Question

Comment on the practice of drinking while attending college. What are their opinions and perceptions of the role of drinking in the college experience? Is it ritualistic? If so, how do marketers capitalize on this ritual? If a college really wanted to discourage drinking, what would be the best way to do this culturally?

Answer 1

Drinking while attending the college is associated with the perceived sense of freedom which one wants to express to the world, by experiencing everything which was forbidden or a taboo in the school days. Drinking is also one of those inhibitions, which many college students want to break, as an exhibition of empowerment, free spiritedness and as a celebration of adulthood. In this way, for some, it is a must have experience, while for some others, it is a way to express that they are also in vogue, and not those who are "left behind". It is ritual for many, while some others take it just as a casual way of feeling adulthood.

It would not be an ethical perspective for the marketers to look for these young and impressionable minds, who might grow up to be addicted. If at all, a company needs to market its stuff to this segment, it should come up with low intensity drinks which might give them a high, without feeding them much alcohol, thus being less harmful to their health, while reminding them at the same time that drinking is not good for heath.

College can use subtle though provoking messages through social media and live cultural shows to communicate the ill effects of drinking to its target audience, from time to time, with an object to gradually push them away from drinking. It can promote ritualistic activities involving fun filled innovative, yet healthy habits to celebrate their campus life and newly acquired freedom, by providing them alternatives to alcohol.