NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chegg, the Student
Hub, and global media agency, UM, recently collaborated to better
understand how today's 18 to 24 year-olds are impacted by defining
moments during their college years – a major transition period. The
study, entitled "College Matters," defines these critical moments
and reveals how brands can meaningfully engage and connect with
this audience. Chegg and UM will jointly present the findings at
the Youth Marketing Strategy conference in New York City on September 21, 2016.
"Becoming a college student and subsequently entering the
'real-world' are pivotal, transitional times for young adults,"
said Mitch Spolan, EVP of Brand
Partnerships at Chegg. "By surveying this audience, we uncovered
how brands can support and engage college students, a large cohort
of future consumers with great future spending power, in a
memorable way during key periods in their life."
Students experience a series of defining moments throughout
their college careers, starting with the application process for
admission.
Regardless of their year in school, many of the most meaningful
moments for college students typically occur early in their college
journey. When asked to think about their most significant
experiences over the past several years:
- 76% remembered the first college that accepted them
- 75% reported doing well on their first test
- And 71% acknowledged getting their first bad grade
These types of moments, understood in context, can help
facilitate brand engagement. Older students remember pivotal times
that require greater responsibility:
- 53% of fourth year students recalled signing their first
lease
- 56% noted traveling with friends
- And 52% mentioned their first college relationship
Students don't live in a bubble
Students are also attuned to the world around them. When asked
about current events that they're following in the news:
- 92% noted the 2016 elections
- 82% noted ISIS and terrorism
- 75% mentioned gun control
- And 71% said sexual violence on campus
Brand affinity is less about "me" and more about "we"
A consistent shift is underway with how brands interact with
students.
- Fewer students remember advertising that makes them laugh (65%
in 2016 vs. 75% in 2015)
- Fewer students are moved by advertising that feels authentic
(65% in 2016 vs. 70% in 2015)
- Fewer students will advocate for brands that reward their
loyalty (68% in 2016 vs. 75% in 2015)
- Students consistently believe that it's important for companies
to give back to the community (88% in 2016 vs. 87% in 2015)
College Students are engaging with brands differently
Students today spend 56 hours per week engaging with media, and
more than ever before, they want to control the way in which they
consume content and branded entertainment. Currently, almost half
use streaming–only services for content, a 15% increase since 2015.
This is also shifting their behavior, most notably in how they
interact with advertisements. More students notice ads via online
video sites, mobile apps and Facebook rather than traditional
channels such as TV, radio, magazine or billboards.
Digital vs. Traditional
- 63% noticed ads on online video sites (vs. 36% in
2013)
- 51% noticed Facebook banner ads (vs. 33% in 2013)
- 47% noticed ads within mobile apps (vs. 27% in 2013)
- 50% noticed ads on television (vs. 66% in 2013)
- 38% noticed ads on radio (vs. 46% in 2013)
- 20% noticed ads in magazines (vs. 48% in 2013)
Students also enjoy interacting with brands on social media
platforms. Nearly half of students follow brands on Facebook (49%
female and 45% male) and 45% of females follow brands on Instagram,
compared with 26% of males.
"We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Chegg on such an
important and vital piece of research," said Joshua Lowcock, EVP Head of Digtal, U.S., UM.
"Their expertise in this space combined with UM's propriety
Moments-based approached to media planning promises to deliver
outstanding results for clients looking to reach this essential,
dynamic demographic."
By learning how to connect with students during key moments and
on their terms, brands will create lifelong relationships with this
elusive demographic. As a company that puts students first and
reaches more than 40 million unique visitors annually (according to
comScore U.S. Annual Unique Visitors (Custom Analytics),
April 2015 – March 2016.) with enriching and entertaining
experiences, Chegg strives to build deep ties and more meaningful
interactions between students and the brands they love. Full
findings and brand implications will be unveiled on Wednesday, September 21st in a mid
afternoon panel from 2:20pm –
2:50pm Eastern Time at YMS New York,
located at The Landing At Industry City. For more information about
YMS, visit http://ymsnyc.voxburner.com.
Methodology
Guided and recorded discussions with 35
students across 10 friendship groups at schools including
Columbia University, Boston University, University
of Washington and Chapman
University were fielded between April and May of 2016.
Quantitative survey results were gathered and analyzed from 544
respondents among "CheggHeads," a proprietary panel of nearly
12,000 students who voluntarily provide insights about
student-related topics. The survey was weighted by gender to match
the overall U.S. College population based on NCES statistics.
About Chegg
Chegg puts students first and is
proud to have saved students and their families more than
$1 billion. As the leading
student-first connected learning
platform, Chegg's Student Hub makes higher education more
affordable and more accessible, all while improving student
outcomes. Chegg's College Marketing team helps fortune 500
brands develop meaningful connections with students across multiple
platforms including product sampling, digital and mobile media,
promotional programs integrated with Chegg content and services,
and on-campus activations. Chegg is a publicly-held company
based in Santa Clara, California and trades on
the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information,
visit collegemarketing.chegg.com.
About UM
UM (umww.com) believes that better science
and better art deliver better outcomes to our clients in the media
moments that matter most. We are a creative media agency, committed
to blurring the lines between media and creativity, between data
and content, between science and art. A global media network in IPG
Mediabrands, UM operates in over 100 countries, with 4,800 people
innovating on a roster of clients including Johnson & Johnson,
Coca-Cola, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, The Hershey Company, CVS
Health, ExxonMobil, BMW and Sony.
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