Why the Youth are Attracted to Social Media

Practically everyone has a Facebook account these days and it's no secret how powerful this particular social media platform has become, particularly when it comes to today's youth. Marketers have no choice but to tap into the range of channels that form the basis of peer to peer communication. If you want your brand to be noticed and reinforced through word of mouth then it needs to be where people spend their free time socialising with friends. Check out this interesting article on suggestions to brands about targeting young consumers using social media:

http://www.utalkmarketing.com/

Viral Marketing and targeting the Youth Demographic

Anyone in the advertising world will know just how powerful something as simple as word of mouth can be, especially when it comes to engaging your consumer base and reinforcing brand loyalty. You just have to sit on a train and listen to a bunch of teenagers talk about their latest mobile phone purchase to know how valuable conversations like this are to a brand like Apple or Nokia. Not only are young people invariably aware and in touch with all the latest technological developments, but they are highly influential when it comes to affecting the brand awareness of their parents, who undoubtedly go out and spend a good deal of money on gifts to keep their techno savvy kids happy.

Anyone watch World Wrestling Entertainment? You might recall the viral marketing campaign that promoted the return of Chris Jericho to the ring in 2007. A series of 15 second videos were used containing cryptic messages and biblical links related to the wrestler . The campaign then spread virally through the internet and numerous websites.

Just a year later, the film The Dark Knight launched a marketing campaign that combined both online and real life elements into a virtual reality game – this included gathering masses of Joker fans, launching scavenger hunts around the world and the design of websites that allowed fans to vote for political offices in Gotham City, a Gotham news network, a Gotham travel agency and so on and so forth.

Another successful campaign has to be Will it Blend? Tom Dickson, founder of Blendtec is the star of Viral Video Classics on YouTube where he blends anything and everything, from an iPhone to a Bic lighter. Gaining over 3.5 million views, the series has developed a cult like following, inspired merchandise and even a tagline on popular discussion sites.

Last but not least, Burger King’s Whopper Sacrifice campaign on Facebook was notorious, even though it lasted just under a week. Users who added the application to their account were challenged to sacrifice ten friends and they would be sent a coupon for a free Whopper. While you aren’t usually made aware of being de-friended, the app sent an email letting the person know they had been sacrificed for a free burger. Facebook soon intervened, but not before over 200,000 friendships had been sacrificed and the legend of a marketing campaign founded on sacrificing friends was born.

Click here if you’re interested in learning more about how Youth Media can help launch a campaign in the heart of the student market.


(Information courtesy of Top One Report)

How brands are competing to lead with creative innovation

With so much competition in the advertising world, it seems that brands are having to pull out all the stops to be as creative as humanly possible. The youth market is moved by innovation, arguably more so than any other demographic. Check out this link to some of the most interesting ad campaigns from around the world courtesy of Designers Couch:

http://designerscouch.org/show_article/119/eight-interesting-ad-campaigns.html

Why is Graduate Recruitment so important?

Companies and corporations spend a lot of money each year on recruiting new talent because they understand that graduates inject a certain amount of fresh blood and offer new insights into company policies and practices having just received an education in some of the top institutions in the country. It is also an opportunity to mould an energetic, eager to learn, highly charged intellect into a valuable asset to the business. They are, after all, the future managers and directors of the company.

So what are the key skills that recruiters are looking for in a graduate?

• Motivation and enthusiasm
• Ability to work well in a team
• Excellent communication
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Proactive initiative
• Desire to learn and grow

With the economy still in recovery after a massive recession, businesses have had to pull back on their purse strings and budgets, particularly those for graduate recruitment have been cut severely. Another consequence of the recession has been a job market flooded with redundancies and graduates unable to find work. In speaking to agencies, a resounding trend seems to be that recruiters now face a problem of quality versus quantity when it comes to their pool of candidates. Not only have clients cut their spend, they are now demanding more value and return on their investment. So the question is how do recruiters overcome these issues in a flagging economy?

