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Over the years, social channels have boomed and fizzled faster than 4th of July fireworks. When they’re hot, they’re hot; when they’re not, well…. they try to adapt to social behavior. While some (ahem, Friendster) never make it, others such as Facebook find ways to stay relevant to its users.

However, there is a grey area that many social networks get trapped in. Their evolution to stay on top of the ever-changing social scene didn’t quite stick with its users, or, it adapts into something entirely different. Here lies the infamous Myspace.

Previously MySpace and My____), Myspace was once the most visited social networking site in the world. It was the go-to site to connect with friends, meet new people, discover music, share pictures and most importantly, make your friends jealous by ranking them in your Top 8. As the social landscape shifted with the launch of Facebook, Myspace no longer became the go-to spot to hang out. Facebook began to expand past the student demographic and picked up speed – and soon thereafter took over as the cool new social platform, while Myspace gradually saw its usage decline. While many critics deemed Myspace a massive failure, bands, artists and music lovers still viewed Myspace as a great platform. But who thought Myspace could be saved?

Justin Timberlake; that’s who. This September, JT’s investment in the social media site was announced along with a promotional video featuring Myspace’s shiny new makeover. Positioning itself as a “social network for the creative community to connect to their fans”¹, Myspace is launching itself to be a place for social entertainment.

So, will you be reactiving your Myspace account? And importantly, can Myspace win over the hearts of millennials?

We think so. Many of today’s college students missed the original Myspace boom – and Myspace’s value proposition and good looks are promising. The new Myspace combines so many of the social platforms students already love; Pinterest, Instgram, music streaming, friend connectivity and more. With a fresh new look, and an untapped base of students and millennials, maybe Myspace isn’t sooooo 2006 afterall.

¹Tim Vanderhook, The Hollywood Reporter

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It’s that time of year again. College students everywhere are gearing up to head back to school for the fall semester. Back-to-school shopping creates a huge opportunity for retailers and other brands to tap into the student market, as evident by the amount of back-to-school ads and discounts students are bombarded with every year. But what are these consumers really looking for when they stock up for another year? SUMM teamed up with StudentUniverse and went right to the source, asking students about how they shop for back-to-school.

Not surprisingly, we found that students expect great sales and discounts this time of year, and the vast majority are savvy comparison shoppers. What did surprise us is how much effort they put into looking for the best deals, and the amount of independence they display when making purchases. They also had lots of opinions on which brands already offer good deals, and who could do better. Take a look at the below infographic and tell us where your brand falls.

(click image to enlarge)

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July 4^th is one of those classic holidays that bring up memories and traditions everyone is familiar with – fireworks, hotdogs, red-white-and-blue everything, backyard games, pools, and beach days. This year as we sat around my friend’s pool taking down grill food and watching the Nathan’s hotdog eating contest (shout-out to Joey Chestnut for keeping his title) while the guys battled it out in some fierce wiffle ball games, we got to talking about our childhood memories from Independence Days gone by.  Someone mentioned sparklers and we all had the “I loved those!” excited reaction. People talked about the places they would go every year or the food they would always eat (apparently I was the only one who had cheese stuffed deer dogs. Northerners don’t know what they’re missing).

As we talked in more and more detail about the things we loved about the 4^th as kids, we started to bring up other childhood favorites. We got into toys, songs, foods, TV shows, and clothes. Every time someone mentioned some classic item from the 90s we would all get so excited. “Oh I had those!” “Yeah I remember playing that!” “Oh my gosh, I miss those!” The more we chatted the more I realized how powerful nostalgia can be as a marketing tool. We were all dying to get our hands on these crazy products simply because they related to memories from our past.

We ended up making a list of some of the best things from our childhood days. Here are just a few:

Lunchables
POGS
Snap bracelets
Tamagotchi Pets
LLBean backpacks (the ones with your initials embroidered on the front)
Heelys
Dunkaroos
Oregon Trail
Warheads
Bop It
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Nintendo64
NOW cds
Beanie Babies
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Boy Meets World
Fruit Roll Ups
Little Giants
The Sandlot
Sock ‘em Boppers
Bagel Bites
Gushers

 If you didn’t get embarrassingly excited over at least five of the items on this list then you, my friend, had a sorely deprived childhood. The Lunchables pizza that came with the chocolate and M&Ms was the best thing any kid could bring into the lunch room. The barter power that came with that chocolate covered crust was unbelievable! And why Bill Nye still hasn’t been awarded a Nobel Prize is beyond me. The man was a genius and had the catchiest science theme songs that will ever be recorded. To this day I can lose myself for hours in a heated N64 Mario Kart battle, and I still say jumping the wall in Mario Stadium is not cheating. It’s skill. And finally, popping all the lemon-flavored warheads from the bag into your mouth at once gave you so much street cred on the playground it was ridiculous, but it was a feat that few accomplished successfully.

