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How to speak to Gen Z
Most universities are failing to communicate effectively with young people, research shows.
With rising living costs and university fee hikes set for next year, tertiary institutions are under pressure to find ways to appeal to Generation Z( those born in the early 2000s). So what attracts the attention of our future university students?
Market researcher Kantar TNS has released its latest findings, identifying the top influencers when it comes to attracting Gen Z students to tertiary education.
Ryan France, head of brand and communications, says the industry-first research aims to help guide the time and money that universities are investing into the“ path to enrolment”.
“ For most students, selecting a university is easily one of the most important decisions and biggest investments they are likely to make in their life,” he says.
“ It’ s a highly involved process, and so much of what came to light from our research is that the majority of universities are not communicating to students in a way they prefer.
“ We recognised the lack of market intelligence for university marketers to base decisions on and designed this study to get as close to reality as possible. We can now start to track these influences over time, and be very specific to each university’ s program and objectives.”
The study measured 35 touchpoints – including the influence of university open days, TV commercials, brochures, social media and discussions with friends and family – to give higher education marketers better and more specific clarity into what is working and what isn’ t.
Research found that young people were most influenced by personal experience and word of mouth, so open days and speaking with family and friends were gauged to be at the top of the chart.
Ads on social media were found to be ineffective, and young people reported frustration with text-heavy websites, sterile imagery and unrealistic videos.
Despite this, touchpoints such as the humble university brochure and university website ranked among the top influencers, while parents of Gen Z kids were mostly influenced by traditional paid media such as TV commercials, newspapers, magazines and billboards. ■
UniSA now on-demand
Degrees in business, health, communications and other disciplines are now available through UniSA Online.
The notion of‘ on-demand’ has become prevalent in our everyday lives. We binge-watch TV, listen to podcasts and will soon even be able to ride buses whenever and wherever we want.
Naturally, on-demand study is part of this burgeoning trend, and the University of South Australia is the latest institution to provide it. With the growth in online learning – which over 1.5 million Australians have undertaken over the past decade – the university believes the on-demand version of this can be easily facilitated.
Delivered via UniSA Online, the on-demand study encompasses 11 degrees in business, construction, health, communications and media, social services, and information technology, with plans for further degrees to be added.
UniSA vice-chancellor professor David Lloyd said student support is intrinsic to the new model.
“ We have been very conscious of the fact that many of our online students will be balancing the demands of work and family while they complete their studies,” he said.
“ To address this, we have created a new study environment that is on-demand, with tutors and student advisers available seven days a week for extended hours and with a 24 / 7 IT support service.”
He stressed the university’ s credentials in terms of accessible education.
“ UniSA has a long and proud history of reaching out and bridging barriers to educational access, dating back to the 1990s when we were one of the largest providers of distance education in Australia.” ■
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