Colleges and universities are hotbeds of on-campus marketing – and for good reason.

More than 10 million students are currently enrolled in traditional (four-year) colleges, and an estimated 2.2 million freshmen are incoming each year. For likely the first time in their lives, these students are making daily decisions that have major impact.  Mom and Dad are no longer there to fill the fridge and making sure every need is met.  They are now just a source of money essentially, while these young adults are left to decide what to purchase with these funds.  What a great and frightening time in a person’s life!

Back in the day credit card companies were virtually the only ones marketing to college campuses, hoping to hook uninformed and naïve students into getting something they probably shouldn’t have.  Today, while those pesky credit cards are still out there behind a table or kiosk every weekend, more brands are actively engaging the student body with ambassadors who are actual students, experiencing the same things as the young people they target.  This makes them relevant when they talk about a brand. And as the key target demographic, they can provide strategic information to your marketing and sales teams both on and off campus.

What makes a great campus ambassador?

Think upper class students – Junior or Senior level – who are past the initial haze of college life and are starting to consider their future after graduation.  When possible, and so long as it’s relevant to your product, look for a male and a female on the same campus so you are covering all demos.  They should be active in several organizations on campus and an influencer within those groups.  Living on campus is a plus, as you want them to be as engaged and visible as possible.  They should exude the brand image, but not be off-putting in personality or appearance.

They need to be great communicators!

They should be able to give you insider information of the campus, including where and when to concentrate your efforts to put all of your resources to the best use.  It is of no benefit  to show up on campus for a product blitz only to find out that it is a study day or that on Thursday, classes don’t go past noon so no one is out and about when you arrive.  Having the inside scoop on when the big intramural matches are going to happen or what the big party nights are is a crucial timing element for a successful activation.  Knowing who the key people are that can help integrate your brand into the big event or activity is essential as well.  These are the types of things a great campus ambassador can do for you.

When doing a big activation on campus you don’t necessarily want the ambassador to be a visible part of the marketing efforts.  They do this already everyday in a more organic style.  When done correctly, setting up a tent with coolers, flags  and branded people can be very appealing . If an ambassador created the event, then by all means make them a part of it.  Don’t tie them down though by just being a sampler; let them be seen as the image of the brand by being out and enjoying the product while encouraging others to do the same.

Providing samples on-campus is not always an easy operation.

You may find a campus that doesn’t allow overt forms of marketing,, which means you need to find a very creative ambassador who can both follow the rules and also successfully navigate in the grey area without causing damage.  If you are a beverage company, often times the campus may be sponsored by one of the big players in the field and you are not permitted  to do anything on campus.  In those situations, you can choose to either avoid that campus altogether or go into it knowing that your ambassador will be limited in scope.  Choosing the latter can be worth the effort.

Keep in mind that the NCAA has a rule book as big as the U.S. Tax code, and you can’t expect your student ambassador to know all the ins and outs of the system.  You need to have access to someone who does understand compliance.  If you are lucky enough to be a sponsor of a campus for the athletic programs, you will gain far greater access for your brand at events on campus. However, your organic program could suffer as you will now be required to be in full NCAA compliance.   Guerilla marketing will be out the window at that point and being a school sponsor will not necessarily get you access to NCAA Tournaments or Bowl games, as those are restricted to NCAA Sponsorships.  Not to say you can’t be at the big game, but there are marketing dead zones around them so you have to be aware of where you can and cannot be.

Hiring a great campus ambassador can give a brand unparalleled access to the most important group of consumers on the planet: collegiate Millennials.  While young, they are upwardly mobile with fresh malleable minds and will purchase your brand for life.

We have a successful background in building brand ambassador programs.  To learn more about them, contact Greg at gregd@theswitch.us.