In December 2024, around Independence Day, I was a bit of a slob twice regarding advertising and communication. The first time I was surprised when I asked my friends who were still studying to go to the “Finland’s Best Little Christmas” event. None of my friends had even heard of the event, even though the event’s advertisement had been running on a billboard near the university for months. I had noticed the event myself months earlier.
Another source of surprise occurred on Independence Day before the student union torchlight procession. At that time, the townspeople complained that the event had not been sufficiently publicized. As a former student, it was obvious to me that the torchlight procession would also be held that year, and so I went to the site as a spectator out of old habit.
I think this story perfectly highlights how marketing works differently among students and other city dwellers. Students closely follow certain event channels and of course listen to recommendations from their friends, while other city dwellers seem to value more traditional methods like outdoor advertising and newspaper ads.
I believe that there is still room for improvement in communication on both sides. The city could make better use of the communication channels that are natural to students in terms of content that is suitable for students. On the other hand, students could also sometimes use more traditional communication methods if the goal is to attract other cities to the audience. Better communication would benefit both parties, because in this way a larger number of participants could be attracted to the events.
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