In the last month, nearly 19 million students packed their bags and headed off to college. My son was one of them; he was starting his sophomore year. Because he was moving into a house with two other young men versus the dorm, I found myself adding cooking supplies and a good meat thermometer to his packing list. (I also took the opportunity to upsize my air fryer, using his “need” for my old one as the excuse!)

Because of his background, I have no doubt that my son will eat his share of meat this semester. Unfortunately, 47% of college students say they are limiting their meat intake (1). Did you hear the warning sirens go off? I sure did.

Where does this shift come from? A couple of places. For many, meat is not “cool.” It becomes the bad guy in 1 a.m. debates about the environment. It also loses in the dining hall when a snap decision is made to pick up a protein alternative because it is perceived to be “healthier.” Add to that the utter lack of knowledge on how to cook it… and you can see how meat can seem very uncool.

Ideologically, college campuses are rich with the exchange of ideas. The meat industry needs to be a part of those exchanges. We need to arm students with the knowledge that if Meatless Monday were to be adopted by all Americans, there would be a reduction of greenhouse gases in the U.S. of only 0.5 % (2). And we need to teach them to read a nutrition facts panel and ingredient label, so they realize that it is impossible for the Impossible Burger to truly be “better” for you.

To do so will take a two-pronged approach in foodservice and retail.

Foodservice: We’ve got to keep meat on their plates

College freshmen are often required to live on campus and eat at a dining hall. Suddenly these teenagers have access to a smorgasbord of food and price is not a consideration thanks to the meal plans. Think of these students with a tray in hand as meat toddlers with newfound freedom about what they eat… or don’t.

If you have been on a college campus recently you know there are brands everywhere. This is not surprising, because this Gen Z generation is brand loyal: 66% indicate that once they find a brand they like, they will continue to buy it for a long time (3). For those of you with brands, now is the time to make a good impression on campus and in the dining hall.

Partner with college foodservice departments to build awareness while subtly educating these meat toddlers, so they have some food for thought (pun intended) for the 1 a.m. debate. Build awareness with your brand story in a tone that is more edgy than your traditional marketing to get noticed.

Consider sponsoring theme nights. Have contests with prizes college kids want but can’t afford or provide school supplies with key messages and your logo on them. This can be especially beneficial to do near your company headquarters and manufacturing facilities because you are building awareness with your future workforce.

I can already hear the ROI questions. Yep, I agree, it is not here in the short term – but this is the long game, because many of these college kids will be part of your brand/product line’s future target consumer base.

Retail: We’ve got to get meat into their carts

Like my son, those moving off campus have an entirely new set of freedoms. For many, it is their first venture into “adulting.”

This is where the groundwork you laid while they were captive in the dining hall can bear a little bit of ROI fruit. But these are still kids and they are broke, so we have to continue our focus on being cool, edgier and now, helpful.

Consider partnering with off campus housing: offer coupons, handy cooking tips for the first-time apartment dweller or cool things every apartment needs. Provide survival kits with short quippy points about how easy your products fit into their chaotic lives.

For my son, moving off campus meant his first truly solo grocery shopping trip. The prep for his first big stock-the-fridge trip included a call home to talk about what meat he should buy and where he should shop based on his very limited monthly budget. We talked about easy things that would create leftovers and how to cook each. Beef, pork and chicken all went on his list.

The meat toddler will very quickly grow into a meat teenager. That is why it is so important to capture some of his mind-space sooner rather than later. In the past many marketers (myself included) have said to wait and talk to college students when they become consumers of our products. With Gen Z, you must talk to them NOW, so they are hearing your story and beginning to trust in you – then the purchases will follow.

Oh – by the way - two nights after the first big shop, my son informed me that a frozen burger takes 16 minutes in the air fryer and is a perfect midnight snack! I am looking forward to his next cooking update.

(1) Dataessential: 2019 College and University Keynote Report

(2) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 2017, Nutritional and greenhouse gas impacts of removing animals from US agriculture, Robin R. White and Mary Beth Hall https://www.pnas.org/content/114/48/E10301

(3) (2017) Gen Z Brand Relationships, Jane Cheung, Dr. Trevor Davis, Eva Heukaeufer, IBM Institute for Business Value in conjunction with NRF National Retail Federation, https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/M2W7GWV6

Helping meat make the grade in college

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