March 2020

How is COVID-19 affecting youth trends and behaviours?

Youth trends, behaviours and opinions are forever changing, it is a market that is constantly evolving. Staying in tune with the youth market is a passion for BAM. By truly understanding this market we are able to provide brands with unique advice and insight, to ensure they are positioned correctly to connect with youth.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 and the implications this has placed on the University sphere, change has never been more prevalent. With this in mind we wanted to speak to students and find out exactly how this pandemic is affecting their lives, behaviours and purchasing habits.

We compiled survey responses across three surveys, with responses from over 1,000 candidates.

Where are students?

With Universities closed, learning moved to online and the advice to “stay at home” from the government, we wanted to know where students would be living. 60% of International students stated that they would be remaining in their student accommodation, whilst in contrast, 69% of UK students confirmed they would be returning to their family home.

We know from previous research that students are either already looking for accommodation for the next academic year, or will be in the coming months. Interestingly only 12% of students stated that they would be “holding back” from securing their accommodation due to the outbreak. In the competitive market that is student accommodation, now is not the time for providers to be complacent. You can still connect and access students, and the time is now.

Where are students online?

So we know where students are going to be physically, but for a generation who already relies heavily on the digital world, where are they going to be online?

Unsurprisingly almost all students (98%) confirmed that the amount of time they spend online will increase during this period, with 55% of students stating that they would be spending 3-5 hours online every day, with 26% of students stating they will spend over 6 hours online every day.

3/4 of all students stated that they would be spending most of their time on social media. This was closely followed by online streaming services for video, TV and music. These statistics do not really differ from students’ usual online migration habits, however the effect of COVID-19 is certainly going to increase the dwell time with students seeking to stay connected and trying to beat the boredom.

Do students welcome emails?

Email marketing is more powerful than ever, with the Digital Marketing Association suggesting that 66% of customers purchase as a result of an email marketing message. Our own research has shown that youth regularly check both their personal and university email accounts, with 90% of youth checking their personal email accounts daily whilst a similarly impressive 76% check their university email accounts daily.

Whilst other forms of advertising such as programmatic can be seen by students as “intrusive”, email is not considered an intrusive form of advertising. Why? Because students have logged into their accounts to see what emails they have received, it is on their terms, and so they are open to communication from brands.

How are students purchasing habits changing?

With limitations and restrictions placed on going outside, purchasing habits across the nation will inevitably change and students are no different, with 67% believing their online shopping habits will change.

What’s the biggest change? Food shopping online.

We know from our previous research into the trends between youth and food that 94% of students regularly shop at supermarkets. We now see a shift in this behaviour, with 60% of students confirming that they will be ordering their usual supermarket shop online.

We know that almost all students (94%) eat takeaways, with ⅔ of students stating that they order takeaways at least a couple of times a month up to a couple of times a week. During this period students confirmed that they would still be purchasing takeaways. What is key to remember is that students have always been deterred by delivery charges with any online purchase, whether that is food, fashion or the latest gadgets. Offering free delivery has never been so important, allowing students to stay at home.

Are students still spending?

Absolutely. With 68% stating that the implications of COVID-19 will have little to no impact on their income, students will still be spending. In fact, students confirmed that in all likelihood they will be spending more.

There has never been a more important time to connect with students. It is a time of uncertainty and many students will be feeling anxious about what is to come. Brands who can support students and show they understand the impact on their lives through this time will form solid, life long relationships with the consumer of tomorrow. In a time where virtual communication is paramount, start building that connection now.

We know where students are online and we know how to access them. With a plethora of channels available to brands we know it can be a challenge to know how to approach students to achieve the best engagement. So please get in touch with our team, even for a reassuring chat to know this market is still alive for brands to reach out to, because it is still very much alive.

