I have seen the necessarily ruggedized common areas and amenities of university student housing as a visiting parent, and twitch at the thought of trying to keep digital screens on the wall and running in that alcohol-impaired and testosterone-rich environment, but a UK start-up is nonetheless building out a digital OOH network in exactly those environments.
Target Student puts portrait-mode screens in for free in the highest footfall areas of large student housing “halls” in city centre locations. Its website says the company so far has 60 screens in 28 major locations. The company says its relationships with accommodation partners gives brands “exclusive access to untouched high footfall student living spaces across the UK.”
The network operators offer a third of the rotation of 10-second spots to the venue operator for doing their own messaging targeted to students, like Please Don’t Throw Lounge Chairs Out The Windows. Predictably, advertisers tilt towards delivered food, clothing and cheap transport options. The primary selling point to housing operators is that this set-up boosts the visibility of necessary messaging to students, who would not reliably stop to read a series of print-outs tacked to cork boards.
The screens are often at places like check-in counters, so the likelihood of the screens being trashed, borrowed or co-opted to play FIFA 23 are admittedly lessened. But hard partying residents – particularly first years – is a thing, and not just in the UK. One of the interesting wrinkles is how the screens are equipped with motion sensors to provide audience measurement analytics, including daily footfall and impressions.
God speed, Target Student ;-]