PPB April 2019

What’s Trending In The Ever-Evolving EducationMarket Peter Luchak of Campus Promotions, Inc. put a new spin on a classic product that’s ideal for college and university promotions. The patented Crafty Can Cooler (C3) is a high-quality neoprene beverage insulator that folds down, making it easy to hand out and even easier to stash in a pocket or purse. “We call it the C3, because you can see three logos,” explains Luchak. “One on the main body, one when you roll down the rim and one when you reverse it.” We asked Luchak, who started Campus Promotions in 1982, for some insight on how the college market has evolved in the past 30-plus years. He says these are some of the market’s seismic shifts: A global focus “Back in the day, colleges and universities were either local or national institutions. Today they are global and international in scope. Distributors need to keep this in mind. Universities are now trying to brand themselves globally, recruit the finest faculty and appeal to the most ideal students worldwide. Marketing initiatives and products must extend and be relevant to this global reach.” Big business “When I started college in the late 1970s, no one wore logos and if they did, it did not cost extra to wear them. Now, most collegiate logos are licensed and have become a $4.65 billion wholesale business. Licensing has built new revenue streams for schools, and it is a big long-term business because a student’s connection begins their first day of school and lasts a lifetime. For many, the connection to college is their connection to the best years of their lives.” Digitally integrated “We used to rely on word of mouth, the local paper, bulletin boards and campus news to stay current. Social media changed this, as platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram made the sharing of information instantaneous. It allows us to connect entire communities (alumni, administration, students and boosters) for both the good and sometimes, the not so good. Social media is a tool that can be used to build relationships and a platform for people to share their message.” A greater need for engagement “As a place of higher learning, campuses have been on the cutting edge of dialogue and discussion for many of the issues and challenges facing modern civilization, both on the individual level and society in general. They cover a range of topics— from mental health to gender inequality to cultural diversity— which are proportional to the vast variety of products available in the promotional product industry. Distributors can take advantage of the many opportunities to raise awareness for these issues through the many different products available to them.” Co l l eges And Un i ve r s i t i es | APRIL 2019 | 47 GROW