Do you know you should be advertising to university students but you’re not sure how to advertise on campus? Have you tried college media strategies in the past and been underwhelmed with the outcome? If you’re looking to target college students specifically, work with campus marketing specialists to achieve your desired results.
Whether your budget is large or small, collaborating with an experienced campus advertising agency will help you make the most of your money. Successful campus marketing specialists will help you choose the right schools to target and the most effective tactics to employ. They know what options are available and they have the contacts and experience to efficiently set campaigns in motion.
+ Learn why college students are an important target market.
If you need to reach and engage college students, general market advertising is not the most efficacious marketing option. Placing media directly on campuses allows you to target your marketing efforts geographically. After all, college students are a captive audience – living, learning, working, eating, shopping and socializing within a limited area. Strategically placed ads concentrate your campaign on your intended viewers and generate repeat exposure.
However, what’s right for one company may not be right for another. Organizations should consider a variety of things, including the size and location of the campus, the makeup and interests of the student population, and the advertising options available. Often, for small businesses, proximity is key. For example, if you’re a small local business, looking to the largest campus in your market may be a great way to build brand awareness and bring in a new customer base.
If you’re a brand of scale/national, the size of the school, notoriety, or market DMA may dictate where your college media buy should occur. For example, Lyft ran a national campus campaign based on the key markets where they were launching their rideshare services (in Houston, they looked to the University of Houston, in LA they advertised at UCLA and USC, and so forth).
Brand affinity also plays a role. For example, Rutgers students clearly have an existing affinity with the Rutgers brand. Therefore, the Rutgers School of Business can build greater awareness about their various programs, specialties, deadlines for applications, etc. by advertising on the Rutgers transit system.
If you’re attempting a DIY approach to campus advertising, you will need to contact individual departments (such as Business Services, Transportation, and/or Athletics) at each school of interest to see what they have to offer.
This can be a time consuming process, and may not garner the results you’re looking for. It may be difficult to discover who the relevant contacts are and track them down. They may not know all the options available to you or give you the information you need to create an effective campaign that meets campus restrictions. And the need to work with multiple departments makes it tricky to create an encompassing yet cohesive campaign. Thankfully, there’s another way to advertise on campus.
The campus market tends to be fragmented with many vendors and different rules than municipal markets. Every campus is different. An experienced agency knows what opportunities exist, what works, what’s allowed, what’s been done, and what can be done.
Campus marketing specialists like MSS Media, Inc. are expert one-stop marketing shops. We can help you choose the right options for your marketing budget and goals. And we have the contacts, staff, and processes in place to implement campus ad campaigns quickly and effectively.
“Knowledge with action converts adversity into prosperity.”
– A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM
Our firm offers some additional benefits that make university advertising even easier and more effective for our clients. We own out-of-home advertising assets on 250 campuses nationwide (including Puerto Rico). In addition, we offer creative digital media management and optimization services that amplify the results of traditional advertising campaigns. From geo-targeted mobile campaigns to search and display ads, we can follow the college demographic throughout their digital day, placing your ads on their screens and in their hands.
Looking for more information on how to run a successful campus media campaign? See our complete guide to advertising to university students.
Here at MSS Media, Inc., we’ve been providing Education, Government, Real Estate & Lifestyle clients with succinct, optimized, and successful marketing solutions for more than 15 years. Consider MSS Media, Inc. a full-service, one-stop shop for all your Media and Public Relations needs. Your goals are our motivation. And our mission is to propel your message, further and faster, to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. If you found this blog post helpful, please share!