The “Harris Poll People” America’s trusted barometer of public opinion for 40+ years

Understanding and Reaching Young Audiences

Samantha SkeySr. Vice President of Strategic Marketing

Alloy Media + Marketing

John GeraciVice President of Youth and Education Research

Harris Interactive

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The country’s largest provider of nontraditional media and marketing services, reaching and connecting with 85% of Millennial audience (ages 5-29), daily.

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The “Harris Poll People”

– America’s trusted barometer of public opinion for 40+ years

Market Pioneer in Online Research

Youth + Education Research:

– Have interviewed 2 million+ members of Gen Y

– Work for a variety of organizations

– Conduct about 150 research projects a year relating to young consumers

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What We’re Going to Talk About Today

– Millennials 101

– Generational Trends & College Truths

– Today’s College Students: Who Are They?

– College Bound High School Students

• Awareness and Consideration: The Branding Years

• A High Schooler’s View of the College Admissions Process

• How Students Choose a College

• Influences on the College Decision and the Role of Parents

• Paying for College and Financial Aid

• Information Sources

– College Students as Consumers

– How to Reach Young Audiences

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About the Studies

Alloy CollegeExplorerSM is an online research study conducted for Alloy by Harris Interactive.

• Conducted with college bound high school students.

• 1,638 interviews were completed.

Hobsons CollegePulseSM is an online research study underwritten by Hobsons and conducted by Harris Interactive.

• Conducted with college bound high school students.

• 2,244 interviews were completed.

Millennials 101

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Gen Y Is Next Big Demographic Force

Number of U.S. Births(In Millions)

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

1945

1947

1949

1951

1953

1955

1957

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

Boomers(1946-1964)

Generation X(1965-1976)

Generation Y(1977-1994)

US Census Bureau

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Number of Children and Racial DiversityAre Both on the Rise

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1950 1970 1990 2010

Ages 12-17

Ages 6-11

Ages 0-50%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Non-White

White (notHispanic)

Number of Children in U.S. by Age(In Millions)

Percent of US Youth PopulationThat is White/Non-White

US Census Bureau

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Meet the Millennials

“Millennials are unlike any other youth generation in

living memory. They are more numerous, more affluent,

better educated, and more ethnically diverse.

More important, they are beginning to manifest a wide

array of positive social habits that older Americans no

longer associate with youth, including a new focus on

teamwork, achievement, modesty, and good conduct.

Only a few years from now, this can-do youth

revolution will overwhelm the cynics and pessimists…

with potentially seismic consequences for America.”

Neil Howe & William Strauss, Millennials Rising

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Generational Trends& College Truths

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So what? Young adults embrace marketing as long as it is informative and entertaining. Don’t rely on only traditional

media, engage them and build relationships with them through experiential or surround marketing tactics.

Marketing Savvy

Are used to and expect to be targeted by marketers

Grown up with advertising and marketing

– See 400 - 600 ads per day

– 65% of adolescents 8 - 18 years has a TV in their own bedroom

Media multi-taskers

– 47% do “something else” while watching TV

– Over ¼ talk on the phone, surf internet, or do homework while watching TV

2002 About Face; 2001 Kaiser Family Foundation

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Today’s College Students:Who Are They?

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Facts About the College Student

– 36% of all 18-24 year olds are enrolled in college

– 4,100+ public and private colleges in the U.S.

– 16.5 million – 56.6% are female

– 9.9 million full-time students; 6.6 million part-time

– 6.2 million students (37.8%) age 24+

Source: 2004 Fall MRI; Source: Dept of Ed, NCES, Projection of Education Statistics to 2011 Report National Center of Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2002 published October 2003;

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College Market = 16.4 Million Consumers and Growing...

US College Enrollment/Projections(In Thousands)

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

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$208.80

$46.50

$231.40

$54.30

All Spending Discretionary Spending

2003

2005

Spending is on the Rise

– College students spend $231 billion a year

• 11.8% increase over the $209 billion reported in the ’03 study

– Discretionary spend is $54.3 billion a year

• 16.8% increase over the $46.5 billion in ’03

• The average female spends slightly more than males - $280/month vs. $269/month

+11.8%

+16.8%

Source: 2005 Alloy College Explorer

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Per Capita Spending is Substantial

Average Annual Per Capita Spending

$2,908$4,000

$2,872$4,348

$12,954

$5,560

$12,214$7,179

4 Year Students 2 Year Students Full-TimeStudents

Part-TimeStudents

Discretionary Non-discretionary

$15,862

$9,560

$15,086

$11,527

Source: 2005 Alloy College Explorer

Awareness and Consideration:“The Branding Years”

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A Typical College-Bound Student Researches About 11 Colleges, Seriously Considers 5 or 6, and Applies to 4 or 5

How many different colleges have you/will you …?(Means Shown)

10.7

5.6

4.43.7

Actively investigateor research

Seriously consider Apply to Visit in person

Hobsons CollegePulseSM Powered by Harris Interactive

A High Schooler’s Viewof the College Admissions Process

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Students Feel That High School Grades and Standardized Test Scores Are Main Considerations

How important are the following as colleges consider whether to

accept your application?

52%

40%

29%

23%

25%

21%

38%

38%

44%

46%

42%

45%

90%

78%

73%

69%

67%

66%

My grades inschool

Standardized testscores

Applicationessays

Extra-curricularactivities

Admissionsinterview

Recommendationletter

Extremely important Very important

Admissions interviews (36%)

Participating in extracurricular activities (18%)

Writing application essays (59%)

Taking standardized tests (63%)

Getting good grades (44%)

Which of these are highly stressful to you?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Str

ess

Th

erm

om

ete

r

Getting recommendation letters (15%)


How Students Choose a College

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Students Go to College Primarily Because They Want to Get a Better Job and They Want to Learn/Gain Knowledge

We'd like to understand the reasons you have decided to go to college. How important are each of the following reasons?