Measurability, now more than ever, seems the key to any marketing or recruitment campaign and digital appears to offer that sought after return on investment. Campaigns need to be highly targeted, whether it’s placing a banner ad on a youth oriented website or sending out emails to a database of registered students. Youth Media takes it a step further and offers targeted email campaigns sent through heads of department to student academic email addresses, adding a personal touch and ensuring it comes from a trusted source to encourage more opens and higher click through than other forms of e-marketing. Click here to find out more.

How do brands reach today’s youth?

Advertisers and marketers alike know full well how the constant innovation and evolution of technology has complicated the planning process, especially when it comes to that elusive Generation Y. David Benady published a really interesting article about the trends involved with reaching the ‘Cyber Generation’ (Youth marketing: four trends in reaching the CyberGens). Below is a summary of four key points he makes:

1. Hyper-Fragmentation
While young people today may well be able to tailor their environments on their own terms, this has also resulted in a state of ‘hyper-fragmentation’ where they now crave a sense of belonging and are constantly on the lookout for communities in which to anchor themselves (social networks ring a bell?) With the usual strongholds of religion, politics and family dynamics eroding, brands can provide a sense of community and there are high returns if the reward is the right fit.

2. Open Source Society
The youth genuinely feel in control of their media, which means that there is no longer a passive acceptance. In fact, a demand for more open structures from organisations has developed in its place. The implication for brands is that they now need to be completely transparent and allow young people to feel ownership of the brand. Rather than adopting a know it all attitude, brands need to take a more passive stance and offer rewards for engaging.

3. Rewired: Generation Now
The web has created a culture of convenience where people now have access to information at their fingertips, which has its pros and cons. A quick search doesn’t require much hard work, so the youth are impressed by brands that do their ethical work for them. Also, the less commitment a brand demands the better. Initiating interaction is the key to engagement.

4. Celebrity Me
Social networks have created a ‘celebrity me’ syndrome where young people are obsessed with knowing what people are doing, where they’ve been and with whom. Brands need to tap into this resource and enhance this ‘celebrity’ status. We’ve all heard of the power of word of mouth – now imagine that combined with cyber space. When you think that young people on social networks often have over 200 friends and they can spread the word much faster than a brand, you get an idea of how valuable peer-to-peer communication really is.

Youth Media are experts in the provision of communication solutions targeted at the heart of the student market. Our YouthWire platform sits on the desktop of student PCs in areas of study and offers a prime opportunity to bring your brand to the fore of their attention. Why not have us design an app to sit on the platform and encourage that all important interaction? For more info, click here.

Top Youth Marketing Trends

1. Remember that attention will be your biggest cost
2. Never assume that the youth wake up thinking about your brand
3. What is the social currency of your product?
4. Marketing isn’t something you do to youth, it’s something you do with them
5. What is a brand if it’s not about serving its customers?
6. Awareness means nothing – you’re aware of Aston Martin, but when was the last time you went out and bought one?
7. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool
8. If the brain only processes 5% of what it perceives then how is your brand worthy?
9. Being good is no longer enough, now it’s all about relevance
10. The two primary motivations driving youth are the need to belong and to be significant
11. Good youth marketing is focused on share of the customer, not share of the market
12. Focus on creating a legacy, not just a campaign
13. They don't care what you know, unless they know that you care
14. Building grass roots results in forming grass routes
15. Customer service is your best youth marketing strategy
16. Prove that you are worthy
17. Customers don't need educating, we do
18. Insight is king
19. We are moving from an era of looking for consumers for our products to looking for products for our consumers
20. Sell your values
21. Everything trivial has a social value
22. Being a youth icon means nothing unless you are able to maintain your relevance - look at Harley Davidson, now effectively a dying brand appealing to an older and older audience
23. If you want attention, give something first

Youth Media has spent a decade investing in the creation of innovative and relevant communication solutions for brands looking to target the youth market. Part of that process has involved a thorough understanding of what it means to be a young consumer. If you are looking for effective student marketing solutions, click here to find out more.

Information courtesy of '50 Youth Marketing Trends for 2009' Graham Brown mobileyouth.org

What drives the youth of today?

