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Experiential Marketing on College Campuses

Posted by Todd Cyphers — Monday April 14, 2008

In today's world making a lasting impression doesn't always have to be all about consumer based products.  Many colleges are turning to  Experiential Marketing to help make a lasting impression on both current and prospective students.

Recently Advent was asked to help Lipscomb University create a branded space to help wrap students in "a Lipscomb experience."  There were a lot of different directions this space could have gone in, but Advent asked the university to get some input from their students on what they felt was needed on campus and this is what they came back with:

1. Healthy food choices
2. A place where both males and females were comfortable hanging out
3. A space that could be a multipurpose venue

Advent set out with those goals in mind and began to brainstorm about the space.  The space needed to be unique, and needed to something that students didn't have access to in their dorm rooms.  Aftering doing some inital research one team member found that cereal "bars" were becoming popular around college campuses, and there wasn't one in Nashville.  Then to add a twist, not only could Lipscomb offer cereal but also candy toppings and ice cream.  That would give the students the choice to be healthy, fun or both with their food.  Another team member found some really cool furniture made out of recycled bicycle parts.  We also thought it would be cool to incorporate 60" plasmas with Wiis for the students. While the college students may have Wiis in their dorm rooms, they probably didn't have 60" plasmas televisions. At that point we knew we were headed in the right direction. 

To make it a true Lipscomb branded space we developed the concept of a mural that showed "a Lipscomb experience."  Photos used in the mural would show all types of student based activities, from sporting events to mission trips.  This was the Experiential Marketing piece that Lipscomb was looking for.  It wrapped students and visitors in the Lipscomb "brand."  It showed what it was like to be a part of that university.  

After the grand opening Lipscomb called Advent to tell us what a success the space had been for them.  Students love the food offerings, the entertainment, and just hanging out in there.  It has even become the last stop on prospective student tours, but you don't have to take my word for it.  Click here to get Lipscomb's side of the story. 

Custom Exhibit designed in less than three weeksThink Apple