Take it seriously: Capturing the college consumer requires a commitment that more brands are willing to make because they realize the short-term benefits, such as the chance to fuel a buzz about an innovative new product as well as the long-term benefits, which often revolve around trying to win customers for life.

While researching the market for its just-introduced Element SUV, for example, Honda Motor Co. visited fraternity houses at the University of Southern California, the University of Washington and three other campuses to convene informal focus groups. Honda engineers and designers shared sketches of the vehicle with fraternity members over beer and pizza and the fraternity received donations in return for its members' input. Honda asked fraternity leaders to invite only "people who were articulate and opinion leaders, and by default many of them were business majors," says Aziz Ucmakli, an advanced product planning analyst for Torrance, California-based Honda R&D. "We were hoping to get a better understanding of how the car might fit into their lifestyle."

Honda was so pleased with the results, Ucmakli says, that it later conducted a second round of discussions with the same fraternity groups, this time bringing with them more refined drawings. "We wanted to ascertain whether we had understood them correctly the first time," he says. "We were pretty surprised by their marketing and industry savvy." The students' feedback figured in the final configuration of the Element, and the exercise helped seed interest in the vehicle, at least on those five campuses.

For Bible publisher Harper Collins/Zondervan, the college campus represents perhaps the single most important market for its one-year-old translation of the New Testament, called Today's New International Version (TNIV). The twist behind the TNIV is that it's a gender-neutral translation of a decades-old Bible, the New International Version, which is the favorite of conservative Protestants across North America. Many prominent evangelical leaders actually have come out against the TNIV, but Zondervan is hoping to do an end-run around them by popularizing the book on campuses.

"We're targeting key gatekeepers such as the leaders of local chapters of campus Bible studies and parachurch organizations," says Chris Doornbos, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan. "Many of them are working their way through it even now and loving what they're seeing. And their opinions will be crucial in gaining acceptance for the TNIV going forward" among the Generation Y Christians who will be crucial to the ultimate success of the translation.

Become part of their lives: Experts say that college students bond best with brands that extend themselves beyond conventional marketing tactics to attempt to appeal to them in some broader or deeper way. "The way to get loyalty isn't through just sampling or postering but to show some kind of connection to your audience," says Kevin Colleran, the 21-year-old president and co-CEO of a startup called BlabberForce Enterprises Inc., who consults with companies on college marketing.

College Television Network (CTN), for example, has 6,500 television monitors on 800 campuses nationwide, which broadcast a proprietary mix of information, entertainment and features specifically related to each campus. It's supported by advertisers including ESPN, the History Channel and other cable providers, Nintendo and other video game makers, and cosmetics brands such as Clairol. New York City-based CTN includes a large service component, such as a show called Paydirt, which presents career advice from alumni who've been out in the working world for several years.

Harness the power of music: More than ever, it's the common denominator of the college experience and many, many brands look for ways to take advantage of it.

The angle is obvious for MTV, and the Viacom cable channel doesn’t squander the opportunity. This spring will be the fifth year that MTV has deployed some kind of mobile promotional campaign. The initiative in spring 2002, called the Campus Invasion 2K2 Interactive Music Expo, traveled to 20 universities around the nation. It included a "music playground" where students could jam along with their favorite music tracks, add instruments and vocals, perform onstage and then take home a custom CD and picture of their performance. Students also had the opportunity to have a virtual "audition" with Ozzy Osbourne and there were stations where they could experience the latest in music-listening technology.

"The biggest challenge we had was coming up with something that was really new and different that would enhance and extend MTV's relationship with students," says Jane Hawley, an executive of Jack Morton Worldwide, the New York City-based creative agency that handled the mobile tour for MTV. "Music is still a big part of their world, so every element we created was driven by some kind of music."

Other brands aren't hesitating to appropriate the power of music either. Volkswagen of America, for example, conducted a one-month promotion in the fall of 2002 that was highlighted by on-campus concerts by Rusted Root, warmed up by a local band that had won the privilege by besting other local bands in a submission of demo tapes to VW. "We've always had an association with hip, cool music, and this keeps the face of VW tied to it," says Heidi Korte, manager of promotions and sponsorships for the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based auto company.

Dale Buss is a journalist and editorial consultant in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He's a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal and a former contributing editor of Brand Marketing.