College Brand Activations & Gen Z: Food Truck Promotions Tap Into a New Generation of Consumers

As a brand, reaching a younger demographic can be challenging; especially when it comes to Gen Z, it feels like the trends are always changing, and just like that, what was ‘in’ yesterday is ‘out’ today. While marketing your brand to this age range can be tricky, there’s no understating how crucial this line of communication ultimately is: Gen Z is the new generation of consumers and the people who shape so much of our culture, thereby playing a considerable role in the success– or decline– of your business. The fact of this may seem intimidating, but here’s the good news: in the same quest to tap into this demo, many companies have already discovered that the best way to communicate with Gen Z is through brand activations on (or around) college campuses.

Why College Marketing is A Smart Move For Your Brand

Experiential marketing is an effective marketing strategy to implement across all industries and for a wide range of demographics— with that being said, face-to-face, experience-based marketing is especially effective when your goal is to grab the attention of college students. People in their late teens and early twenties tend to be more open-minded and malleable, making them the perfect group of consumers to get on your brand’s side. Because people of this age group tend to embrace new brands and experiences, it’s during these four years of college when so many of us form our opinions and perceptions of the world. So, if you’re able to resonate with this audience during these informative years, you’re positioning yourself for a very successful future.

Experiential Marketing vs. Social Media Saturation

In the world of marketing, an overwhelming consensus has been reached: Gen Z craves experiential marketing. Many marketing departments have made the mistake under the same assumption that because Gen Z grows up around the Internet and social media, digital marketing is the best way to connect with them. However, what has resulted from this collective shift to social media marketing is an extreme saturation in the digital space. Experiential marketing isn’t the antithesis of social media marketing. In fact, what brand activations, pop-ups, mobile tours, lounges, and other immersive brand experiences do so well is that they create moments that are as fun to share online as they are to enjoy ‘IRL.’ Gen-Z and Millennials love events and experiences that they can capture content from and show off on their social media platforms, so brand activations on college campuses give you organic exposure online that goes way further than overtly promotional content.

Demographics and Consumer Preferences

To understand the impact of these strategies, consider the following data regarding Gen Z and Millennial audiences:

• Population Share: More than 18.8% of the UK population belongs to the Generation Z age group (12-27 years old) and 22% are Millennials (27-44 years old).
• Spending Habits: 87% of Gen Z and Millennials are willing to spend on once-in-a-lifetime experiences over material possessions.
• Event Attendance: Around 41% of UK adults plan to attend a music festival, but this rises to 58% for Gen Z and 48% for Millennials.

College Brand Activations That Made A Lasting Statement

Bondi Sands 'Tan Van'

To drive greater awareness around their 1 Hour Self-Tanning Foam in a college-aged demographic, the brand produced a food truck experience known as the ‘Tan Van’ strategically near New York University. The branded experience was straight-forward, creative, and interpersonal: qualities that Gen Z values. On their way to class, NYU students had their attention caught by a branded food truck that read “Free Self Tan and Coffee,” and once they were intrigued, a friendly Bondi Sands brand ambassador would greet them.

E.L.F Jelly Pop Activation

To promote the new E.L.F Jelly Pop Collection, a customised container had a jelly makeover with Nine Creative Productions and Pure PR London. Megaflatables housed the container in a jelly-like inflatable and inside the container, guests could grab a pick 'n' mix and win products from the new collection. Unique, stand out and memorable, the experiential activation received a great response both offline and online.

7UP Summer 'Coolbox'

For 7UP's summer product sampling campaign, the Impact Premium structure was transformed into "The Coolbox", a structure designed to look like an opened cooler box with a lid. The experiential activation attracted groups of all ages, including Generation Z. Here, they could grab a can of the popular pop drink, win prizes and chill out with their friends.