Unveiling Gen Z Consumer Behaviour｜Student Marketing Strategies for Success
Did you know that student spending supports over ￡80bn of UK economic output?!
Excluding accommodation, UK university students spend approximately ￡4,000 per annum. With living costs on the rise, these savvy spenders are pinching pennies—but don't underestimate their wallet power. As fresh faces in the market, they're ripe for the picking when it comes to building long term brand loyalty.
In this article, get ready to dive into the world of Gen Z university student marketing. We'll explore how brands can stand out by using experiential marketing and authentic storytelling to forge deep connections and win over this savvy demographic, ensuring lasting loyalty and engagement.
Setting the Foundation for Engagement: University Student Psychographics
Gen Z university students are a dynamic demographic with a diverse range of interests and values that marketers must understand to engage them effectively.?
These students mean business! They're all about acing their studies and hustling for those internships, resources, and networking gigs to launch their careers. As the first generation to have never known the world before the internet, they are highly proficient with technology and heavily engaged on most, if not all, social media platforms; using these for personal use as well as educational tools.
In terms of values, diversity and inclusion are paramount to these students. They are vocal champions of equal rights and social justice—think gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice. Saving the planet? Absolutely. These students are diving into green initiatives and often opt for ethically produced goods over cheaper alternatives.
As consumers, Gen Z students resemble Millennials, prioritising brand loyalty that aligns with their values, especially social responsibility. The biggest difference marks how your brand can truly stand out in campaigns ta?rgeting students. They want to use their spend on memorable experiences, highlighting a shift toward experiential consumption. It’s all about living large and making memories that matter.
Overcoming Student Marketing Challenges: Standing Out and Building Trust
It's a cutthroat battle for engagement, navigating through a jungle of competitors while going head-to-head with corporate giants with substantial resources. So, let’s dive straight into the main student marketing challenges - to master the art of seizing and holding their attention.
Surviving a Crowded Marketplace: Catering to Student Interest
Shocker, the marketplace is saturated. Students are constantly bombarded with information and advertisements competing for their attention. The challenge is ensuring your brand stands out. The good news is you've already taken the first step by trying to understand their values and behaviours. By keeping these insights in mind while tailoring your strategy, you'll be on the right path to creating a campaign that resonates and stands out amidst the noise of the marketplace.
If you want to take this a step further, intrigue them. Gen Z is particularly entrepreneurial, with a staggering 93% having already explored business ownership. This demographic gets genuinely pumped by innovation and creativity. Just look at the meteoric rise of brands like Liquid Death. While you don't need to turn your brand upside down, exploring innovative ideas that pique their interest can make a significant impact on your campaigns.
Authentic Engagement: Navigating Gen Z's Aversion to Commercialism
One of the biggest challenges for brands engaging with Gen Z is capturing their attention while staying authentic and true to their brand image.
This generation is no stranger to advertising, having been exposed to a constant stream of ads across all their digital platforms from their very first social media account onwards. As such, many of them are averse to overly commercial and polished marketing. They prefer authentic user-generated content and ads that resonate with their culture—whether it’s the humour of Ryanair and Duolingo or Just Eat’s catchy celebrity ads.
But here’s the catch: you have to stay true to your brand image. Don’t try too hard to fit in or adopt values that don’t align with your brand. Instead, focus on showcasing the real people behind your brand and your genuine connection to the values you do share with Gen Z. Over half of this generation regularly researches brands before making a purchase to ensure the company aligns with their views on corporate social responsibility. By highlighting your commitment to values you genuinely hold, you can effectively engage Gen Z without compromising your brand identity.
Creating Genuine Connections: Overcoming Digital Noise with Experiential Marketing
As with the previous challenge, tackling this hurdle is crucial for fostering brand loyalty and resilience in the future. Engaging directly with student communities and showing that your brand values their input can build strong, lasting relationships. However, there are significant challenges in achieving this, especially in the digital age.
While digital platforms offer extensive reach, they can sometimes create a barrier to authenticity. Efforts that come off as overly commercial or insincere can backfire, leading to a loss of trust. Plus, with so many brands employing similar digital strategies, standing out can be a real struggle. The oversaturation of digital marketing means even the best efforts can get lost in the noise.
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That’s why we at Dig In use experiential marketing through product sampling as our main tactic for reaching students. By moving beyond the screen and into the real world, experiential marketing helps to break through the digital clutter and establish a more authentic presence. It allows students to experience your brand firsthand, leading to stronger emotional connections and lasting impressions.
Mastering Cultural Relevance in Student Marketing: Key Strategies for Success
In the fast-paced world of student life, juggling academics, work, and social activities leaves little time for students to engage with brands. That’s why brands should be offering convenient and time-efficient ways for students to interact with their products or services. Think streamlined online shopping, snazzy mobile apps, or on-campus services designed to save time
Making sure your brand messages are culturally relevant and hit home with students' experiences and identities is crucial—but let’s be real, it’s also challenging. Creating content that’s relatable and speaks directly to the student experience is key to forming a genuine connection. This means using language, visuals, and themes that truly reflect their daily lives and concerns. Let’s review.
Crafting Language and Tone to Boost Your Gen Z Relatability
Speak the student language—be conversational, sprinkle in some slang or colloquial terms when it fits, and ditch the overly formal or corporate tones. The goal? Sound authentic and relatable. Keeping a consistent brand image and tone of voice is crucial, but remember to adapt to the platform you're using. A formal tone might work for LinkedIn when you're connecting with colleagues and partners, but to vibe with Gen Z students on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, a more relaxed and conversational tone is key.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity in Your Marketing
If relevant, feature diverse student groups and highlight everyday experiences like studying, socialising, and getting involved in extracurricular activities. Make sure to emphasise inclusivity and diversity—values that Gen Z holds dear. Why? Because Gen Z is more likely to engage with a brand that authentically represents them compared to previous generations. They also tend to do their homework on brands before making a purchase. So, ask yourself: Does your brand genuinely reflect this community? If a Gen Z consumer visits your social media or website, will they find content they can relate to?
Take LGBTQ+ representation, for example: A significant portion of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ+. In 2023, over one in five Gen Z adults aged 18 to 26 identify as LGBTQ+, compared to nearly one in 10 millennials aged 27 to 42.
Humanising Your Brand: Real Stories for Genuine Connections
?Bring your brand to life by sharing stories from real students who use and love your products or services. User-generated content, testimonials, and case studies provide genuine perspectives that resonate and build trust among students. If resources are tight before your campaign and recruiting students for content is a no-go, focus on highlighting the people behind your brand. Gen Z prefers connecting with individuals rather than just faceless brands. Showcasing experiences from your staff helps humanise your brand and strengthen connections with your audience.
Capture Gen Z Loyalty with The Power of Experiential Marketing and Product Sampling
Despite their budget-conscious habits, Gen Z students are a key demographic for brands looking to secure long-term loyalty. Ultimately, Gen Z understands the impact of their spending power—and they expect brands to earn their attention.
Their preference for spending on memorable experiences provides a golden opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves by building deeper connections through experiential marketing. That's why product sampling isn't just another marketing funnel - it’s a strategic investment to boost loyalty and sales, giving brands a sharp edge in winning over Gen Z.
Ready to dive into product sampling for university students?