Anyone with a foothold in the advertising world will know that a successful campaign has to be based on a profound understanding of the target market. This isn’t always an easy task, especially when you consider how quickly things change and evolve in such a highly dynamic society. Trends are in one day and out the next, especially when it comes to today’s youth who seem to consume information at an incredible rate.

So what is it that young people really care about? Is it checking out the next social scene, investing in the latest Smartphone, or dissecting the latest popular soap on TV? A study called ‘Young Adults Revealed’ suggests that the two things young people care about the most are getting a good career (46%) and their education (45%). Perhaps this points to the fact that the 16-24 year demographic is a lot more pragmatic than we give them credit. They are also disproportionately heavy users of digital media and lead the rest when it comes to their media consumption habits, all this seemingly in a search for real, meaningful human interaction (‘How Teens Use Media’).

Young people have plenty of dreams and fears, perhaps even more pronounced than older audiences and advertising has the ability to either reflect, soothe or build on these personal motivations. According to the ‘Young Adults Revealed’ report, for young people material security is what matters most and this is a reaction against the worrying situation of the job market, especially having just experienced a recession. In fact, the situation now would place the youth of today closer to the experience of their grandparents post-war than their own parents.

What do young people value most in their lives? While assumptions might suggest that it’s friends first, in actual fact it’s family that comes foremost and partners second, according to a ‘Circuits of Cool’ study carried out by MTV. When it comes to how young people spend their time, it turns out that contrary to belief, they aren’t just a bunch of coach potatoes. In fact, they love to socialise, many play sport, go the cinema or gigs, as well as the inevitable pub or club on the weekend. It might surprise you to know that 49% of young people in the survey like to read books while they’re chilling at home.

However, when it comes to the friendships forged by young people, it seems that we are entering an entirely new era of networking. There tends to be a much wider variety of relationships being formed, with a hierarchy of close, trusted friends at one extreme to more internet-based friends met at random on social networking sites. Young people have grown up with technology, they’re comfortable with it and they consume it more than any other demographic. News, health and finance don’t interest them so much as sport, technology and music do. If you’re interested in reaching the student market, click here to find out more about the media solutions available at Youth Media.

What makes an ad memorable to the Youth Market?

Each and every one of us is exposed to some form of advertising on a daily basis, whether it's on the tube ride to work, on billboards while we sit in the proverbial stream of traffic, on the radio that makes up the background noise in the office, not to mention the endless ad breaks during our favourite TV program. More recently, social networks have joined in the fun. Now this might well indicate that advertisers have become increasingly savvy at reaching consumers in their dwell time at home or on their way to work, but in such a highly competitive market, reach is no longer enough. How effective an ad really is comes down to how memorable it is.

Can anyone think back to when ads first started to make an impact on TV? Are there any that you remember? It's incredible to think just how much power a short spurt of creative and a well placed slogan have on a brand’s image and ultimate impact on sales. VW Beetle is a great one that comes to mind. If you were alive and kicking in the late '50s, you might remember a series of 'Think Small' ads that promoted a message along the lines of ‘less is more’ with creatives that reflected a similar sense of simplicity. Or even the Clairol, 'Does she... or doesn’t she?' campaign that coined a phrase in 1956 that lasted another 15 years and boosted sales by over 400% in the first six years.

Ok, so that was then, what about now? With the constant evolution of economies around the world, advertising has become a world truly reflective of Darwin’s survival of the fittest. Not only is the audience more techno savvy and critically aware, brands have had to become far more competitive and innovative in their approach to advertising. There is the inevitable trade off, with consumers now asking the question, "Well, what's in it for me?"

So what makes an ad memorable? An article in New Media Age (13/5/10) broached the topic recently and came up with some interesting conclusions. After a survey was carried out, the top five categories listed in descending order were: Funny, Relevant, Unexpected, Informative and Celebrity Endorsed. Now if I have a think back to ads I’ve seen recently, there are already some that would fit perfectly into these categories. It doesn’t take long to come up with something funny - it would have to be Compare the Market’s insatiable meerkat, which has arguably become one of the most recognisable ad series on TV.

