Sample Blog: Modern Innovators: College Students SAMPLE BLOG

Galbraith’s article, “The Dependence Effect” holds many truths regarding American consumerism, marketing, and advertising and although it was written nearly five decades ago. The diffusion of innovation has remained constant and modern innovators can most commonly be seen in the form of college students. College students, males and females roughly 18-24 years of age, have malleable young minds and are exposed to a bevy of brands while they are first on their own away from mom and dad. They are making their own decisions on what to purchase, the perfect time for brands to target them with their products, and offer them free samples and incentives to hopefully make them a lifelong customer. College students are curious, passionate, and most importantly, in the right place at the right time. At Rutgers, the amounts of brands around young students are irrepressible. Pepsi drinks inundate our dining hall, AT&T, and Snickers logos saturate our t-shirts and newly named High Point Solutions Stadium (another brand), Rutgers Intramurals has a new deal with American Eagle Outfitters, Scarlet Apps is now merged with Google, Target offers students private shopping during the first month after hours as a private endorsement deal, and our bookstores are now owned by Barnes and Nobles Bookstores. College students fall victim to powerful branding and marketing strategies during their years at college, and they will never forget them. Not only will students not forget the product they were given, but how they received that product and the whole marketing scheme involved in receiving that product because, according to Galbraith equal amounts go into research and advertising. “Outlays for the manufacturing of a product are not more important in the strategy of modern business enterprise than outlays for the manufacturing of demand for the product” (Galbraith 22). Every college student - every person, loves receiving coupons and free items, and they certainly arrive in bulk on college campuses. College students influence purchases of their younger siblings and parents, bringing news of their newfound likes and dislikes home. College undergrads are referred to as “bridges” in a recent New York Times article titled, “Marketers Are Everywhere”, “They will have influence back in the home and influence going forward” (NYT). As soon as brands have built a relationship with an individual and that individual passes word on of that brand consumer demand is not in existence wants become dependent on production and expectation rises with attainment, basically Galbraith’s cycle begins and marketers must begin creating more wants for consumers. (Galbriath 23) Students nowadays are being sponsored by brands themselves, like energy drinks and even clothing labels. Brands employ students to be their brand ambassador offering them free products in bulk as a reward to share and spread brand awareness around campus. Peer to peer marketing is the most effective tool, as it is a direct stem from word of mouth marketing, which will forever be the most popular and effective marketing tool. College students are prime innovators, not their parents with money, mothers watching QVC, or their younger siblings but college students for their age, curiosity, and willingness to learn. Brands target students at a crucial point in their lives, when they are at the point of making their own preferences and managing their own money, and setting trends making them the most effective demographic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/business/at-colleges-the-marketers-are-everywhere.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimes