Buiding a comms strategy to target the student population
The Challenge
A leading manufacturer of smartphones, laptops and other devices wanted to strengthen its engagement with the student market, an audience with distinct needs, behaviours, and decision making dynamics.
While students represent a high value segment across smartphones, laptops, and tablets, the client needed a clearer understanding of:
- How students approach technology purchases across their academic journey
- What messaging and offers resonate most effectively
- How to optimise communications to cut through in a highly competitive market
The goal was to refine student focused communications and partnerships to drive stronger consideration and conversion.
Our Approach
Bryter designed a targeted communications testing programme to uncover what truly drives engagement among students.
Deep qualitative exploration
We conducted a series of focus groups with:
- University students at different stages (first year vs later years)
- Parents responsible for funding technology purchases
Groups were further segmented based on living situations (e.g. halls vs private accommodation), enabling a richer understanding of context and need states
Comms and proposition testing
Within the sessions, we explored:
- Purchase cycles and decision triggers for tech products
- Reactions to a range of student specific offers and communications
- Perceptions of different partnership programmes and value propositions
This enabled the client to assess not just what messages landed but why, and how they should evolve their comms strategy to connect with students in a more meaningful way and which channels are most effective and deliver the best ROI
The Outcome
Bryter delivered a clear set of guidelines to optimise their student communications strategy.
This included:
- Refining messaging by student life stage
- Developing more targeted and relevant student offers
- Optimising partnership strategies to better align with student needs
- Shifting communications to better reflect real purchase drivers and contexts
The work led to a change in direction for the client's student-targeted communications, ensuring greater relevance and impact and the need for a more nuanced and segmented communications approach.
To learn more about how Bryter supports technology manufacturers with audience understanding, new product development and marcomms strategy check out the article 'technology market research' or visit our Technology services page
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