Integrating IP Advantage
While there was a great deal of fanfare associated with the launch of MFH3 from DIRECTV® few companies have actually integrated this technology with significant...
Read More

Student Housing Television Options

Regardless of lifestyle, everyone wants to come back to a place that actually feels like home. While no one can replicate the exact comfort of home, providing some of the same amenities that students had at home can be a huge help.

If the stereotypes about college students presented in popular movies and television shows were true, those creating and managing student housing would have much more straightforward jobs. Since college would be just one big party, if all of the closets were wide enough to fit a couple of kegs, and the carpet color matched the color of pizza stains, everyone would be happy. Of course, student housing professionals know that students' expectations of their accommodations are just as diverse as the students themselves. They are faced with the challenge of creating spaces that accommodate the needs of the student who wakes up early to study chemistry as well as the student who stays up too late playing Halo with friends. Creating spaces that appeal to a broad range of students can be challenging, but there are ways to reach them.

Regardless of lifestyle, everyone wants to come back to a place that actually feels like home. While no one can replicate the exact comfort of home, providing some of the same amenities that students had at home can be a huge help. One key amenity is television service. While we may not think of students as having hours to spare flipping channels, they still watch an average of 3 hours, 41 minutes of television each day, according to a recent Nielson study. Also, having access to the same content they had before is key to creating a home-like space. Even if they only watch a few shows, discussing these shows among their peer groups is a way students relate to each other. The last thing one wants is students feeling out of the loop because the show they wanted to watch was unavailable to them. 

Also, simply offering access to broadcast channels will more than likely not meet the needs of most students. By almost 2-to-1, college students watched more shows on networks channels than on broadcast local television channels like ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX. While there are certain networks that cater more towards younger audiences, many students follow shows on more obscure networks not necessarily available on basic cable.  Whether it's True Blood on HBO or The Real Housewives of New York on Bravo or a favorite team's game on ESPNU, basic cable simply cannot meet the needs of the average student.

So even if one understands the importance of an enhanced television offering for students, how does one go about finding the right solution? Many student housing professionals go about this process with a skewed viewpoint. They think that the provider is doing them and the property a favor by coming in and providing services, when actually it's the other way around. Essentially, when one allows a service provider to come onto the property, it's like handing them customers, for free. Why shouldn't the provider offer some kind of compensation or special accomodation like free wireless hotspots to the property for this generous offering?
Read the Full Story

COMPANY NEWS

Connexion Corporate Marketing Team Receives Three Awards

Corporate Marketing recently received both Gold and Bronze Hermes Awards as well as a Communicator Award of Distinction for print advertisements submitted.