Using student media

Article by Luke Mitchell
This article was a chapter in The Reach Students Handbook (2003)

The UK's network of student magazines, newspapers, websites and radio stations has been well utilised by the top student brands. So why don't more student marketers spend their budgets in student media?

"The most effective way to reach students is through the student press. Full stop." So says John Handelaar, former editor of London Student and co-founder of the Student Broadcast Network, the national student radio station.

If he's right, then why don't more organisations invest in student media advertising? Flick through any of the country's top student papers and you'll find the advertising of a few big consumer brand names. In there will also be some renowned graduate recruiters, and plenty of local ads. But, on the evidence of that paper, you wouldn't think that the student market isoverwhelmed with businesses keen to get the attention of students.

There are several issues that put businesses off using local student media. Some brands arenervous about placing their image in apublication run by amateur journalists. A few media buyers worry about the fact student media circulation figures are not audited, while others would prefer to find a media that reaches a large mass of students rather than isolated groups of them. There's also the fact that a nationwide student media campaign is time-consuming to co-ordinate.

However, it's telling that most of the big brand names that appear on the pages and airwaves of local student media are also the names that have achieved most success in the student market. The Guardian, NatWest, Barclaycard, STA Travel and Accenture all heavily support student media and they are well-regarded by students. So, before any student market business dismisses this advertising option, they should take a serious look at the issues that put them off. Some are easy to come to terms with; others are simply false perceptions.

Newcomers to student media advertising are often surprised to discover how professional the set up is. While there are still plenty of chaotic newspaper offices in students' unions, stacked up with back issues, mouldy coffee cups and promotional freebies, there are organised marketing offices attached to many of the top publications. Unions in Bristol, Manchester, London, Oxford, Leeds, Liverpool and Cardiff are just a few that employ marketing staff to sell ad space, organise promotions and bring business into unions. The publication editor may have creative license, but on commercial matters he or she is often advised by experienced union marketers who know how to satisfy clients.

"Advertisers usually think I'm a student," says Joanna Bird, Advertising and Marketing Co-ordinator at Bristol Uni. "They think that I'm not going to be professional. They're surprised when I send them terms and conditions to sign."

This preconception is also picked up on by Justine Andrews, who left Associated Newspapers to work on one the UK's biggeststudent papers, Manchester's Student Direct: "Clients are often quite pleasantly surprised when they realise I'm not a numptie. It's a shock at first, but soon they're happy because they realise they can talk to me in 'the language' andI will understand."

Andrews doesn't treat her work in student media sales with any less professionalism than she did at Associated Newspapers, despite not having to wear a smart dress. "My biggest mistake was coming to work in a suit! Having worked in the corporate world, it's what I was used to. And I frightened the life out of my clients. There is a perception that you'll be a young, trendy type. If you rock up to a meeting in a pin striped suit and you look just like them they think: what can they possibly tell me about the student market? So I dumped the suit pretty quickly.

"There is the adage 'dress for success', but it's relative to the area you're working in. I've found that clients are more comfortable with me if I look like I know, understand and am part of the student market. It doesn't make any difference to the service I give. My aim is to run Student Direct just as I ran my section at the Mail on Sunday."

Andrews, Bird and other big union marketers are part of a drive within student media, led by the AMSU Marketing Initiative (AMSU is the Association for Students' Union Managers), to raise awareness about the benefits of using student media, while also promoting better practice among their peers. It goes to show that the UK network of student newspapers, websites and radio stations takes itself seriously.

It's true that a nationwide student media campaign is hard work to organise. There are well over a hundred student publications and radio stations. Not all of them are staffed full time - which means a lot of time on the phone, leaving and chasing messages. Plus, each university has its owncalendar - even outside of holiday periods there are times, such as before exam weeks, when thecorridors go quiet. "Every union is different," says Joanna Bird. "At Bristol the third term is extremely quiet. We're not a campus-based university. We find clients schedule us in on a national campaign, but they don't realise we're all different and theircampaign isn't going to work here duringcertain periods."

There are specialised buying agencies that exist to take care of these problems. They usually have a good rapport with student media staff and they know the unique intricacies of each university. A decent outfit should only charge a commission to book media and not inflate the rate card. Those businesses who can't afford a national,agency-delivered campaign can pick out aselection of the best media and deal direct with publication or radio sales staff. They may not reach the wider student community, "But," says Justine Andrews, "you have to balance it up: you're not getting any wastage. This is a niche market, and if your brand is seeking that niche I think any investment in student media is money well spent."

Andrews would be happy if more businesses approached her direct about reaching students: "If a brand rang me up and said what theywanted to do and said their budget, I'd be over the moon. I'd make sure they got the best bang for their buck considering everything we have to offer: sponsorship, on-campus activities, radio, newspaper, sampling, data capture, SMS, email. I'd tailor something especially for them, and of course it would fit with our union set-up and not upset anyone in Manchester. I've had a few clients work in consultation and it's great. It works much better for everybody."

This 'let's work together attitude' is indicative; student media offers all sorts of opportunities that businesses can't find elsewhere. Student radio, for example, has proved a more effective medium for the alternative music industry than mainstream radio. Dolly Clew, a music plugger for EMI-Virgin who spends most of her days talking to student media, explains: "Something like the Student Broadcast Network can be fantastic. It's a great place to break a band because its ears are open, unlike the mainstream stations. At SBN they listen to their market and, because they act as a channel for all the student stations in the country, they have amazing results finding the bands thatstudents have picked up on and Radio One hasinitially missed or not 'got'. The students were there first with so many bands - Gomez, Air, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, I could go on. SBN should be encouraged."

Student media generally is more open-minded and receptive. It can afford to be because, unlike mainstream media, it is not tightly focussed on profit. "All unions are non-profit making," says Joanna Bird. "I don't work on commission, I don't get bonuses. I'm on a salary. All the rates that I put together are proportional to costs. We're not here to make a profit." Justine Andrews agrees that this is the reason businesses get better value from student media: "Unions aren't like the corporate world, we're not as hard nosed. Were not so focussed on getting the money, we're interested in making things work for students and clients."

Lack of audience data is another issue that may put off advertisers. But James Melley, Student Liaison Officer at SBN, doesn't believe much should be made of it: "We have a company called Ipsos-RSL conduct surveys for us. Elements of these statistics have gained RAJAR approval. Having said that, numerous small ILR [Independent Local Radio]stations cope quite happily without joining RAJAR."

Local student radio stations can't offer listener figures, but a good way of weeding out the effective from the ineffective is to find out how long a station has been established. Stations older than five years have normally lasted so long because they are popular on campus. Those that come and go or change names each year should be treated with caution.

The same rule can be applied to student newspapers: London Student, Student Direct, Leeds Student, Cambridge's Varsity, Bristol's Epigram, Bath's Impact, to name a few, are all well established and well read. They also all give out comprehensive and accurate information about their readers. Enquirers to lesser known student papers should ask how many copies of the paper are printed, rather than what circulation the title has. Circulation figures are estimates and can be exaggerated.

Used with a bit of careful planning, student media can deliver excellent results.