So, we know that ads appealing to a sense of humour are obviously a winner with the viewing public. If you think about it, using a meerkat could also fall into the unexpected category. I mean, where on earth do market and meerkat interlink? That leaves relevant and it has to be said that Cancer Research tends to hit home every time, perhaps only because of a family history connected to the disease. It would probably also fall under informative. Celebrity endorsed? Well that would have to be Jamie Oliver and Sainsburys – granted, it took me a second or two to remember which supermarket chain he was representing. But you obviously get the gist. When it comes to student advertising, it’s vital that brands tap into the most creative and innovative resources at their disposal. Youth Media offers a unique portfolio of communication solutions for brands looking for exposure in the heart of the student market. Click here to find out more.

Governments now tapping into the power of social media

While many government agencies still tend to employ the "broadcast" model when using social media, some are engaging through hashtags, community building initiatives, and geo-location analysis. These efforts are helping to better inform the public and alert them to public safety emergencies in real-time.

For more detailed real life examples, have a look at this interesting article on Mashable:

http://mashable.com/2010/05/19/government-agencies-social-media/

What about student travel plans now that summer is around the corner?

For those of us who are office bound, having entered the dog eat dog world of business after years spent studying a degree or diploma of sorts, even if we fell somewhere along the spectrum of hooligan or information junkie, memories of those long summers with nothing to do but find the next big adventure no doubt bring a certain smile to the dial. With the end of the academic year approaching, students are furiously revising for those final exams, but they will also be relishing the idea of having some well earned time off. What to do? Where to go? Who to see? Oh to be in the same position all over again!

It’s a well known fact that travel can be cheap, especially when it comes to exploring all that Europe has to offer on a student budget. It’s a time in our lives when we live for adventure, long to sate the syndrome of itchy feet and spread our newly formed wings. There’s a sense of excitement that comes along with summer, as it presents all kinds of opportunity for the young and the free. No mortgages to worry about, no kids in tow, just a backpack and the thrill that freedom and independence entails. Whether it’s travelling alone or in a group, students are always keen to take advantage of the sunny climates of our Mediterranean neighbours.

Do you specialise in travel? Do you offer discounted package deals aimed at the student market? Then this could be the perfect opportunity to launch a marketing campaign at the heart of the student market. Youth Media has a strong presence within education in the UK – our reach stands at 2.2 million students in university aged 18 and over. Our YouthWire platform enables brands to run ad campaigns that come direct to the student on their desktop within areas of study. While they’re whiling the time away engrossed in those books, every so often their mind is going to drift to those exciting summer plans and what better opportunity than to pique an interest in one of your own travel deals at that very moment. If it’s not digital media you’re after then why not make use of our poster panels situated in areas of high footfall within university libraries. Save yourself the trouble and book now to avoid missing out. If you can’t wait for summer, neither can they!

Youth Media upgrades digital tools for advertisers

We recently caught the attention of MediaTel. Here's what they had to say:

Youth Media upgrades digital tools for advertisers

Youth Media has introduced a new range of branded app facilities on its YouthWire Desktop Platform, currently installed in PCs in 34 universities.

The Desktop Platform has previously been purely a channel for ad campaigns and interactive panels but now it will provide a new range of digital tools, such as widgets for marketing campaigns.

The YouthWire Desktop Platform is currently installed on more than 24,000 PCs in 34 universities with a reach of more than 650,000 individuals, as well as 26,000 PCs in 98 colleges, with a reach of more than700,000. Individual students average six sessions a month, with an average dwell time of 86 minutes, said Youth Media.

Justin Smith, director of Youth Media, said: "Our portfolio of media is unique within the educational marketplace and this ground-breaking initiative adds a powerful new solution to our range which will enable advertisers to really talk face to face with their selected target audiences."

What’s happening with YouthWire at Universities?

As per our recent YouthWire Uni Newsletter, we are aiming to use the YouthMedia Blog in future to display University YouthWire updates as they happen. Can I encourage you to sign up, follow and comment on our blog.

