Marketing To College Students 101

Burst Media recently completed a survey to college students ages 18-24. It confirms research reported last month from Forrester that reveals the key to reaching this important demographic group is through online communication.

Some highlights from the survey:

• One-third of college students spend 10 or more hours online per week; one-fifth spend 20 hours or more online.
• Time online exceeds time spent watching television and listening to the radio.
• Over 60 percent say they regularly use a computer while watching TV or listening to the radio.

The traditional college crowd is a big target for marketers. They spend money now, and, after graduation, they will be the next emerging consumer group with full-time jobs. They’ll soon be spending more money on transportation, housing and all types of goods. In addition, the brand choices they make in the next few years may influence their purchases for decades to come. This group has a lot of lifetime ahead of them and that makes their Lifetime Value (LTV) high for marketers.

This is the first emerging adult segment that grew up with the Web. The lesson for advertisers, PR specialists and other communicators is that to reach this group, the Internet has to play a primary role.

The Burst Media report was based on a survey to 800 college students, ages 18-24, asking questions about their media consumption, finances, discretionary spending, and what influences their brand preferences.