NationalCollege Media Convention: National Marketers Find Traditional Student Papers Are Still Highly Effective for Reaching Youth Audience
ORLANDO, Fla. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Oct 31, 2002--Recent studies offered by 360 Youth, an Alloy, Inc. Company (NASDAQ:ALOY), show that despite continued increases in college market internet usage, students on campuses across the country still look to their campus newspapers for daily news and information. These findings, together with a combined 9% increase in advertising revenues from the two largest college Rep agencies, Cass Communications and All Campus Media, recently acquired by 360 Youth, demonstrate that national marketers are increasingly relying on the college newspaper to reach the important and elusive young adult market.
According to College Explorer, a recent study by Harris Interactive and 360 Youth, college students wield substantial market power. Students aged 18-30 are spending more than $200 billion per year. Students aged 18-24 represent $116 billion of those dollars, up significantly from $106.5 billion per year in the spring of 2001.
Derek White, EVP of Alloy, Inc. and General Manager of 360 Youth commented, ''Reaching this influential age group has presented a steady challenge for national marketers. Not only has the effectiveness of the television advertising spot been in recent decline, but the method students utilize to get information has fragmented over recent years, making it more difficult for advertisers to capture their attention.''
Despite the impressive connectedness of the youth sector, students continue to read their campus newspaper on a regular basis, making it a highly targeted means for marketers to reach this age group. In fact, a study conducted by Student Monitor found that students prefer their print editions over the online versions, reporting only 8% visited their newspaper websites over the course of a month, while 45% of students had read at least 3 out of the last 5 issues of their campus paper and spend an average of 19 minutes with each issue. The College Explorer study found that 75% of all students read their campus newspaper, finding 25% have read all 5 of the last 5 issues.
''With so many media choices available to students today, it`s important you reach them throughout their day. For college students, the campus paper becomes an important channel. For many it`s their preferred source for information,'' commented Ben Versh, Sr. Media Manager, Pfizer. ''We consistently find impactful, placed media, like college newspapers to be an effective component of a targeted campaign.''
''Reading the campus newspaper is a quickly-formed and ongoing habit. With content such as campus and local news, campus sports, opinion and commentary, movie and music reviews all written by and for students, combined with advertising specials from local retailers and recruitment information from Fortune 500 companies, you have a package students consider a must read,'' said Eric Jacobs, General Manager of The Daily Pennsylvanian (Univ. of Pa.). ''That`s why 96% of Penn undergraduates read our newspaper (according to an independent readership study by Tragon Co. in April 2002), and 70% of them identified The Daily Pennsylvanian as the campus publication with advertising information most useful to them.''
According to the Campus Monitor, a study done by 360 Youth, a vast majority of students are exposed to the medium every day, with over a quarter of students reporting passing a newspaper distribution stand at least 30 times a week. The study also reported that the most read section of the newspaper is the Front Page (73%), follow by Politics (46%). Entertainment and Sports are also popular with 34% and 29% and respectively.
Messages posted by students on a leading college web site, College Club (www.collegeclub.com), further demonstrate newspapers prevalence among students. One student commented ''I have found it easiest to read my University`s newspaper. It`s free and since I have to go to the campus anyway, it`s convenient''. Also, I like reading it because it gives me information on school related issues and outside issues as well.''
A recent survey conducted on www.collegeclub.com reported that 45% of students look to their college paper over any other source for campus information.
About 360 Youth
360 Youth, the media and marketing arm of Alloy, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALOY), integrates the assets and experience of the largest and strongest college and teen marketing companies including MarketSource Corporation, CASS Communications, Alloy, Y-Access, Market Place Media, YouthStream and others to provide sales and marketing solutions targeting young adults. 360 Youth services over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies through a comprehensive mix of media and promotional programs encompassing school based wall media, campus newspapers, catalogs, event and field marketing, websites, sampling programs, and research. 360 Youth`s extensive knowledge of this demographic and effective programs deliver targeted messages to the young adult population while attracting this audience through a wide range of partnerships that extend to popular social centers and destinations. For more information on 360 Youth, an Alloy Inc. company, please visit our website at www.360youth.com. For more information on 360 Youth`s parent company, Alloy, Inc., please visit www.alloy.com
|