(% Extremely/Very Important)

10%

10%

26%

40%

48%

52%

54%

90%

92%

I am not sure what else to do

I don't want to work yet

My teachers/guidance counselors want me to

It is something that is just expected of me

I want to have fun socially

My parents want me to go to college

I want to meet new people

I want to learn/gain knowledge

I want to get a better job someday


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Influences on the College Decision and the Role of Parents

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Parents Are the Most Important “People” Influence on the College Decision

How important are the following people to you when learning about where to go for college?

(% Extremely/Very Important)

60%

49%47% 46%

43% 43%

26% 25%

Parents Admissionsoffice staff

Currentstudents

Teachers Friends GuidanceCounselors

Alumni Brothers/sisters


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“Where once parents simply unloaded the station wagon

at the start of orientation week, kissed goodbye and

drove home, now they linger for days – fussing,

meddling, tearing, and even ranting if they think their

very special child isn’t getting the very best of

everything.”- Howe and Strauss, Millennials

Go to College

Paying for College andFinancial Aid

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Paying for College Is Seen As a Difficult Financial Burden

Paying for college will be…

42%

19%

33%

6%

Not much of a financial burden

A little bit of a financial burden

A very difficult financial burden

An extremely difficult financial burden


Information Sources

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93% Have Visited a College Website78% Have Read Printed Materials

Which have you done?(% Yes)

93%

78%

55%

46%

16%

Visited acollege website

Read collegemarketingmaterials

Taken acampus tour

Toured aresidence hall

Sat in on aclass at college


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Most Use Search Engines to Find College Sites

If you were interested in a specific college and wanted to find their website, what is the first thing you would do?

2%

2%

11%

18%

68%

Other

Get there from a link on another site

Type in a Web address (URL) that I thinkwould work

Search on it at a third-party collegeinformation site

Type the college name into a searchengine (like Google, Yahoo, etc.)


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Printed Materials Are the Most Frequently Used Information Sources, Especially Departmental Information

Which have you ever used to learn about colleges? Which have helped you in your search?

4%

8%

6%

16%

21%

35%

49%

44%

56%

56%

69%

8%

12%

16%

35%

39%

49%

65%

70%

74%

79%

86%

Alumni event

Athletic recruiters

Phone calls from alumni

Phone calls from personnel

Information sent to parents

In-school presentation

College viewbook

College newsletters

Online admissions page

College catalog

Brochures on majors/departments

% Have used

% Saying "Is Helpful"


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College and Scholarship Search Web sites Are the Most Frequently Used Third Party Information Sources

Which have you ever gone to or used? Which have helped you decide which college to attend?

19%

3%

7%

17%

24%

19%

27%

27%

31%

63%

3%

10%

23%

35%

42%

48%

49%

52%

72%

86%

None of these

Special issue of a daily newspaper

CD-ROMs or DVDs

College issues of national magazines (U.S. News)

Printed directories (Barron's, Princeton Review)

Financial aid/student loan Web sites

College recruiting fairs

In-school presentations

Scholarship search Web sites

College search Web sites

Information sources gone to or used

Helped decide which college to attend


College Students as Consumers

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Most Student Purchases Made With Cash or Debit

During a typical month, what percentage of your total purchases is made using the following payment methods?

38%

30%

15%

13%

5%

Cash

Debit card

Credit card

Check

Student IDcard

2004 Alloy College Explorer

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Conscientious ConsumersWhen they spend, 80% of college students try to buy brands that are on sale

80%

31%

28%

26%

26%

24%

20%

20%

19%

18%

12%

5%

I try to buy brands that are on sale

I prefer brands that are environmentally safe

I like to try new brands before other people

I am willing to pay more for a brand that has a great image

I prefer brands that give back to the community

I prefer brands that are totally new and different

It is important I use certain brands

I prefer brands that are connected to a cause

I prefer the same brands as my friends

I am willing to pay more for a brand not everyone has accessto

I prefer brands that make me feel like part of the "in" crowd

I prefer brands that my favorite celebrities are using


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Conscientious Consumers

• GREEN:Yet college students also favor brands that are socially conscious

• 31% prefer brands that are environmentally safe

• 26% prefer brands that give back to the community

• 20% prefer brands that are connected to a cause

• COOL:And they prefer brands that they perceive to be “innovative”

• 28% like to try new brands before other people

• 26% are willing to pay more for a brand that has a great image

• 24% brands that are totally new and different


Reaching College Students

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Multitasking Trend Continues – but Differently

• 83% of college students say that they do something else while watching TV

– Females are more likely than males to multitask – 87% vs. 77%

• The most common multitasking includes:– Surfing/Accessing the Internet (45%)– Doing homework (37%)– Talking on the telephone (36%)


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Marketing to College Students: Keys to Success

– Be on their turf.– Communicate value.– Make them feel important.– Leverage their most trusted information source – their friends.– Let them try before they buy.– Communicate in sound bytes.– Be explicit, informative and entertaining.– Celebrate with them!!!

Thank You!

Samantha SkeySr. Vice President of Strategic Marketing

Alloy Media + Marketing

John GeraciVice President of Youth and Education Research

Harris Interactive

The “Harris Poll People” America’s trusted barometer of public opinion for 40+ years

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