NEW YORK — Using their own student experience as a jumping off point is the biggest mistake made by many marketers in aiming to connect with today’s college crowd.
So said author-consultant David Morrison, who advised that oft-overlooked college Web sites and school-based TV programs are among the best ways to strike a chord with college students. Programs like MTVU, specifically designed for colleges and not available to the general public, is one such example, he noted.
Another big misstep — and one commonly made — is a failure to reflect the diversity of collegians, in marketing communications. “When we do a campaign with [only] white males, we always get questioned by the target audience about the lack of diversity, including women,” related Morrison, president of marketing consultant Twentysomething.
Also, said Samantha Skey, senior vice president at Alloy Media and Marketing, “It has become very important to have a wireless marketing platform. Even though there is no visual component, marketers are entering into community networks.” In fact, Morrison’s focus groups of 200 students at 10 colleges nationwide revealed the students typically each had between 250 and 400 contacts stored in their instant-messaging networks.