Budget cuts have been particularly hard for many high school sports teams during the recession. Even the door-to-door fund-raising campaigns and additional fees paid by players aren’t always enough to support a football or hockey team for an entire season. This financial situation opens a new opportunity for marketers who want to form a connection with local consumers.
Writing for Sports Business Journal, David Bourne highlighted how Farmers Insurance has begun to establish marketing relationships with high school athletic associations. These relationships are often formed by independent agents as they get banners in front of consumers at the games or purchase ads in programs. In addition, local agents may strengthen the bond by volunteering in the schools. These sponsorships have worked so well some agents are extending deals to other budget-strained departments such the band or theater groups.
A small sponsorship for a single season at a school often costs a marketer between $2,000 to $3,500. A statewide sponsorship of a single high school athletic sport costs about $20,000. And Peter Fitzpatrick, president of Home Team Marketing, says “I see burgeoning interest in youth sports.”
Given the continued financial pressure on local schools and the need for marketers to reach local markets, sponsorships of school teams and events is likely to increase.
[Source: Bourne, David. From media to stadiums, the dollars are flowing to youth sports. SportsBusinessJournal. 2 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Aug. 2010]

Back-to-school season is right around the corner. But this year, consumers under the age of 21 might not be the only ones working on their reading, writing and math skills. The latest American Management Association survey finds that businesses require excellence in basic skills along with other competencies that fewer employees seem to have these days.

According to the 2010 Critical Skills Survey, business executives expect their employees to have specific abilities – often called the 4 Cs – that extend beyond the traditional literacy component. In addition, employers measure employees on this basis during performance reviews at the following rates:

• Communication skills 80.4%
• Critical thinking 72.4%
• Collaboration 71.2%
• Creativity 57.3%

As the economy improves and businesses begin to hire, executives believe the 4 Cs skill set will be necessary to:

• Keep up with the pace of change in business 91%
• Maintain an edge in the increasingly global business environment 86.5%
• Accomplish needed work in new ways 77.5%
• Thrive in new organizational structures 66.3%

The problem is executives consistently say only about half of their employees rate higher than average when it comes to critical thinking or collaboration. In addition, fewer than half of executives believe their employees excel in effective communications or creativity and innovation.

To address this problem, employers are turning to one-on-one coaching, mentoring, professional development and training, and in-house job training. The gap between existing competencies and desired skill sets means that educational institutions and consultants have an opportunity to market their programs to businesses to improve the bottom line.

[Source: AMA 2010 Critical Skills Survey. American Management Association. 15 Apr. 2010. Web. 30 Jul. 2010]

Unemployed Americans have been hearing for years that the path to a stable career can be found in the health care industry. The Department of Labor routinely advises that over 3 million jobs will be created in this sector in the next 8 years. Despite this positive news, almost half of surveyed high school students – the group that will make up the next generation of employees – do not plan to study for a career in health care or science.

The  recently released Harris Interactive poll on this topic, carried out for the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, is worrisome for employers who will soon need to staff their new openings. Here’s a sample of student opinions about careers in the sciences and health care fields:

• Feel they are not good at health care and science subjects in school 21%
• Feel they are not ready to study health care and science at the college level 19%
• Feel that getting a health care degree would be too difficult 12%

Russell J. DiGate, PhD, provost at University of the Sciences says “there appears to be a need to help teenagers understand the types of health care and science opportunities available to them, and then encourage them in their choices.” The poll found that 97% of students realize that jobs are available in these fields.

This state of affairs also points to an opportunity for colleges and technical schools. Based on the findings of this poll, these institutions will likely be improving their marketing programs to educate high school students about career possibilities and then encourage these students to enroll in a satisfying course of study, and remedial study – as necessary- to meet their new career goals.

[Source: Unaware of Possibilities. Harris Interactive Poll. 7 Jul. 2010. Web. 23 Jul. 2010]

According to findings released recently from Alloy Media + Marketing’s 10^th Annual College Explorer Study, powered by Harris Interactive, a historic number of students will go to college this Fall, carrying with them an unprecedented and immense $306 billion in projected spending power – up 13% since 2009′s estimates.

