5 Ways a College Marketing Agency Can Boost Your Brand

Big Brand on Campus

Remember #BamaRush, in 2021? When that hashtag began trending on TikTok, the whole world watched as University of Alabama undergrads competed for spots in elite sororities, posting their rush outfits, jewelry, and shoes across social media. Brands’ interest in the college student market was piqued, and it’s only increased in the years that followed. “Brands now jump at the chance to partner with sororities,” AdAge notes, and others have “updated their college marketing playbooks outside of rush week.”

Brands are working overtime to reach this consumer group — the coveted 18-to-24-year-old market — and they’re doing it in ways traditional and new. As dozens of brands wade into the college market, it can be hard to know where to start — which specific student demographics or activities will connect with your brand? The expertise and experience of a college marketing agency or brand activation agency can help.

Why Market to College Students?

College students have considerable buying power, with spending in the hundreds of billions. Much of that spending is centered around back-to-school shopping, entertainment, technology, fashion, and beauty. “And while their incomes might be limited, 75% of Gen Z spends over 50% of their available money per month,” says sheerid.com.

Consumers also begin forming preferences and brand loyalty around ages 18 to 24, which means that for college marketing agencies, college age is “a unique opportunity to build loyalty with a particular group that’s highly influential and on the cusp of forming lifelong purchasing habits,” says digin.co.uk.

College is the perfect time to connect with consumers at a time when they’re building brand loyalty that will last for years if not decades. College marketing agencies guide brands in making these connections by several means.

How Brands Market to College Students

Any successful marketing campaign begins with understanding the target audience. College marketing agencies understand a few key Gen Z traits and trends that influence Gen Z’s buying decisions.

Gen Z are heavily online: Today’s college students are digital natives, which means that they are not only avid consumers of digital media but also smart about using it. Data privacy is important to them, says sheerid.com. Many of them use ad blockers, which can make them harder to reach online. “Plus, 84% of college students would not do business with a brand if they were concerned about how it might use their data, and 92% don’t want to provide sensitive information to redeem a discount.” Brands hoping to connect with college students need to be transparent about how they use customer data.

Experiential marketing is a win: This distaste for digital advertising means brands are increasingly turning to experiential marketing to grab students’ attention. Maintaining a presence on electronic media is important, but college marketing agencies advise against relying on it for brand awareness.

Gen Z are cost-conscious: Price and ethics are the top two deciding factors for Gen Z when comparing products that are otherwise similar. “If you’re a sustainable budget brand, you have a very good chance of capturing their attention,” says digin.co.uk.

Bring your A game: Instead of focusing solely on social media channels, digin.co.uk recommends two strategies: “One, be disruptive. You could do this with eye-catching visuals, innovative digital campaigns, or unhinged commentary. Two, show them that you care about what they think. Showcase your ethics and values or just ask them what they want—and deliver.” Brands should talk about who they are, what they stand for, and the stories behind their products. Gen Z won’t be fooled by “green/blue/pinkwashing and will call you out for it,” so focus on authenticity and transparency.

Product Freebies & Giveaways

College students are well known for their fondness for free stuff, whether it’s handed out as samples or offered in a drawing or contest, and college marketing agencies and brands have found many clever ways to leverage this fondness for freebies.

One popular approach is product sampling campaigns, i.e., simply giving away product. AdAge describes soda brand Olipop’s freebie strategy as consisting of two concepts: running a social media sweepstakes in which students could win free cans of Olipop in exchange for their email addresses, and a planned “surprise and delight” campaign giving away cases of the soda to randomly selected student organizations. Wordstream.com suggests inserting your brand into annual events and occasions on campus, like fall move-in, rush, orientation, sports seasons, holidays, and exam weeks.

Premium swag is another approach — so long as the items are high quality. “The usual brand T-shirt is seen as wasteful or trash by Gen Z,” says an exec at one college marketing agency, “but premium merch like bucket hats, custom Stanley cups, or belt bags get used more often.”

Student discounts are another very effective strategy, says oncampusnation.com. “Targeted discounts can be a key component of successful college marketing campaigns, as they tap into the unique needs and desires of this demographic.”

Regardless of the tactic, consider making it “just for students,” college marketing agencies advise — the exclusivity will make students feel catered to.