I could sit here and reminisce all day, but the point is that this excited feeling we get when we are confronted with a nostalgic product actually has a lot of value for brands. We get attached to products that bring back memories of good times and are, consequently, more likely to gravitate toward those items. Many Millennials are still in the process of making those memories that will last a lifetime, and the brands who can be a part of that will benefit from it in the future. Twenty years down the road someone can look back on their college times and get that same yearning for a snack or a video game that current college students get for their childhood toys. A brand that takes the time to build those memories with current students has the chance to create a relationship that can last well into the next generation.

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Excited about college marketing? Like meeting new people? Do you love summer?

Come celebrate SUMMertime with us and at our second annual Student Marketing Meetup! Let’s share our best practices and enjoy the great weather over a few drinks and bites right on Boston’s waterfront.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Tia’s Restaurant & Bar at the Waterfront
200 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02110

RSVP here
Tweet #StudentMM

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With the average age of a viewer hovering at 55, The History Channel (now known as History) is not well known for attracting a youthful demographic. However, History is challenging the status quo and is setting its sites on the highly coveted 18-54 demographic.

A lineup full of World War II documentaries, while interesting, is not enough to pull most of viewers away from the likes of Jersey Shore and various dancing and singing based competitions that air on the major networks.

By mixing history and reality, History channel has been able to lower its average viewing age into the advertiser’s dream demographic. “Pawn Stars” average viewer age is a surprising 11 years younger than its traditional programming. While this by no means turns History into MTV, it does help it reach a younger audience that will hopefully find additional programming they enjoy on the channel, which will allow History to boast viewership in the elusive 18-54 demographic to advertisers.

History is not afraid to put major marketing dollars behind these reality shows. “Swamp People”, a reality show about the centuries old tradition of hunting alligators in the Louisiana bayou, had a SuperBowl ad that promoted the show and the channel. History also partnered with the Louisiana Office of Tourism for some effective event marketing, bringing a mini swamp habitat, with live alligators, to New York City in order to drive interest in the show and the state.

There is also the ratings juggernaut that is “Hatfields & McCoys”, a three day mini-series about an infamous family feud. It concluded over Memorial Day weekend. “Hatfields & McCoys”, was a ratings smash, breaking the record for the most viewed non-sports, ad-supported cable program. It had more than 17 million viewers for the first installment, with 4.8 million falling into the 18-49 demographic.





As a long time viewer of History, I have been surprised and excited to see the channel really take control of creating new program that speaks to the younger demographic. There is also a lesson here that could be applied to any brand. No matter what connotations your brand might have, there is always an opportunity to give it a make-over. Use the strengths of your brand to take on new challenges and grow your target market, and make history in the process.

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Picture you’re idea of a typical college learning environment. Do you see students scribbling notes while the professor lectures in front of a chalkboard? Are desks littered with paper, pens, and giant textbooks? Are students in the library quizzing themselves with flashcards and pouring over pages of hand-written notes? Well if this is how you envision college learning then you, my friend, are sadly mistaken.

The students wandering around today’s universities are part of the most plugged-in generation to ever step foot on a college campus. They live on social media, turn to Google to answer all of life’s important questions (type “how to” into the Google search bar and one of the top auto-complete options is “cure a hangover”), and are glued to their smart phones. It’s only natural their technology dependency would spread to the classroom as well.

Walking into a college lecture nowadays is like walking into the cockpit of the Starship Enterprise. Spiral notebooks have been replaced by laptops with note-taking software such as Microsoft OneNote or Evernote. Why take notes by hand when most students type at lightning speed, and the backspace button is so much more convenient than an eraser? Hey remember those things called overhead projectors with the clear slides? Well those have been banished to the dinosaur age to be replaced by touchscreen-controlled projectors and digital overheads that all link to the central classroom computer. In fact, in many schools the entire classroom, from the lights and projection screen to the wireless connectivity, can be controlled from a central workstation. No more coughing on chalk dust either – Smartboards in classrooms allow professors to write on a white board and have the notes digitally saved online for students to peruse later.

“Is this Econ 101?” “No that’s down the hall”

The classroom isn’t the only place students are merging college with their technology habit. They use online tools to track everything about their education including class assignments, grades, group collaboration, and course requirements. Online classes are also becoming increasingly popular, particularly among graduate students or those with full time jobs, since they can attend from virtually anywhere. In research done by Presta Electronics, it is estimated that by 2014 over 18 million students will take at least some of their classes online. The below infographic from Mashable summs up how students are using technology to further their education.

With all of this digital integration built into the higher education system now, it means that students are spending even more time with their electronic devices. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are being used more than ever by these tech-savvy co-eds, meaning sales of digital tools for learning are on the rise. E-textbook sales are growing, and software used for managing assignments or increasing group collaboration (like file sharing) is becoming more and more popular among this demographic.

