The College Campus Marketing Crusade

Businesses and industries across US are trying their best to connect to the youth of today. The college student demographic presents a fresh consumer base that is yet to form solid brand loyalties.

However, the old-school marketing techniques and mass marketing does not work for this demographic. Indeed, regular print, radio, television and mass email advertizing fail miserably when it comes to the new generation. What brands need to do is reach out in novel ways that will resonate with them and manage to form a strong connect as well.

And this is where college campus marketing enters the picture. Indeed, marketing efforts are now focused solely on the coveted demographic of college students by marketing to them on their campuses. The following are few of the marketing strategies that succeed in speaking directly to college students:

Events and contests: On or off campus events are the perfect way to get a brand noticed. Organizing music fests, sports events, back-to-school activities or other contests with attractive prizes and giveaways will get the college buzzing with the brand and leave a lasting impression on the young minds.

Social media campaigns: Today’s students spend a bulk of their time online. Building online interactions through interesting and informative videos and posts that subtly tie to the product will tune them in with the brand and even drive them to share it on their social media. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like serve as the perfect platform and can even be tied with coupons or other incentives.

Brand ambassadors: There’s nothing as effective as feet-on-the-ground and person-to-person marketing right on the college campus. Imagine when one of their own fellow students is handing out flyers, samples or even just talking good things about a brand; the trust and engagement created is simply unbeatable. These in-house brand ambassadors can get the brand message across without intruding in the students’ space and make a significant impact as well.

Apart from this, brands can even become a part of the fun on campus through impressive promotions, unique offers, striking posters, engaging kiosks and the like. In fact, the campus campaigns can even be customized to suit the tone and culture of the college.

In sum, dedicated campus marketing is the best way to engage and win over the youth of today. However, executing successful college promotions and marketing campaigns is easier said than done.

A professional campus marketing agency can design a sound campaign that strikes the right chord with the college students. They will first conduct detailed research to understand the pulse of the campus and how to communicate effectively with the crowd. On the one hand, the brand message and marketing plan will be kept in tune with the campus culture. The right college promotions and brand ambassadors will be chosen with particular care on the other. Yet, the marketing strategies will remain flexible and be tweaked to adjust to the changing needs and interests of the students.

Successful brand engagement is bound to follow!

Lindsay Borgan is personally experienced in campus marketing Using her own personal experiences as a guide the author contributes articles and blogs on the value and importance of campus marketing.