They love shopping...without ever leaving their rooms

Today's college students are among the first generation to have grown up with the internet. We are a generation of Googler's and AIM-users...always connected to others. You could ask almost any college student where to buy an item online and most likely, within about 2 minutes, they will find several of that same item for you. Between research, school work, and leisure time, college students spend a great deal of their time on the internet. Ask a college student if they can get through an assignment without being sidetracked online...most likely they cannot. Between checking away messages, the facebook, their email, as well as items to purchase. Online shopping has become a sensation, especially thanks to websites such as Ebay and Amazon. The concept that you can buy virtually anything online from the comfort of your own room is something that cannot be beat. You punch in your credit card number and within a week or two, your purchase arrives. There is literally no effort involved.

Experience Inc., a career services provider, did a recent survey that revealed that "Online Advertising Motivates College Students to Purchase." Over 300 college students and recent college graduates were polled nationwide. The survey found that 98% of college student have bought a product or service online. The 18-34 year old demographic is responsible for $175 billion in consumer spending. Students do a lot of online researching before purchasing a product or service. Therefore, after doing research, they tend to buy the item online. Students have high expectations for online advertising. If an online advertisement relates to them or resonates with them, they are more likely to purchase the product. In the survey, 52% of the respondents said they have purchased a product or service based on an online advertisement.

A study done by Yahoo! Search Marketing found that college students rely on search engines more than any other media. The article, "Students: Search Engines More Credible Than TV Ads" was posted on the Online Media Daily. The study involved surveying 486 college students in August and conducted in depth interviews with 12 college students. The results showed that 81% of the college students rated search engines as the best source of information. Friends and family were rated best by 64% and traditional media (television, magazines, newspapers) was only rated the best by 34%. Students also explained that keyword searches provide the best information. Regarding truthworthiness, search engines came in second to friends in family, but only by a small margin. This study proves that students have basically become reliant on the internet. Why go researching through magazines and newspapers when they can just type a single word in a search engine and receive hundreds of thousands of results.

With this being said, if marketers want to reach students, using the right type of online advertising in the right places can help in making the product or service a success. When students can relate to the advertising and if it is memorable, there is a greater chance that the student will purchase that product instead of a competitor's. With millions of websites out there, marketers need to find the best places to put their advertisements. Finding out what sites the college students are using the most is key. With this combination, a product can become successful if the right steps are taken to market it online to college students.

Creating a BUZZ on campus

So what is Buzz Marketing? It seems to be this new term that is used in advertising, but more specifically in marketing to college students. Wikipedia defines Buzz Marketing as "Word of mouth marketing is a term used in the marketing industry to descibe activities that companies undertake to generate favorable word of mouth publicity about products and services." A buzz is a highly intense form of word of mouth marketing to the point where everyone is talking about the topic. College students are a unique demographic because they often do not pay attention or respond to the usual forms of advertising, such as television and print. If a brand really wants to market and appeal to the college demographic, they have to do something to make students aware and excited about their product. Campuses are cluttered with flyers for on-campus activities in addition to off-campus activities and products. College students are very busy and stuck in their daily routines (I know, I am one). I tend to look more closely at advertisements since that's my major, but most students do not pay attention to advertising while they are preoccupied with work, friends, etc.

Several months ago, my mom sent me an article from the Boston Globe, entitled "Creating the Campus Buzz: Guerilla Marketers". Popular companies have started hiring campus ambassadors or street teams to promote their products. Microsoft, Victoria's Secret, JetBlue Airways are a few of the companies that have begun using this marketing tactic. Students have been hired in several cities, many in Boston, which is full of college students. Students at Boston University, Tufts University, and MIT have been hired by some of these companies to promote their products. These students are hired to talk up a product to other students as well as hand out fliers, stickers, and other give-aways. Students at BU were hired to promote the Microsoft product, OneNote. Ambassadors wore T-shirts with the slogan "Save trees. Use OneNote," while also handing out postcards about the product. The article interviewed students who said that they were willing to listen to the student ambassadors because it is a peer, someone on the same level. Rather than pushing the product at them, it is more like the student ambassador is simply giving their opinion on the product. At each school, the promotion is catered to the type of students at the school. Student ambassadors know what the students at their college are like. For example, at MIT, students respond better to numbers and lists, rather than something very artsy and colorful.

There are companies that speciailze in helping companies create the buzz on campus. Some of these include Mr. Youth and Alloy Media + Marketing. I will post other entries about these companies and what they do in the future. After browsing the websites for these companies, it seems very interesting for what they do to help companies create a buzz on campuses or in other areas highly populated with youths. The buzz marketing tactic is proving that if companies want to appeal to the college student market (who have a great deal of spending power) then they need to do something more. Traditional advertising is not going to work with this demographic, therefore, the more creative and exciting the "buzz" is, the more likely that there will be a greater response from college students.