So what does this mean for brands? With all the time students are spending online both in and out of the classroom, digital content is a great way to reach them. It also means that any services or tools a brand can offer to make a student’s classroom life easier would create a positive brand image among millennials, and bring your brand into an important aspect of student life. I know the general perception is that college is all beer-chugging, music-bumping, rage-til-you-drop parties and questionable life decisions, but surprisingly most students actually do learn a few things in their four years on campus (not saying that other stuff doesn’t happen too). Brands who find a way to engage with them on an educational level in addition to a social level will have a huge advantage in the student market.

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Let’s preface with our disclaimer that SUMM is a division of StudentUniverse, the leading student deals provider, so you may think we’re a little biased.

At SUMM, we’re always crafting new ways for brands to get attention from college students in big ways but student deals always rank high in our bag of tricks. Here’s the main reasons why:

It shows you care

College students today are of a generation that loves attention. They want to be recognized and heard. So, they love it when brands do something just for them. Hey, they are working hard in school and deserve some reward for it! Offering a student deal shows that your brand identifies with college students and relates to the point in their life where they are. Plus, it’s cool that they can get a better deal than their parents. Students appreciate this and reciprocate with purchases.

They spread the word

Students are routinely the early adopters and trendsetters of everything from fashion to technology. Look at classic examples like Facebook or even UGG Boots; students adopt the idea or style, pass it to other students and all of a sudden, bam, it’s everywhere you look. Today’s student has already been on Facebook for most or all of high school and is expanding their social networks even faster in college. Tapping into those networks can be very powerful for brands.

They will spend after college

College students are at the beginning of their customer life-cycle and many are making purchase decisions on their own for the first time. If you can hook them with deals while they are in college, they will get to know your brand and continue to choose it for decades. Plus, they will be making significantly more than their peers who are not getting a degree. They remember and appreciate the brands that accommodated them while on a budget in college and become brand loyal after they graduate.

They are a controlled group

Brands can be a little looser with the deals they make available to college students, knowing that only college students can use them. Quick plug: StudentUniverse uses a patented verification technology to prove that its members are currently enrolled college students. Additionally, the college population literally turns over 25% every year with seniors graduating and new freshmen coming in so there’s constantly a new, fresh audience to speak to. In essence, marketing to college students ensures brand longevity.

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Did you hit your social media channels too hard last night? Feeling foggy and a bit sluggish on how to communicate to college students? Let’s define your symptoms, narrow down which social media hangover you might be hurting from, and how to make your brand feel as good as new.

Twitter Hangover

Cause. Every celebrity, brand, athlete, and their mom is Tweeting. You passed the stages of denial, anger, bargaining and have finally accepted Twitter. Now to stay In the game, you want to Tweet to keep up with the buzz and be heard.

Symptoms. Thinking and speaking in hashtags. Contemplating connections between Justin Bieber and your brand. Retweeting irrelevant content.

Cures. Breathe. Take a step back. Remember you are having a conversation. College students don’t care about how Instagram may affect Facebook ad prices. Be relevant. And most importantly, listen. Retweet your fans, say your please and ‘thank you’s. It never hurts to show a little love.

Facebook Hangover

Cause. Facebook users share over 4 billion items per day1 and has over 845 million active users2.

Symptoms. Excessive Fan building and status updates. Stress and anxiety about missing a day of checking your Wall. Rechecking your number of Likes every hour.

Cures. Spend time on your Timeline, but be concise. Know what your Fans want from you. Go ahead, ask them. Students are real and will tell you what they love and hate. Engage them regularly with photos and videos, and monitor what performs better than others. Encourage students to interact with your brand with Events and statuses that matter to them: back-to-school, spring break, sampling on their campuses and free swag.

Pinterest Hangover

Cause. Staying up until 3am Pinning because you’re, well, addicted.

Symptoms. Nonstop thoughts of new Board ideas. Shouting,“I need to Pin this!” in the middle of your team meeting. Thinking about the toasted marshmallow cupcakes you Pinned last night at 4am, because you know you didn’t really go to bed at 3am, and wanting to make them instead of outlining your college marketing budget.

Cures. Pin responsibly! Use your boards to promote your brand and brand’s lifestyle. Are you the longest lasting gum out there? Does your denim rock a solid 10 in fit and style? Showcase your products. Create mood boards around your upcoming campaign. Draw students in with contests . And double check your likes and repins – this data is a great pseudo-focus group.

Google+ Hangover

Cause. Google is king; not being on Google+ would just be foolish, yet you still ask yourself, what is Google+ and how is it relevant for my brand?

Symptoms. Tension headaches from constantly asking yourself, ‘What is Google+’?

Cures. G+ allows members to have a tighter, unsocial circle. Students may segment you into a ‘Business’ category, but once you’re in, you can interact with them on a more personal level. Make brand announcements, talk about product launches, giveaway free samples, and host contests.