Now the largest class in history, the current college population (ages 18-34) jumps 6% from projected 2009 figures.  And, while overall non-discretionary expenses are on the rise, it’s this consumer group’s discretionary spend that is particularly revealing.  Showing a projected 10% increase since last year, the 18-34 year old college set continues to display a penchant for what they deem “must haves”, with annual discretionary spending figures rising to an estimated $69 billion, representing a substantial hike from 2009.

“This year’s survey shows a substantial increase in college enrollment and with this ever-broadening population, a student body that appears more confident towards the future of the country’s financial state of affairs and doling out their discretionary income for the necessary trappings of college life,” commented Dana Markow, VP, Youth and Education Research, Harris Interactive.

Clearly, these youthful consumers are not cutting back deeply, despite the continuation of a challenged economy.  In fact, their spending appears to illuminate an increasingly optimistic view when it comes to the state of the nation.  When asked their opinion about the future of the nation’s economy, more than four out of every ten students (42%) in both the 18-24 and 18-34 age brackets stated they feel the economy will improve in the coming year.  Compared to 31% of those 35 and older in the U.S. general population who reported the same, it appears the current student body is expressing more confidence when it comes to the country’s financial turnaround.

This optimism seems to be translating at the cash register, as students (18-34) report they are spending 3% more per month on discretionary purchases than they did last year – an average of $361 per student.

And where, exactly, is that added chunk of change going?  For both the overall 18-34 college student demographic and its younger subset (18-24), entertainment, personal care products and technology (other than cell phones/PDAs) get a lift this year, showing a slight increase in overall monthly category spend.  For this decidedly social and connected group, it appears that looking good and feeling good remain high priority.

Interestingly, when it comes down to a battle of the sexes, some stereotypes may still apply. Male students ages 18-34 are spending more towards entertainment and technology on a monthly basis, while females lead slightly in clothing and shoes, cosmetics and cell phone purchases.  While gaming may be top of mind for the male student body, it also appears the 21^st century college man is paying increasing attention to his personal appearance; according to the recent report, males are actually spending slightly more than females for personal care products.

Annual discretionary spending among 18-24 year old college students jumps to a projected $37.7 billion.  For this younger generation, sacrifice does not seem to be in the current curriculum. While automotive and entertainment, two of the top three categories for annual spending among 18-24 year olds, saw an increase since last year, personal care and technology spending figures increased nearly as much. A similar trend is reported for 18-34 year old college consumers and, while food still leads in annual category expenditure, it is spending on personal care products and entertainment that shows a slightly larger leap over last year’s figures.

Interestingly, when students were asked if their spending habits had changed in the past year, 18-24 year olds appear to have set different fiscal priorities than their older counterparts. More than half of the 18-24 year olds surveyed stated spending for entertainment, eating out, and bars and nightclubs has remained steady or increased, while approximately only four in ten 25-34 year olds agreed with such sentiment.  Specifically, when it comes to eating out, a hefty 52% of 18-24 year olds stated spending stayed steady or increased, vs. 38% for 25-34 year olds.  While neither group reported major shifts in their activity, for the younger college student “fun” goes hand in hand with required studies, appearing to be the way of campus life.

“This year’s findings offer a very compelling view of college consumers’ growing influence in the marketplace,” stated Andy Sawyer, EVP, Media Services, Alloy Media + Marketing.

“From sheer population growth, compounded with notable spending hikes in key discretionary categories, college students’ ever-increasing consumer power is undeniable.  The annual College Explorer Study definitively reiterates the importance this group holds for brands aiming to gain long term loyalty, and should serve as the marketer’s essential guide to navigating the modern campus and its inhabitants’ unique behaviors.”

[Source:  10th Annual College Explorer Study.  Harris Interactive/Alloy Media + Marketing. 7 Jul. 2010.  Web.  15 Jul. 2010.]