Ambassador Programs

Campus-based brand ambassadors have long been a popular way to distribute samples at colleges and universities, notes AdAge, but recently brands have been finding new and more sophisticated ways to connect with students. “It’s about creating communities and experiences on campus. Brands are looking for consumer advocates because Gen Z does not want to hear from brands directly.”

A college marketing agency with expertise in social media and influencer relationships can be a resource for finding and establishing relationships with campus ambassadors. “These ambassadors, who are typically current students themselves, have an authentic and relatable connection with their peers,” says oncampusnation.com. “Student ambassadors can create user-generated content, host events, and spread positive word-of-mouth about the brand.”

Ambassadors can also be a distribution point for high-quality swag.

On-Campus Presence

College media channels — web, print, social media, even radio — can be an excellent tool for reaching students to build brand awareness. “Meet college students where they are and with what they’re consuming,” says wordstream.com. “Most likely, the students you’re targeting have a student-led newspaper, weekly newsletters, or even a popular online student forum or app.”

Identify student-run social media accounts, such as those for student organizations, mascots, informal communities — and offer sponsored posts. Provide product or swag for organizations sponsored by these groups, and ask to be featured in social media video content.

Student-run media channels have some advantages over brands’ own channels — authenticity, for one thing. “College media outlets provide valuable resources that can help tailor marketing campaigns specifically for college students,” says oncampusnation.com. “With access to these channels, businesses can effectively promote their products or services and connect with college students through relevant content and messaging.”

Brand Activism

Gen Z is heavily invested in social justice, environmental, sustainability, and other causes; sheerid.com cites studies showing that 77% of college students want to support brands that share their values, and 90% are less likely to skip an ad that showcases a brand’s support of a non-profit.

A brand can connect with them by supporting organizations, or by reflecting on an issue that affects the brand’s industry. “Not only will it make the world a better place to have another contribution to the plastic-free or BLM fight, but students will also be more inclined to give your brand a second look if their money is also going to a cause they believe in,” says wordstream.com.

College marketing agencies help brands find ways to earn Gen Z’s attention and respect through messaging and partnerships with nonprofits and like-minded businesses. “Just be careful that this activism comes across as genuine,” says sheerid.com. “College students will notice and call out your brand if it’s nothing but lip service.

High-Quality Content and Interaction

For social media, web, and even print, Gen Z expects and appreciates content that’s novel, hip, and aligned with their values. College students expect and respond to engaging, relevant content from brands on social media. “With young smartphone users having a wealth of entertainment available, you want content that is bite-sized, snappy, and visually rich,” says sheerid.com. This is an area where college student influencers and brand ambassadors can play a role — they know what relevance means to their peers.

But college marketing agencies advise their clients to do more than just build a presence on popular channels. Leveraging those platforms also means engaging with students, boosting user-generated content, and giving students a reason to link or share content produced by your team. Encourage customers to tag your products in their posts, and invest time regularly in liking and commenting on posts and comments; both activities will boost your algorithm mojo. “Announce new products or releases on your social accounts,” says wordstream.com. “If you’re a big, national brand, think about making an account specifically for the college crowd you’re serving, e.g. “VillanovaDominos” or “MaybellinePHL.”

Hop on the bandwagon with TikTok trends, viral videos, and memes — provided they align with your brand’s values, vibe, and personality. College brand ambassadors can help identify which memes and themes are the best fit.

Finally, use social media to promote offers and events — some 65% of students want to hear about exclusive offers via social media, and 4 of 5 Gen Z say they get most of their information from social media.

What Happens Post-Graduation?

One of the strengths of college marketing is that students remain in that sphere for a good four or five years before transitioning to the next phase of their lives. Of course, that’s a relatively short time compared to careers, but it’s long enough to cement a lasting connection and build brand loyalty, say college marketing agencies, who have seen brands like streaming services retain up to 98% of customers post-graduation, even after the student discount expires. “If you can offer students an excellent product and shopping experience, they might just become lifelong customers,” says sheerid.com. “And the limited money situation will change; college graduates, on average, make about $22k more than non-graduates,” making them especially desirable consumers too.

Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing agency based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile Marketing has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Get in touch to discuss your next project.