Media planners have a choice when it comes to reaching college students nationally.  They can either use national mass media outlets, or they can focus on specific campuses that together deliver national coverage.  The former provides broad coverage, while the campus-specific approach enables marketers to focus media on a fixed pool of students while adding variety to the media voice.   We recommend advertisers follow the latter approach.

A media plan advertising on college campuses can be easily scaled to approach or exceed the reach of a national mass media strategy.  Of the 10 million college students enrolled in 4-year schools, just under half are enrolled in the 200 largest schools and two thirds are enrolled in the largest 400 schools.  Media plans encompassing all or many of these schools will reach as many students as a mass media campaign, and will be much more efficiently targeted.

The advantage of a college campus advertising media plan is its ability to focus media on a defined group of students and efficiently build up frequency.  Given the same number of impressions, a national mass media approach will likely reach more people, but its targeting will be less focused and its ability build frequency of exposure limited.  The campus-specific approach will efficient – exposure is limited to specific campus populations.  Advertising on college campuses will also enable marketers to limit reach for the sake of increased frequency.  Building frequency of exposure is essential to building brand awareness.

Deploying multiple forms of media on a campus is another smart strategy.  The multi-media approach keeps the voice fresh and varied.  Campus media options range from college newspaper advertising, out-of-home displays, campus-specific online advertising, geo-targeted mobile advertising, flyering, email, campus promotions and more.  Deploying several forms of campus media keeps the messaging on target and fresh in the minds of students.

Most of our client engagements take advantage of using multiple forms of media.  Whether print advertising in college newspapers plus bulletin board postering, or audience targeted online plus mobile display plus bus shelters, or a promotional event together with both print and online in college newspapers, our clients benefit from the varied voice of a multimedia advertising strategy.