Are peers the best advertising?

Walk around a college campus and you might notice something. A lot of the students "look" the same. I am not talking about their hair color, body types, etc., but their styles - clothing, shoes, accessories. They all seem to be variations of each other. There are a lot of trends that college students are aware of that have not been advertised in the usual mass media. For example, the ever so popular Livestrong Bracelet trend. These bracelets were created by Lance Armstrong to raise money for cancer. Little did he or anyone else ever imagine that these simple yellow rubber bracelets would become the fastest-growing trend in America. Teenage girls were no longer sporting their Tiffany's bracelets, but proudly wearing their Livestrongs. Other companies soon followed, both charities and non-charities attempting to have the success that the Livestrong bracelet had. Bracelets were designed to support breast cancer, while others such as Nike bracelets, were just for the fashion statement. In the fall of 2004, when I came to Ithaca College as a freshman, it seemed as though every student had a Livestrong bracelet. I would be working out at the gym and noticed that it was like a rite of passage; every student on an elliptical or treadmill had their bracelet on. The Livestrong bracelets never had a formal campaign. There is a Livestrong website that is still running strong today where bracelets could be ordered. The popularity of the bracelets spread due to the word-of-mouth or buzz effect. The bracelets got others to ask, "What is that?" or "What is that for?" As more and more people, especially students, noticed that it was the in thing to wear the bracelet and show that you supported a worthy cause, everyone needed to have one.

If you walk around the Ithaca College campus, or any college campus for that matter, I am sure you will notice that every girl is wearing some variety of the ever-so-popular UGG boots. Now more brands are making their own version of the UGG boots, with all sorts of ties, buttons, zippers, etc. Being at a college where the winter climate can be harsh, I also own UGG boots. I will admit that I did need a pair of boots and since these are what is in style, I figured that they would be a good buy. Additionally, since they are made of sheep skin, they are extremely warm, perfect for the Ithaca winter weather. The UGG brand does not use commercials or any formal advertising to sell their product. The boots have been featured in style magazines, but have gained so much popularity by girls seeing their peers wearing the boots. The boots are no longer just to keep warm as you will often see girls wearing them with mini skirts during the warmer months. In an article entitled, "Students weigh in on fall fashion trends" from The Daily Free Press, an independent newspaper at Boston University, students claimed that the most influential factor for their fashion trends are their peers. Advertising professor, Christopher Cakebread explains, ""The point of advertising is building brands and the way to build brands is to connect with the consumer," he said. "If [the consumers] see someone else in that product, they are more likely to buy it." Students, especially females are concerned with image and how they look. Often times, when they see other girls wearing something trendy that looks good, they are likely to buy it.



Another example is the iPod, that I am sure will be mentioned and written about numerous times in this blog. The iPod is not only a piece of technology, but has become a trend and a way of life. Even though Apple advertises for the iPod (everyone knows the colorful and musical iPod commercials), many people see others with the iPod and the lifestyle benefits it offers. Before the iPod started advertising, I saw people with them during the Summer of 2004. It made me curious as to what it was and how it was used. I immediately fell in love with the concept of the iPod. The iPod has now revolutionized the way people listen to music and now even the way they watch movies, tv shows, and music videos. If you walk around a college campus, you will see dozens of students walking from class to class with their iPods. You know that when you see the little white earbud headphones that a student is listening to their iPod. All students are aware of what the iPod is and the majority know how to use one, even if they do not own one. The iPod has become an accessory to an outfit, a trend for every day living.

With college students being up-to-date with the latest trends in fashion and technology, it is apparent that a lot of their knowledge comes from their peers, especially since this is a difficult demographic to market to. Brands need to discover new and unique ways to target this group in order to be successful with them.

Welcome!

Hi and welcome to my blog, Marketing to College Students! This blog is for my Audience Research class, in which each student is making a blog concerning a different current communications issue or trend. If you walk around a college campus, you notice that college students are up with the latest trends and styles. College students are a unique demographic that possess a lot of spending power. Different medium need to be used to reach college students in the most effective manner possible. The common forms of advertising including television, newspaper, magazine, and direct mail do not always work for this demographic. My blog is going to cover some general information, the latest trends, as well as brands that focus on marketing to college students. Additionally, when I come across articles or websites concerning the topic, I will post about them. Thanks for checking out my blog and enjoy!