Purdah and YouthWire

Purdah is the period of time from when an election is announced until after the General election is held. The basic principle is that any Central Office of Information (COI) marketing activity which could call into question the current government’s political impartiality or could give rise to the criticism that public resources are being used for Party political purposes is suspended for this time.

As a result we will be unable to display COI information on YouthWire from now until the General Election has been held. We are working hard on some new alternative clients for this period of activity and will be in contact with you soon regarding these.

App Developments

We have just finished the design and development of a library App for Anglia Ruskin University Library – their students will soon be able to search the entire library catalogue using the Aleph App on the YouthWire panel.

If you are interested in taking up our Aleph, Innovative, Sirsi Dynix or Talis Library Apps please get in touch. Alternatively, we can create a new app based on your sites’ individual library programme.

How can professional bodies tap into the student market?

With the evolution of technology and the now global dimension of commerce, business has grown exponentially and become as diverse as you could possibly get.  It’s no wonder then that a need has arisen for specific professions to come up with a way to regulate the systems and legalities involved, with an aim towards demystifying the world of business and protecting the interests of those practicing a particular trade.  Not only is it necessary for professional bodies to support their members, but they have a mandate to ensure that the standards of their profession are upheld.  Many of the bodies do this by establishing training courses or qualifications or insisting on accreditation via membership as a requirement to practice certain professions in the UK.  Some of the obvious examples of these include medicine, finance and accountancy.

Each professional body will have a range of membership opportunities available, from affiliates who may not be interested in becoming fully qualified, but still have a strong interest in a particular field, to associates who are in the process of developing their professional careers, to fellows who are recognised with awards for outstanding achievement and competence in their field.  Last but not least, there will be membership categories aimed primarily at the student market, for those who are just embarking on their professional careers.  Each level of membership will allow access to a wide range of benefits, whether it be professional resources and information, the chance to network and build relationships within the industry, or the opportunity to take advantage of various related leisure or retail discounts and deals.

So where does Youth Media come into all of this you might say?  One of the major issues that organisations have in targeting the elusive Generation Y is that they are always a step ahead when it comes to their consumption of media and they are not so easily tempted or impressed by traditional methods.  If we’re to believe the research then the youth tend to be incentive driven and are more swayed by the opinions of their peers than the promotional marketing of a particular brand.  Ok, so if the youth aren’t likely to pick up a newspaper and feel less inclined towards ads on tv then what on earth can we use?  The answer is to pinpoint where the youth spend the majority of their dwell time – these days it’s on their phone or their PC. 

Youth Media specialises in the provision of unique and tailored communication solutions for brands looking to target the student market.  With a reach of 2.2 million students in universities around the UK, professional bodies looking to promote their membership or qualifications to the student market have a wealth of media options available.  Why not place an ad on our YouthWire platform, a unique offering situated on the desktop of PCs in areas of study, to not only promote the brand but drive targeted traffic to your website, or run an email campaign where the personal touch comes from the involvement of heads of department where emails are sent to academic email addresses, meaning no issue with spam filters and the added effect of a trusted source to encourage more opens and higher conversion.  If it’s brand awareness you’re after then we have a range of ambient media to complement any campaign.

Augmented Reality – How Real Is It?

You could easily be forgiven for wondering whether you’re stuck in sci-fi mode when it comes to thoughts of augmented reality. While the exact technicalities may boggle the mind, possibly the simplest definition has to do with digital information layered on a real environment. Ronald Azuma refers to augmented reality as a combination of the real and the virtual, something that allows interaction in real time and is registered in 3D. Now we all know what an impact 3D has had recently in the movie world with the release of James Cameron’s long awaited Avatar, which has been followed by a series of new 3D releases that seem set to change the face of the industry as we know it.

