Retailers Fight to Appeal to Collegians
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
As college students' buying power grows stronger, retailers are devising specific marketing strategies to capture the disposable income of these lavish ``prosumers'' (producer + consumer). In order to win their wallets, companies invest heavily in promotional events.
Woongjin Food delivered free pizza, along with its new tea drink, to school campuses during last month's exam period to give students a taste of the fresh product.
``We've practiced similar promotions with our other drinks like Sky Bori and Corn Tea,'' Heo Ji-youn, a Woongjin Food spokesman, said. ``Most recently, we've partnered with Papa John's to provide a slice of pizza and a drink, but donuts and other snacks were also offered in previous promotions.''
And the promotions pay off, she says, as sales of promoted products increase around area stores after holding a series of events.
``Because drinks become familiar to consumers the more they try them, it's an effective marketing strategy for us to meet directly with students _ who are major beverage buyers _ and offer them to try it first,'' said Heo, adding that students also provide helpful taste-tasting feedback.
Dominos Pizza also gears its marketing strategy toward college students.
``Our main consumer target is the 20s to 30s age group, so it's natural to pay close attention to college students, who often enjoy pizza as a simple meal,'' said Phee Jee-young, a promotion representative of Dominos.
The pizza maker holds a number of events throughout the year, including Valentine's Day and White Day, along with other anniversary and holiday specials, where free pizza is provided to raffle winners.
Alcohol companies are also big on appealing to young drinkers, even more aggressive in their approach.
Hite Brewery has been sponsoring winter ski camps every year since its beer was first launched in 1993. Over 1,200 students participated in this year's February camp.
``We also sponsor campus club events and trips by providing transportation services or donating drinks,'' Choe Young-won, a Hite spokesman said, adding that the support they provide is well appreciated by students, who are their current and future consumers.
Because studies show that university graduates are more likely to drink the same brand of alcohol they've been drinking throughout college, alcohol producers eye men and women in their early 20s as a long-term customer base.
While working to grab college student consumers is fierce, some retailers work with them right from the start.
Convenience store chain GS25 kicked off a tea drink earlier this week that was developed and branded by a female college student.
Binggrae and Nongshim are among other food companies that have strengthened college student marketing efforts to step closer to young women and men driving the market.
``The market driver has shifted from the 40s and 50s to the 20s and 30s now, so it's much more effective in the long run to steal the hearts of these future consumers,'' said Heo at Woongjin.