Sources:
1http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/06/zuckerberg-online-sharing-is-growing-at-an-exponential-rate-and-users-are-sharing-4-billion-things-a-day/
2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

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Welcome to the Intern Diaries! Get a look inside the SUMM offices from the intern prospective, where I will be periodically filling you in on life at SUMM.

In the spirit of April Fool’s Day, I figured I would give you a glimpse of the lighter side of office life around here. We take our work seriously, but every now and then its fun to let loose a little. We all need a good laugh once in a while, right? Well this past Christmas my co-worker Courtney and I decided to take advantage of Paul’s two day absence due to illness (yes, cruel, we know) and have a little fun with his cubicle. Taking a move out of the Dwight and Jim playbook, we took it upon ourselves to get him in the Christmas spirit. $20 and three hours later, this was the result:

Naturally he was overcome with Christmas joy at the site and incredibly thankful for our hard work and dedication to the holiday season. In all seriousness, he was pretty impressed and left a bunch of it up until staring at the different patterns started to give him headaches.

As expected, there were threats of retaliation and warning jokes about taking sick days, but after several busy weeks no one gave the wrapping paper attack much thought anymore.  Like any serious prankster, Paul was calmly lying in wait for the day that Courtney and I were both out of the office (cue the evil villain laugh).

After returning from 3 days of the flu, I come in ready to catch up on work and pound away on my keyboard only to find I don’t have one. In fact I don’t have anything on my desk at all. My computer, phone, notebooks, files, pens, stapler, mug – everything; it’s all gone. What sits in front of me is a cubicle filled with pink package peanuts. I find that Courtney’s desk has suffered the same fate, and we go off in search of our belongings. Turns out they are locked in the storage closet, all plugged in and set up like a regular desk.

We spend the next hour hauling our stuff back across the office to our desks and setting it up, getting bemused looks that clearly read “haha suckers!” and smug little smirks from Paul. Then comes package peanut cleanup, which is probably the worst part since they crush into the carpet if you step on them and the static cling makes them stick to you when you try to throw them away. I almost have everything together when my monitor decides it doesn’t want to turn on after all that moving, and I have to go to the tech guys for help. Sigh.

So now we are at that point in any exchange of pranks where we can shake hands, walk away with dignity, and look back on these fond office memories. Yeah right! Who am I kidding? This means war!

This is where I need your help. Courtney and I need a revenge prank! Of course, there are a few stipulations:

1. I am the intern, so nothing that would get me fired.
2. Nothing too loud or disturbing. It wouldn’t be too funny if everyone else in the office hated me for it afterward.
3. Nothing with food products or gross smells – that’s just nasty.
4. No damage to his personal property. This goes along with the whole not-getting-me-fired thing.
5. Nothing that requires hacking into his computer. I just don’t have those skills. Unless of course I enlist the help of the IT guys… hmmmm.

Other than that I’d say hit me with your best office pranks! Leave suggestions in the comments and I’ll be sure to fill you in on what we end up doing.

PS – Paul, if you’re reading this and you steal any ideas from here that will be considered a breach of prank war etiquette and I will label you as a prank cheater, leaving you to the wrath of the internet followers who will surely be reading this blog with baited breath, waiting to see what we do to you.

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Karly & Amy at the bikini parade

The morning of Bikini Parade was filled with hustle from the SUMM team, as we made last minute preparations and counted potential participates. Through the sea of bikinis emerged Karly and Amy, two patriotic young ladies from the great state of Maine. We handed them flags and asked them to be the grand marshals of the parade. Lucky for us they accepted, and helped lead 450 bikini-clad women into the record books. We took a second to catch up with them and asked them to share their experience.

What made you decide to go to Panama City Beach for Spring Break?
Amy: I decided to go to Panama City Beach for Spring Break because I wanted to go to a place where there would be other college students who had the same intentions, to have an enjoyable week filled with memories on the beach with new and old friends. I know of a lot of people who have gone to Panama City Beach for Spring Break before and only had good things to say about it, Panama came highly recommended. I only have good memories and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Karly:
My cousin went there last year and told me about all the fun she had plus everyone knows Panama City beach is the best place to go for spring break! It is also a lot cheaper than some spring break spots and way more fun!

What do you want people to know about that day?
Karly: I just want every to know this wasn’t just some spring break crazy party, but something that meant something. It was meaningful.
Amy: All I have to add is that this was the greatest week of my life so far and to play an actual role in the parade and be recognized was truly a life event that I will never forget and something that I will be telling my children someday. I hope the USA gets to hold onto this record and if not, now that this event has had so much publicity there is no doubt in my mind that we will be able to regain the record if need be. USA USA USA!

Read even more about Karly and Amy’s world recording breaking Spring Break over on StudentUniverse.