Take a moment and think of the most famous sports stadiums across the country. They are all named after big brands. Gillette Stadium, Staples Center, TD Garden, and United Airlines Arena are just a few that come to mind. These brands have bought the rights to call that building after themselves, which leads to brand loyal customers who feel connected to that brand through the sports team. From personal experience, I know many college students who will only use Gillette razors because they are Patriots’ fans. This is exactly what Gillette was aiming for when they decided to name the stadium after themselves.

Sponsoring buildings on a college campus also develops brand loyal students to that particular brand. Sponsors can purchase the rights to a school recreation center, field, building, cafeteria or even parking lot. This works as on-campus advertising. Thousands of students will see the brands’ logo all over campus, which definitely instills brand awareness. Once instilling brand awareness, the brand needs to keep up with their advertising on campus. Developing brand loyal customers isn’t a one time thing. It requires a long-term relationship between the brand and the college. Then, the next time a student is shopping for that type of product, they will buy the brand they are most familiar with. Just like that, the sponsored brand has a leg up on their competition.

According to the media kit for UCLA, the school offers sponsors to place their logo in the famous John Wooden Center. By doing this, their logo would be seen over 1,000,000 times by college students annually. This would only cost the sponsor $10,000 a year. Getting that much exposer is a great way to plant their logo in the minds of college students. They also offer product sampling in their buildings during events. Handing out their product at one of these festivals will result in 2,500+ people using their product. It is essential to get the product in the hands of college consumers. They are still in school and haven’t had time to develop their own preferences when it comes to brands. By being on campus passing out products or sponsoring recreational centers, brands can hook college students onto their products for now and after their college careers are over.

Having sponsors around campus can also be beneficial for the college as well. Having a building named after a sponsor brings a familiar face to the campus. It also brings in revenue, which allows the college to have nicer buildings, classrooms and an overall better campus. UCLA for example, brings in $500 a day just for letting a sponsor pass out their product in the lobby of the John Wooden Center.

For brands to get ahead of their competition among the college demographic, they should take advantage of sponsoring college events and buildings. Having a brands’ logo on campus is one of the best things they can do. Doing so will boost brand awareness, and in turn, brand loyalty. After seeing the brand on campus for a whole semester, students will feel a closeness to the brand and purchase it long after their college life is over.

As college tours make their way around the country, they reach over 80,000 college students. This makes sponsors salivate just thinking about all the potential customers they will be able to reach. A perfect example of brands sponsoring college events is the “BET Black College Tour”. In their 10th year, BET (1) sets out on a 3 month tour going to historically black colleges. BET sets up concerts, games, prizes, product sampling and much more that makes it a must-see if you’re a college student at that school. One of the best parts about this college tour is that it is free and only available to college students of that particular school. This creates the ultimate college atmosphere that sponsors are looking for, which is why brands are constantly teaming up with BET. Recent sponsors to team up with BET are Under Armour, COVERGIRL and KFC.

Sponsoring this type of college event gets brand name products into the hands of thousands of college students. Due to this tour only being open to current college students, brands are directly targeting the college market. Students also feel connected to brands that sponsor these events because they have become tied to their college.

These college events benefit everyone involved; from the sponsors, to the colleges, to the students. Sponsors reach the college market on a level that cannot be matched. These brands build brand loyalty through being involved on the campus and interacting with students. The college itself increases the buzz around their campus, and because this kind of event is for students only, attracts students to enroll at that college. Last but not least, students benefit by attending a fun, live college tour that is what makes college the best time of your life. They also get to try out products from their favorite brands such as Verizon, Microsoft, and Under Armour. With all this in mind, brands should be targeting college events so they can quickly become college favorites.

References

1.) ”BET Black College Tour Returns with New Sponsors CoverGirl, KFC, Under Armour.” Target Market News – The Black Consumer Market Authority. 8 Sept. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://targetmarketnews.com/storyid09091102.htm>.

According to the Wall Street Journal (1), Sprint recently provided students with smartphones along with free access so they could be more efficient in their classes when dealing with social media and online marketing. In the competitive cell phone market, every advantage counts. By allowing students to take their products for a test drive, it not only establishes a presence, but also targets an audience that is just now making their own purchasing intentions that will stick with them well after they graduate.

Inclusion of sponsors in the classroom, though controversial, assist with the mounting budget cuts and the technology challenges colleges continually face. As colleges struggle to keep tuitions competitive and attainable, they find themselves struggling with equipment and technology purchases.

Other brands have been doing this for some time now as well. The school textbook company McGraw Hill (2) has been inserting brands into their lessons for the last 20 years. Placing brands such as Hershey’s or M&M’s into textbooks helps students remember the brand the next time they are buying chocolate.

