Online is the way to a student’s wallet

Brands must look online to capture students, with online promotions most effective way of engagement.

New research from a student lifestyle report conducted by studentbeans.com and YouGov SixthSense reveals that online promotions are the most effective way to communicate with students.

When looking for sources of information on latest deals and products offered by companies, 86% of UK students turn to online vouchers. Campaigns centred around an offer are also likely to have a higher response rate – a studentbeans.com survey in March 2010 found that 94% of respondents expected companies to provide special offers for students.

Many students still engage with email marketing, with 57% getting information on deals from emails sent by voucher and offer websites and 38% sourcing deals from email newsletters sent directly from the companies themselves.

Students are also becoming more receptive to email marketing, with the knowledge that these are likely to include special offers and deals. 48% of UK students say that the number of emails they read from companies has gone up.

Commenting on the results, James Eder, Commercial Director of studentbeans.com said, “Students are more Internet-savvy that any other consumer group and it is no surprise that they are responding to email marketing campaigns and online vouchers. However, brands need to ensure that their messaging is targeting young people effectively – the research shows that over half of students think that most emails they receive from companies are irrelevant to them.”