are on display at nearly 400 top colleges and universities, providing entertaining programing and relevant promotions from first-rate brands to more than four million students across North America.
Their objective is to create the ultimate shopping experience where students and brands can connect in more meaningful and relevant ways. With over 60 million impressions annually, this rVue partner provides digital TV network screens that are will deliver students premium, localized programming as they shop, and provide brand marketers a dynamic platform to engage students on campus in a variety of effective ways, including video and static ads, as well as SMS campaigns and QR code promotions.
Act now to engage college students while they are on campus in the high-traffic winter months. Contact rVue today at connect@rVue.com to learn more.