One drawback however can be the chance of the brands in class distracting students from class. In Sprint’s case, students may be more focused on surfing the web than using the smartphones for what their purpose is in the classroom. Is it worth having the risk of students not paying attention to the actual lesson of the course? Colleges are deciding the risk is worth the benefits. With the level of maturity among 18-24 year olds, colleges are not worried about bringing brands into the classroom.

Schools may also worry that they are selling out to bring funds in, but having brands in the classroom is a win-win for both the schools and the brands. Schools get revenue by allowing brands into class, and brands gain awareness through product placement. In turn, brand awareness leads to brand loyalty. Other brands can take notes from Sprint, Hershey’s and M&M’s, and take advantage of product placement in the classroom.

References

1.) Rosman, Katherine. “Big Brands Sponsor College Classes to Get Social-Media Help – WSJ.com.” Business News & Financial News – The Wall Street Journal – Wsj.com. Wall Street Journal, 9 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476604576158643370380186.html>.

2.) Bedor, Sharon. “Business-Managed Democracy – Education – Product Placement in Class.” Her Institute. Business-Managed Democracy. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/education/commercialism/placement.html>.

Companies like Cash4Books and eCampus must compete with the campus bookstore, which will sometimes offer the fairest price for books. They do so by making the selling of a book an easier process. Some companies work solely online and try to make the online delivery as simple as possible. Other companies take it a step further by having a presence on campus. They can set up a van during finals week that is easy for students to sell their books to and get cash in return. Others hire student ambassadors who are able to go door to door in the dorms and organize the pickup of books. Allowing students to sell their books without having to leave their rooms is the ultimate incentive to a lazy college student.

Designing a campaign to show the benefits of selling books to a book buying company could be extremely beneficial. The key is to find a medium that students trust. Student newspapers come from peers and therefore students read it with a much more open and trusting mind towards advertisements. They have a surprisingly high readership of around 80% of the student body making them an extremely valuable tool for marketers. They can also be used to give students an idea of how much you offer or inform them when you’ll be on campus to buy.

The marketing strategy for Campus Teez is just as unique as their product idea. They use a combination of social media and student ambassadors to get their brand out. Their student ambassadors help them understand what students in specific schools will want for their unique shirts. They also help them sponsor events and promote at bars or clubs. This is a great way to tie their name into the campus party scene, which their brand is designed around. Through social media they are able to entice students to post pictures and videos of themselves wearing Campus Teez merchandise. This furthers their integration into the youth culture.

As Campus Teez moves forward, there are many things they can do to extend their brand. They are currently working on expanding their product line to include banners, shorts, and beer pong tables. They are also trying to reach out to as many new schools as possible. The more custom shirts they can offer the more students will be drawn to their brand. This expansion can be aided through newspaper advertising. Not only can it benefit sales in the schools they are already in by showcasing their unique designs, it can help bring in new schools. For new schools, it may be even more beneficial to advertise the search for student ambassadors. This will not only get their name out there and earn them a large applicant pool of ambassadors to choose from, but it will help people associate them as a brand interested in being close to the college community. Advertising in the community paper is an added edition to that move.

Dayglow, which advertises itself as the “world’s largest paint party”, began five years ago as a Florida college tradition. It quickly expanded to a worldwide concert tour. Dayglow’s biggest draw is its large spectacles present at every show. These include famous DJs, soaring aerial acts, stilt-walkers, contortion acts, fire shows, and cannons to deliver the “Paint Blast”. They have also recently added a 3D element to their show to expand their production value. Dayglow relies mainly on the popularity of former shows and a strong social media presence. Each event is hyped on Facebook and through other forms.

Another black light concert, Barstool Blackout, takes a different approach. They originated from a popular website, Barstoolsports, which caters largely to college students. Relying on the large fan base of the website, which has been around for years, they are able to advertise a simpler show. By focusing more on the music and light effects they are able to offer a less complex and cheaper show that students seem to be responding just as well to. This also allows them to be more flexible with their tour dates because they have simpler requirements. Throughout their tour they are able to add last minute shows at schools that show enough interest. Their website works to convince students to do some of the marketing for them.

While both concert series have seen success, they can both improve in order to advance their concerts further. Dayglow could work to create a better online community similar to Barstool to bring in more interest. Barstool could expand their production to build the demand of their shows and the desire for return trips. Advertising can be a huge help to both companies. While advertising at the school that is hosting the concert is important, it is equally important to advertise to the surrounding schools. It may be difficult to sell out a concert with only one schools student body interested. Their largest events have come when students are willing to travel from other schools for the event. Advertising in the school newspaper is a great way to get the word out about the event and generate a buzz around campus. The more people are talking about a show, whether at the host school or the surrounding ones, the more groups can be encouraged to buy tickets.

College students are the perfect customers for vacation planning sites like College Ski Trips. They like to make the most of their school breaks by going off on some sort of adventure, whether it’s the beach or the mountain. They also are a part of a large network of fellow college vacationers. While interest from one adult could result in a family of tickets, interest from a college kid could result in dozens of new customers. Giving students an easy way to plan their vacation and invite as many people as possible is the best way to expand a vacation business.

