Marketing Learning Communities to Generation Z: The importance of face-to-face interaction in a digitally driven world

This article aims to identify the marketing strategies utilized by Learning Community (LC) administrators at two large, public, four-year research universities in the Midwest. The use of digital media coupled with face-to-face interaction is identified as an effective method of marketing LCs to the newest population of incoming college students, referred to as Generation Z. The students who fall into the Generation Z population are identified as technologically savvy and highly attuned to the variety of digital platforms available to share, gather, and exchange information. They expect to receive information through digital media. Findings on LC marketing success indicate that LC administrators should utilize current trends of conveying information through digital marketing strategies which serve to reinforce face-to-face interactions in order to recruit Generation Z students into LC programs