"We were surprised by how many students admitted that they were 'incredibly addicted' to media... but we noticed that what they wrote at length about was how they hated losing their personal connections. Going without media meant, in their world, going without their friends and family."
A recent study from the International Center for Media & the Public Agenda examined the effect on college students of going 24 hours without media. The takeaway that, to college students, going without media means going without friends and family is one marketers should note.
The study also reinforced that younger Americans are relying less and less on traditional media for information. If college students rely heavily on social media and texting to connect with friends and to get information, these are the channels marketers need to use to reach this audience.
Want an example of a brand that gets this? Playtex. It realizes that in order to reach young women for its bra line it needs to shift its media strategy from print ads and catalogs to social media. This insight isn't groundbreaking but it's nice to see brands starting to get it. On a side note, I can't believe I just blogged about Playtex.