College Ski Trips has done a good job branding themselves for the college market. Their website is informative and interactive and they make use of social media. Their Facebook page provides content relevant to college skiers. Some of the things they share include information about special mountain events, beer advertisements involving skiing, and a list of the top ski towns for singles. They also entice students to become “campus reps” by organizing a ski trip at their school. They convince these students to help market for them by offering discounted trips, gear giveaways, and free travel.

While College Ski Trips has done a lot right, they definitely have room to improve. While their Facebook content is interesting, there is very little of it. This results in only a small number of people following the page. They could also benefit from further advertising directly to the college crowd. Since they have recently been bought by Ski.com, a larger vacation planning site, they have a great opportunity to grow. Ski.com should consolidate student’s awareness of their brand through their online presence and advertising. Ski.com and College Ski Trips both have Facebook accounts, which may be misleading to some people.

They should also advertise in college specific mediums such as college newspapers. With the ski season approaching and students planning their trips, an ad in the newspaper could go a long way. This will get multiple students on campus talking about their service. Since students plan vacations in groups, the more individuals you can get interested and talking about your brand the more likely they will meet up and book the trip.

Companies should utilize their websites and other advertisement to help make students shopping easier. This will entice them to visit their store for the perceived ease of their shopping experience. Creating guides that help students find gifts is a great way to get them interested in your brand. Every student will undoubtedly power up Google at some point in the next two months and type in “gift ideas for ____”. It wouldn’t hurt to be at the top of that search. Other ways to attract students could be through social media. Giving students an easy way to shop through your site and then share what they bought with their friends can have multiple benefits. They will want to help their friends with gift ideas by sharing their success. You want your store to be associated with college shoppers.

Other ways these stores can draw in students is to highlight the special deals they offer. Black Friday is famous for its extremely good deals and throughout the Christmas season stores are offering sales. Traditionally these stores target households with their inserts in the Sunday papers. Toys R Us is practically famous for the enormous catalog they release every year with the hottest Christmas toys. Unfortunately for advertisers, college students don’t read the Sunday paper. They read their college publication. Advertisers can benefit greatly by advertising their Christmas deals in a paper students will actually read and respond to. With an impressively high readership of 80% of students, they are the best way to get your specific message into the hands of your customers.

Some brands even promote this and offer costumes to the public in order to increase brand recognition. One company doing this to a large degrees is the insurance company, Progressive. They have come out with the outfit for their commercial character “Flo”. Everyone knows who Flo is, she’s the perky and energetic lady who helps all sorts of customers who are switching to Progressive Insurance. Well now Progressive is making it easy for people to dress up as her for Halloween. On their website, as well as social media, Progressive is offering her outfit to anyone who wants it.

This idea for Progressive can only boost their brand name around the insurance community. People that see girls (or guys) dressed as Flo will automatically know who they are. By offering this outfit, Progressive builds brand loyalty for themselves which is the goal of any business.

By promoting this on Twitter and Facebook, this idea gets out to the entire world. Using social media to spread word about something is a great way to inform customers about what is happening. Progressive definitely knows what they’re doing when it comes to getting their name out to the masses. Another great way for them to reach people about their Halloween costume is by advertising in college newspapers. For college students, Halloween is a contest to see who has the funniest costume. Being Flo is one of the more original ideas out there, and students would likely purchase the outfit. Students need to know about this outfit though, which can be hard if they don’t have a Twitter or like Progressive’s Facebook page. With such a high following, college newspapers provide the avenue big brands are looking for when attempting to appeal to college students.

Especially with the weather getting colder, students are looking for easy ways to get around the city. Although trains and subways are in every major city, they stop running around 12:30 making it difficult for students to get back to their dorms after a night out. This is where taxi’s can make great money. Taxi company’s should focus on targeting the college demographic when looking for business. If students share cabs with each other, it becomes an inexpensive way to get to and from their campus. This turns out to be a win-win scenario for both students and cab drivers.

One way taxi company’s can build brand loyalty among college students is by giving out their number as much as possible. There is nothing worse for a college student than being stuck in the middle of nowhere at night. By having the phone number of a taxi company, one quick phone call will solve their problem. After a few calls, students will call a cab when going out every time. Having returning customers is the ultimate goal of any brand.

The goal for taxi’s is getting their name out so college students know they are on campus. One great way to boost awareness is by being around campus at all times. Driving around the city and campus will be viewed by the whole student body and will build recognition. Once students are familiar with your brand, getting your number into their contacts is crucial. This can be done by students seeing the phone number on the side of the taxi. Another great way is by advertising in college newspapers. With the majority of students reading their student run publication, advertising inside these papers is very effective. This also lets students know that you appeal to them and are a reliable college taxi service. If taxi’s take advantage of this aspect of college marketing, they will be successful on college campuses for years to come.