• eMarketer, Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:47 AM

Marketers who want to capture the hearts and minds of college students are advised to start thinking green. A new study reveals that many collegians, rather than being concerned with binge drinking and playing video games, are in fact socially conscious and put a premium on products from companies that demonstrate a healthy respect for Mother Nature. "We are seeing that today's young people expect corporations to be socially responsible and that students prefer to associate with brands that they perceive to be positive contributors to the community," said Samantha Skey of Alloy Media + Marketing, which commissioned the study through Harris Interactive. The report, dubbed the 5th Annual College Explorer Study, was conducted online among nearly 1,800 college students (full-time, part-time, 4-yr., 2-yr., aged 18 to 30). The study clearly revealed that students prefer an honest and effective social responsibility campaign to celebrity endorsements. When asked about factors that drive their purchase decisions, 33 percent of the students said they prefer brands that are environmentally safe or are connected to a cause--while only 16 percent said they were influenced by brands with a great image. One in four students (24 percent) said they had purchased a product this year specifically because it was socially conscious. http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1004061

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