College is back in high gear but are you using that to your advantage?

I am a fan of case studies (got hooked during my MBA, sorry). The perfect case study for reaching this market is Credit Card Companies. They figured out the formula years ago - get permission to setup a table on-campus in a busy area, most likely near the student union, and offer free stuff in exchange for filling out applications. Fees for the space can be as low as $50 - then you just offer a free t-shirt or some other free item in exchange for filling out a form.

Clearly this can’t work for all companies (especially B2B), but quite a few brands can generate great brand awareness from this, especially if you give away a wearable item that will continue to promote your brand long after you have left the campus. One thing we have done with Realvibez is tap into relevant organizations on-campus, mainly Caribbean organizations. While at the University of Miami, I saw the College Rep. for EA Sports work with the Urban Black Students organization to put on a Madden NFL videogame contest - a smart way to get your target market to interact with your product.

Colleges/universities are not only good for 18-24, there are Professors, Graduate students and Administrators there as well. Have you thought about a program to reach those people if they are in your target market? They like free stuff as well and you can just as easily setup a table in the faculty lounge or organize a meet-and-greet event. The two best opportunities for this older demographic are back to school luncheons and sponsoring faculty awards.

Action Points:-

• Follow the credit card companies and establish a presence, even for a day.
• Bring some giveaways - everybody loves free stuff.
• Learn from EA Sports and us - engage your target market and organizations that represent them.
• College campuses aren’t just full of young people 18-24 - there are opportunities to reach Professors, Graduate students and Administrators.

Good luck and let me know if you do try it.

Filed under: Marketing Trends, Strategy