Michigan State University has built their brand on two small words: Spartans will. Spartans will work together. Spartans will work for the common good. Spartans will push past the boundaries.
And this just in: Spartans will experiment with nontraditional marketing.
Understanding that in this day and age, mobile is everything, Michigan State University created a free app for Spartan fans everywhere. Once a user downloads the mobile app, they’re able to upload a photo and add a Spartan helmet to their head—letting anyone and everyone be a Spartan for a day.
Named Spartan Selfie, the app appeals mainly to Millennials, as 47 percent of all teen content on Instagram is #selfies. But it’s still a resource that gets past, present and potential students excited. It’s a tool to show school pride. And it’s something many choose to share on their social media channels—generating even more awareness for the university.
But that’s not all. The end result is branded—displaying the name of the university, the name of the app, the logo and a call to action… one that many have answered. At the beginning of this summer, 2,843 people had already shared their #SpartanSelfie on Instagram.
So, could a mobile app benefit your school’s brand? We’d be willing to bet on it. A recent study shows that Americans spend 162 minutes on their mobile device every day, and 86 percent of that time is spent using apps. Isn’t it time yours was one of them?
Read more: University Marketing 101: 4 colleges connecting with co-eds.
I saw the print campaign for
I saw the print campaign for this. I like the idea, it’s fun and simple and what a great campaign extension
with the app.