College students attend sports events, seminars and parties on a regular basis. They are usually on very strict budgets, and love free things. These same students, however, will soon have vast purchasing power and will need and be prepared to pay for your products and services. That is a pretty good reason for using promotional items for college students.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2004 (the last year for which statistics were available) the number of first-time freshmen enrolling in the fall was 2,630,000. That makes quite a large segment of the population that should be figured into your marketing plan. Of course, if you sell technology related items or clothing, these students can be some of your largest consumers even while they are in school. Today, many college and university students are older adults returning to school either to update their present degrees or to enter a new field. These adults have families, own homes, and make use of almost any products that you might produce, or services that your company offers.
College promotional products can take many forms, since you are targeting such a diverse audience. Some of these items are uniform best sellers, such as the inexpensive but popular custom rally towel. This towel has a large 11” x 14” imprint area for the prominent display fo your logo or other information. This lightweight sports towel will be particularly welcome for the college sports teams.
Duffel bags, sunglasses, coolers, notebooks and pens are also welcome gifts for this crowd, as are compu backpacks, t shirts and sweatshirts.
Distribute promotional items for college students at sports games and rallies for extra effectiveness – players and fans alike will be delighted to have them. Some can even be sold to fans for an added stream of revenue, such as sweatshirts and sunglasses. Be sure to include advertising to this large group when you set up your marketing campaign.