When businesses think about marketing to college students, they often don’t address the fact that almost half (43%) of college students are multicultural- Hispanic, Asian, African-American or mixed race. Other businesses focus solely on Hispanic college students, while 23% of the college student population is African-American. The “tried and true” methods of marketing include in-language creative and media, such as running a 30-second ad in Spanish. It is important to go after a specific and different marketing strategy to engage multicultural college students. O’Dwyer’s International & Multicultural PR Magazine created an article detailing the differences in media consumption and advertising preferences for multicultural college students.
When creating and distributing useful advertisements and content to consume, it is important to notice that not all multicultural college students prefer the same platforms. For example, Asian college students prefer consuming news content or content relevant to their major or desired profession/career. However, African-Americans tend to gravitate towards entertainment, news and tech. This content is important to keep in mind when placing an advertisement in college newspapers, as many of these interests (news, entertainment, etc.) are divided into sections of the newspaper.
Additionally, multicultural college students are more likely to watch TV on Netflix than on cable or broadcast TV. They are also shifting their media consumption to more digital platforms and social media. Language is also playing less of a role for Hispanic and Asian college students. According to the Hispanic Millennial Project, only 42% of Asian college students and 46% of Hispanic students reported they streamed any non-English programming in the last 30 days. Culture is the real driver of media consumption, as students say it is an overwhelming factor in their home life, and the music, movies and TV they watch.
Social media is also a key aspect of their lives, and they are willing to share and distribute content, coupons, and brands that are relevant to them.
Effective multicultural marketing requires a shift in mindset for advertisers. It is important to keep in mind some of the nuances between each of the different segments, as it relate to their personal preferences. Regardless of whether you target African, Asian or Hispanic individually or collectively, multicultural college student marketing can ignite the engine of a wider college-targeted campaign.