You might not realise it, but augmented reality has been around for quite some time. Anyone notice how sports commentators are able to playback footage with a bunch of arrows seemingly drawn onto the image to illustrate certain plays? How about the fact that rugby fields and cricket pitches have giant logos of the sponsors inserted to appear on TV. Even video games make use of augmented reality, where visual directions are given to a particular location, information is inserted about equipment, such as the weapons available or how far away the nearest shooter is out of sight. There are even aircraft with helmet mounted displays that allow the pilot to look through his own aircraft as if it wasn’t even there.

While it may seem like some kind of Hollywood gimmick, the fact remains that augmented reality is here and it’s something gaining popularity in the marketing world with an increasing number of digital agencies launching viral campaigns. Even Smartphones have jumped on the proverbial bandwagon where the phone’s camera is the lens through which the real world is seen and as objects are recognised, the phone automatically fills the screen with relevant information. The built-in GPS tells the phone where you’re standing and information is sent wirelessly to servers that host augmented reality apps. Examples include WorkSnug, which helps you locate the nearest Wi-Fi spot for your laptop, or CarFinder which is perfect for the ditzy women of the world who manage to lose their car in a crowded lot.

While Youth Media might not be in the business of augmented reality, it is certainly a leading innovator in the world of technology in education, specialising in the provision of communication solutions both for the institutions and commercial brands looking to target the youth market. Our You[th]Wire platform is strategically placed on the desktop of PCs in areas of study, providing students with access to a range of relevant content in the form of interactive desktop apps, similar to those you’d find on a Smartphone. Why not take advantage of the most innovative technology on the market and have your own commercially led branded app designed? We specialise in creating the initiative that drives engagement and the intense popularity of apps on the market tends to speak for itself.

Why is integrated marketing so effective?

It’s no secret that we live in a world driven by consumerism thanks to the entrenchment of capitalism in an increasingly global society. For brands looking to target this materialistic market, the evolution of technology has ensured that there is now a wealth of channels available. However, with so many different messages floating around on a daily basis, you can be forgiven for wondering how on earth it’s possible to keep track of them all, or indeed whether they are effectively a complement or contradiction in terms.

This is where integrated marketing communications steps in, as its premise is to ensure that the messages sent out through the variety of available channels remains consistent. Brands are increasingly trading on their reputation and something like this can only be achieved successfully through a communication campaign that focuses on building a relationship with the market over a prolonged period of time.

In the past, agencies have got away with charging clients every time a different message is created for a particular marketing medium, whether it be above the line, below the line or online. However, more and more agencies are now turning to integrated marketing solutions as a way of meeting the demand for consistency.

It’s not difficult to see why when you think of it like this: imagine you’re reading the paper on the way to work and you notice an ad about a particular service, later that night while you’re relaxing in front of the telly, you notice an ad about the same service albeit in a different format, and then you happen to be online surfing the net and come across yet another message about the service. Having now been exposed to the same message in at least three different channels, the next time you need that service, who are you likely to call?

Youth Media specialises in integrated marketing solutions targeting the youth market, a demographic known to be techno savvy with a taste for variety when it comes to information channels. Whether you are looking to attract attention visually through posters in areas of high footfall, tangibly in the form of leaflets or branded bookmarks, the ultimate in digital exposure would be targeting students through emails and even better still, a unique desktop platform known as YouthWire. If you’re interested in hearing more about how we can launch an integrated campaign for your brand targeting the elusive Generation Y, then why not get in touch.

What’s all this hype around Social Media?

With the soaring popularity of social networking sites in recent years, it seems only natural that the business world would look to jump on the proverbial bandwagon. In fact, the demand has increased to the point where agencies are being set up and marketing teams hired solely to specialise in social media, with organisations now choosing to allocate a substantial budget to include it in their marketing strategy.

While the trend towards social media is certainly gathering momentum, it is still a relatively new phenomenon and there are a lot of people out there unsure of what it all means and why it’s considered such an effective marketing tool. If you consider that there were 42.5 million people online in the UK in January, which is up 16% on last year and the reach of social networks is now 86% of the total UK internet audience, then you have some idea of the force behind the social media wave (New Media Age: March 2010).