HOSTELWORLD’s “Escape to the world” campaign

BRIEF

Hostelworld, the world’s number one hostel booking website, is the leading provider of online reservations for the budget, independent and youth travel market. In the summer of 2014, Hostelworld turned to BAM to help facilitate the UK part of its global ‘Escape to the World’ campaign. The campaign involved launching a fantastic competition to win 3 all-expenses-paid trips of a lifetime. Our objectives were to:

Drive entries to the ‘My Awesome Escape’ competition, collecting at least 50,000 UK student email addresses
Increase brand awareness and engagement with the Hostelworld brand among the student market

APPROACH

With vast experience of the student market, we knew there was a great opportunity to build excitement and brand awareness as well as generating valuable student email data. We designed a creative and strategic multi-channel approach:

Pre-registrations
Making use of ‘opt out’ permissions on relevant student events in May, we were able to email with permission, inviting students to enter the Hostelworld competition

Incentivising Students’ Unions
We created the Hostelworld Union Challenge, where Students’ Unions could compete to gain the most student entries for a chance to win an awesome prize. Sixteen Unions battled it out to win a selection of cracking prizes, including a 30ft inflatable cinema screen with projection system. The Unions used their full range of media, from student email sends to display, online, and social channels, with BAM supplying artwork for all their needs. Each Union had a designated landing page, and a BAM-built platform to track entries from each Union.

Delivering fun and brand recognition for Hostelworld was as important to us as email data. As such, our promo teams visited a selection of university campuses, summer balls and graduation events armed with green screens, inflatables and silly props for students to take Hostelworld-branded photos of themselves in exotic locations. Students simply had to enter the competition to join in the fun, photos were posted on Twitter, and shared widely on social media by the students themselves.

Media Drive

Official student email databases
We pushed emails through our collection of official student email databases, which exceeds 500,000 addresses.

SMS messaging
Based on geographical location, several thousand targeted text messages were sent directly to FE/ HE students.

Online advertising
Targeted web advertising helped build presence online through a network of the most popular student-related websites in the UK and overseas.

Social media
A selection of the most popular student-focused social media channels were utilised which included official Students’ Union accounts and other highly popular student social media pages.

Brand ambassadors
Our own brand ambassadors took to the ground in selected UK universities and were tasked with using their personal social media feeds in a race against the other reps to achieve 2,000 entries.

With Universities closing, do you know how to access students?

One of our favourite motto’s here at BAM is “where there is a will, there is a way”, if you have enough drive and determination, anything is achievable. With every challenge comes an opportunity, with every problem there is a solution and when one door closes another one opens.

Our mission is to connect brands with the youth market. We work with brands to establish an effective strategy that is underpinned by their persona and objectives to engage with the consumers of the future. Our experience and extensive research into this market provides us with the unique ability to provide the best possible advice to our clients. We know what students want from brands. We know how they want to be communicated to. We know what motivates them to buy. But most importantly of all, we know where they are and how to access them.

Whilst limitations are being placed on how we can access students, you may feel that this market is inaccessible or you may be concerned about how you can continue to impact the marketing objectives your business needs to achieve.

BAM are here to tell you that the youth market is still very much alive and still extremely accessible for brands. Students still have access to expendable cash, students are still receptive to brands and students are looking to #beattheboredom. This is where you come in.

It is time to adapt your strategy and time to get creative. With a plethora of channels waiting to be utilised, this is the prime time to engage with students and target them where they will be.. online!

So let’s look at some options:

Email Marketing

Email marketing is more powerful than ever with an estimated 66% of consumers purchasing as a direct result of a targeted email. With 90% of students checking their emails daily, email marketing has the ability to reach a receptive audience.

Social Media Marketing

From paid ads to scroll stopping content, the opportunities to advertise through this medium are vast and with youth spending an average of 14hours a week on social platforms, it is a sitting audience waiting to be targeted.

Youth Focussed Platforms

From sponsorships and targeted takeovers to emails and programmatic, youth focussed platforms provide brands with the opportunity to connect with 90% of the student population, providing maximum exposure and delivering maximum results.

Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a unique advertising channel that, when harnessed correctly, can provide outstanding results, as it empowers the same emotive buying triggers of face to face experiential.

Live Streaming Experiential Marketing

Online experiential marketing provides high engagement and interaction through gamification and competitive jeopardy. With live video streaming brands can bring their experiential campaign to life through online channels and experiences, creating an instant buzz and leaving a long lasting brand footprint.

Certainly some food for thought!

But with these and so many channels available to brands, how do you know which to choose and how will you know which ones will work best for your brand, to generate maximum ROI?

This is exactly where we come in!

BAM has an in-depth understanding of the market and has extensive connections within the industry, which means we are best placed to advise you on the best solutions for your brand. So don’t let your marketing plans fall by the wayside. Adapt and seize opportunities.

Start by getting in touch with our talented team today and let us help you to immerse your brand into the youth market, then sit back and simply reap the rewards.