The “Back to School” Impact on Advertising

“Back to school” is one of the most popular advertising phrases in the late summer and early fall. Education is a major part of our society: parents wanting the best for their kids, young adults developing skills for their future careers, and adults employed by the academic system. Everyone is impacted by the school system in some shape or form and many companies capitalize on the idea that another school year is about to begin.

The obvious of these companies are schools themselves. From pre-school to university, homeschools to trade schools, most educational institutions primarily rely on fall admissions to fill their student body. Many of these schools promote their strengths and target specific audiences to grab the attention of potential students. Universities, for example, promote their wide array of programs, online, on-campus, and hybrid courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and career opportunities that only a higher education can provide. While many students transfer or enroll in other semesters, fall is the semester with the highest volume for enrollment as it’s technically the start of the school year­. Therefore, fall is naturally the best time to advertise going “back to school”.

Possibly the most memorable type of “back to school” ad is in the fashion industry. Retailers focus on back-to-school attire as a point of sale to students and parents alike. Parents know that their kid can grow tremendously from year to year and a new wardrobe for school, new clothes for gym class, new set of uniforms for band, or new cleats for football may be essential for a student’s comfort. Fashion can also be a point of self-expression for many young adults and that fashion isn’t confined to clothing, but expands to backpacks, pencil cases, laptop skins, school supplies, accessories, and so much more. These fashion items can be linked to self-confidence and can ultimately impact a student’s performance, which gives the fashion industry another valid detail to advertise when the “back to school” train comes back around.

Even industries that aren’t directly related can benefit from the “back to school” hype. Museums and similar facilities have the benefit of offering a hands-on educational experience outside of a classroom as well as field trip opportunities. Resorts and travel destinations can advertise a relaxing and exciting getaway experience to parents who still want to enjoy the summer or to take a weekend escape from packing lunches, PTA meetings, and last-minute science projects. While these may not be the primary message in their ads, the target audience remains–thus, these companies can still benefit from the “back to school” season based on the mindset that this advertising device creates.

The “back to school” opportunity is here–now is the time to capitalize on it. There are many ways to benefit from this concept, both directly and indirectly. If you need help creating a campaign that impacts the “back to school” audience, contact Crystal directly at (248) 866-3257 or click here to get started.