At Next-Mark, we handle both national and international clients, so it is important for us to be aware of both the disparities and parallels that exist between international borders. Earlier this year, I was presented with the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Adelaide located in Adelaide, Australia. While enrolled in an entrepreneurship and peace studies course there, I had a tremendous opportunity to learn about the culture and rich business history of Australia. Seeing a different perspective, specifically in marketing, I picked up on a few similarities and differences between the United States and Australia.

1. Technology is driving the world

Overseas, and in the United States, there is a technology craze; users are constantly looking for the latest and greatest invention. Akin to the United States, the Apple Store, the worlds leading technology retailer, leases out some of the largest space in downtown areas throughout Australia.

The prominence of digital marketing is also very similar between the United States and Australia.. Mobile advertising is making a strong push, and one of the biggest international influencers is, of course, social media.

2. Public Advertising

With a strong emphasis on public transportation, there are emerging trends that allow organizations to effectively market to potential customers using public transport advertising space. Delivering a message and utilizing the allocated advertising space on public transportation is a key difference in between America and Australia. When considering the amount of time a person spends sitting on public transport, there is significant opportunity for a companies to reach a much broader audience.

Advertising through various media outlets is where the true difference lies between overseas and marketing in the U.S. Australians take better advantage of the designated space in public transportation. Looking at the small avenues of advertising that one never thought had any value is something that we look for in the United States.

Make note of where you spend more than five minutes of your day and think of the marketing possibilities in area surrounding you.

3. Marketing to youth

Marketing to youth and the millennial generation has always been a tall order, no matter what geographic region you are in. In Australia however, independence might not come right after high school. An increasing amount of students are still living with their parents well into their twenties, allowing them spend more on material items instead of rent. It’s hard not to underestimate the power of advertising when the minimum wage is around $18 and the unemployment is around 5%. These youth are more likely to spend money in a retail setting instead of saving for future living needs.

Marketing to youth in Australia is a more challenging task, but worth the effort because of the large amount of untapped potential. Young adults are able to earn a decent living without going out of their way to fulfill their education.

Next time you travel abroad keep these in mind, and take note of the similarities and differences YOU notice!

Joseph is a business analyst intern at Next-Mark. In his role, he analyzes our clients’ business models and goals, creating strategies to maximize their marketing outreach, particularly in digital media. In his first blog for Next-Mark, Joseph looks at what it takes to reach the young adult market today.

This fall, more than 17 million college students will go back to school – taking their $117 billion in discretionary spending with them. Once there, their minds will be focused, of course, on grades and paying for the increasing costs of tuition (said the intern who works for his father).

Obviously, these young people make up a lucrative potential market, but how do you engage them long enough to convince them of the value of your particular goods or services?

As a college student myself, I have first-hand experience as a consumer, of course, but I also can look at it as a marketer. While majoring in finance and marketing at Indianapolis’s Butler University, I’ve learned to look at potential markets in every way they can be diced, employing different techniques to promote brands to each.

In a recent article, Elizabeth’s Harz’s states that “old school” marketing doesn’t work for younger consumers. Here is what, according to Harz, marketers should do:

1. Diversify: Take a 360-degree approach.

–       Regarding college students, developing a 360-degree approach means targeting all aspects of where they are viewing; for example, not only advertising in a digital way, but also focusing in on the physical college campuses themselves.

2. Be real.

–       With a busy schedule, college students are eliminating the “fake,” that is, anything with language even faintly reminiscent of scams and get-rich-quick schemes, and looking for facts and real reasons to buy.

3. Listen and adapt.

–       Demographics are seldom static, and this age group is one of the more volatile. Use social media to listen to your market and quickly change your tactics and strategies if you find that something doesn’t work.

Contact Next-Mark today to learn more about effective approaches to marketing to a college demographic (and the rest of the world as well).

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