Higher ed communicators appealing to Gen Z through new technologies
By Nathan Lemay | July 13, 2022
With more than two years of experience being forced to adopt new technologies to survive during the pandemic, higher ed communicators now have more options than ever when it comes to attracting Gen Z applicants. Current trends in digital communications and marketing include creative hybrid approaches to marketing, branching out into TikTok and even a “tri-brid” model growing in popularity.
Brock University gets creative with marcomm strategies
The student recruitment team at Brock University has been leveraging trending digital platforms to successfully market the university and attract a growing number of students. Brock plans to welcome nearly 4,000 new undergraduate students this fall, which is one of the largest incoming cohorts in the school’s history.
The student recruitment team has used new and creative marketing strategies, including platforms like TikTok and Spotify, to leverage location- and interest-based targeting, as well as partnerships with social media influencers to spread the word about the school.
Thoughtful communications is even reflected in Brock’s approach to welcoming new students. Its Smart Start program provides a clear, comprehensive and visually appealing way for new students (referred to as “Badgers”) to prepare for university, register and get used to the school.
Considering the “wild west” of TikTok marketing
Colleges and universities continue to innovate in how they market to Gen Z, and TikTok has become an increasingly popular communications medium. In the recent Vox article “TikTok is full of shady secret advertisements,” writer Sara Morrison discusses some of what makes the app popular, and what brands should avoid when it comes to ad disclosure.
The article draws on the insights of Kelly Cutler, faculty member and director of the Integrated Marketing Communications program at Northwestern University in Illinois, and Gary Wilcox, a communications and marketing professor at the University of Texas, to explain why the “wild west” of TikTok appeals to Gen Z, and why it’s important for brands to stay authentic to keep their attention.
Young consumers are quite familiar with influencer culture and savvy enough to know when they’re being shown branded content, even when the ad isn’t disclosed. “A great way to aggravate your users is to show them stuff that they didn’t sign up for and that they don’t want,” Cutler said. Brands should avoid trying to trick users, even if the legal consequences are mild.
If TikTok fills with inauthentic content creators, Gen Z users may turn their attention elsewhere. “From my perspective, the biggest risk is to TikTok itself,” Cutler said. “If [Gen Z users are] not having a great experience, they’ll move on.”
“Gen Z is very predisposed to influencer effectiveness,” Wilcox added. “If I try this product I’ve never used before but this person says it’s good, and I try it and don’t like it or it doesn’t do what I think it should, then I’m probably not going to go back and repurchase that product.”
An emerging “tri-brid” model of “metaversities”
Just as higher ed institutions have been perfecting hybrid learning, 10 colleges are embracing a “tri-brid” model of education and turning their campuses into “metaversities,” according to this article from EdSurge written by Rebecca Koenig. These online replications of college campuses and classrooms rely on virtual reality technologies to add a simulated environment to the current hybrid model of in-person and web-based learning.
Looking beyond the novelty of a Second Life or Minecraft-style recreation of a campus, this initiative is focused on accessibility, enrolment and educational value. “The real value to extended reality generally is to do things that you can’t do any other way,” says Jeffrey Pomerantz, associate professor of practice at Simmons University in Massachusetts and co-founder of Proximal LLC, an educational VR design and development company. “What is the educational value of having a replica campus?”
Among the 10 colleges are South Dakota State University and Southwestern Oregon Community College, where leaders hope to excite and attract potential learners from across large, rural states.
As with TikTok marketing, Gen Z is a primary demographic for so-called metaversities. “The most valuable exponential growth in the long term will come from people in their teens to early 20s,” says Greg Heiberger, associate dean of academics and student success at South Dakota State University. “The more exposure, training and positive experiences that students…and the education space can have, it’s going to be a positive for them in [the school’s] business model.”