A social media strategy might not suit every business, it’s patently clear that brands looking to target the traditionally hard to reach 16-24 year old demographic have an opportunity to tap into an incredibly effective resource. According to the Office of Communications, the likelihood of setting up a social networking profile is highest among 16-24 year olds (54%) and that on average, people tend to have a profile on 1.6 sites, with 39% having profiles on two or more.

You might ask what all the fuss is about. There are a number of factors to take into account, one being that increased connection speeds and wider availability of broadband have enabled richer use of the internet, particularly when it comes to uploading and viewing content. People see social networks as a fun and easy leisure activity where users derive a significant level of enjoyment from building a network of friends, watching video, listening to music, playing games and browsing through other people’s profiles.

At Youth Media, we understand that the key to an effective marketing campaign is targeting people during their dwell time. Last year, the UK internet audience accessed 210 billion social networking pages and spent 2 billion hours instant messaging (NMA: March 2010). Not only do people spend a lot of time networking and surfing the net, but placing ads on social networks can capitalise on the extensive demographic information held about the users to run highly targeted and creative campaigns that encourage brand engagement. Business is ultimately about people and social media offers access to a diverse and techno savvy network of consumers driven by a desire for information at their finger tips and instant gratification.

Youth Media is uniquely placed within the student market and offers a wealth of social media channels and strategies for brands looking to target 16-24 year olds. YouthWire is a digital platform that sits on the desktop of PCs in areas of study, with students having an average 6 sessions a month and each session lasting 86 minutes. There is no one else in the market with access to the internal networks of educational institutions in this way. The explosion of mobile apps onto the market has inspired the creation of a desktop version that sits on our platform, giving students access to a wealth of information, video feeds, news streams and capable of relevant content or SMS integration. The app can be built for students to share it from the YouthWire platform onto their social networking profile, where their friends can see it, engage with it and share onto their own profile. Et voila, the reach increases exponentially and the possibilities are endless.

What’s with this "app mania" in the market?

Anyone with an eye on current trends will know that the mobile industry has taken off with an app phenomenon thanks to the popularity of Apple’s iPhone. With people spending the majority of their dwell time either on their phone or on the internet, media solutions have had to evolve along with the constantly changing needs of the market. Consumers are hungry for innovation and mobile apps appear to be sating the need for real time access to useful, valuable tools and information.

Now what on earth could current trends in the mobile market mean for digital media? Plenty, as it turns out. Youth Media understands that brands looking to target Generation Y have quite a job on their hands, as engagement can only be won through initiatives that pack a powerful punch. There has to be a trade off, with techno savvy consumers looking for incentive first, instant gratification later.

Over the last year, Youth Media has responded to growing trends in the market and come up with a digital platform in the form of You[th]Wire. With a reach of over 650,000 university students and installed on 24,845 PCs in areas of study, it is available to commercial brands looking to target the student market. The idea was to come up with something bigger and better, that incentive to drive brand engagement. Signal the drum roll and along comes the desktop app.

Similar in concept to the mobile version, desktop apps are bespoke and can be tailored to suit the needs of any brand. There are a range of functions, from tabs displaying basic content, to video feeds, news streams, data capture, even SMS and MMS integration. Students are able to personalise their desktop space with apps allowing access to social networks, information about the Weather, a link to Wikipedia, even track down reference books using their Library Catalogue. All this comes directly to the student on their desktop and in their dwell time.

Click above to view full size images.

So what does all this mean to a graduate recruiter? It’s simple really. There is no one else in the market with access to the internal networks of educational institutions in this way. Why not design a unique desktop app where students can find information about the company, see video feeds from the CEO or graduate employees giving a feel of what it’s like to work there, read news feeds, even register their details or apply for jobs. With all this content pulled automatically from a website or media source, you can even track who uses the app, where they go once they’ve used it, as well as their application to a stage of offer or rejection.

Click above to view full size images.

If you are looking to stand at the forefront of the industry then tapping into the latest innovation in technology is a sure fire way to secure the cream of the crop when it comes to graduate recruitment. If you want to recruit the best then you need to invest in outstanding technology and Youth Media has just what you’re looking for.