Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Shifting Media Preferences

I haven’t been home since Christmas, and I am really looking forward to going back for a change of pace and scenery. One change that I am looking forward to upon returning home is the change that will take place in my media preferences. Let me explain…

Right now, I couldn’t name a single movie in the theaters and I have no idea what songs are playing on the radio. I haven’t kept up with any TV shows, and I have even found it hard to keep up with the NBA playoffs that I once enjoyed.

Being in college has made my choice of media strictly a computer, and the same can be said for most of my friends. Even though I own a TV here, with a busy schedule it’s hard to watch it other than during meals or in brief breaks during the day.

This personal change in media preferences that I undergo as I travel from college to home makes me realize the challenges that marketers face when trying to attract college students. For example, does American Express stick to the same strategy for marketing the Zync card during the summers that they use during the school year?

The success that firms can have in marketing to college aged students during the six months that they are not at school could really differentiate and decide who ultimately succeeds in the market. Firms need to understand the extent to which college students, like myself, shift their media preferences in order to remain competitive.

1 comment:

  1. I agree with you to an extent. Yes, marketers have to be conscious of our needs as college students when they create advertisements and marketing schemes. However, our experience at Wharton is obviously different from most students - even those in peer institutions surprisingly.

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