High school and college students are excellent ambassadors for their respective organizations and causes when they set their minds to the task. They don’t just advertise for the sake of attracting audiences. Sure, they hand out flyers, hang banners, and make noise on social media. A closer look at their methods, however, shows they want to do and accomplish more than that.
Community and Solidarity Breeds Loyalty
Students make their passion for their causes bleed into their words and actions. They engage people, form communities, and show solidarity by wearing their club jerseys and making paracord bracelets with their university colors during inter-school competitions.
Businesses can take a page out of their books and inspire customers to form a community with them. Starbucks (My Starbucks Idea), Sony (Playstation Community), Lego (Lugnet), and Random House (Figment) are examples of brands that succeeded in creating a community dedicated not only to their business but also their philanthropic causes.
The DIY bracelets with buckle locks can be an option for small businesses in the lifestyle and artisanal industries. Those from other fields, however, have to come up with other things their customers could identify with and reference as a symbol of their solidarity. For context, consider how Under Armour customers became a community that had Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a role model for hard work, tenacity, and discipline.
When Advertising, Make Things Personal
Young people often receive criticism for wearing their hearts on their sleeves, but they’ve demonstrated how revealing their emotions win people’s empathy and support.
Listen to the speeches of student leaders who give voice to the concerns of the student body and the spiels of club leaders as they invite freshmen to join their groups. They often don’t mince words or try to impress with superfluous jargon; they use words that many can understand. More importantly, they appeal to their audience’s emotions.
- “Tired of studying all night? I know the feeling! This might help you as it worked for me.”
- “Parents and peers can put pressure on you, even unintentionally; I experienced the same thing. Here’s what I do to cope with emotional stress.”
- “Our varsity team’s accomplishments bring pride to our school! Let’s show our support and watch the game.”
Appealing to emotions doesn’t just get people to sympathize; it also gets them to act. In business, it could get customers to buy, patronize a brand, and become its voluntary ambassador. For advertising campaigns to be fruitful, brands ought to send a message that hits close to home.
Attract with Freebies and Earn Loyalty with Service
Freebies are a classic attraction tactic that works very well in school campuses. It gets students to stop and listen to a student official’s platform or a club’s campaign for one cause or another. The freebies, however, don’t guarantee votes or signatures, but young people know this. It doesn’t stop them from soliciting funds for customized stickers, buttons, or pencils because they also see the advertising value of recognition and repetition.
Such principles also apply to business advertising, except there’s more pressure to follow-through with high-quality goods and services. Unlike students who can get funds from sponsorships, businesses need to spend on their advertising. They have to live up to expectations; otherwise, they’d lose the attention of the audience they gained from handing out freebies, as well as the money they invested in the endeavor.