Campus marketing intensifies during back-to-school season

Brands and digital platforms are intensifying marketing efforts for the back-to-school season to capture the growing student consumer market. Data from Douyin shows a threefold increase in searches for terms like “back-to-school” and “new semester” over the past two years.

E-commerce giants such as Tmall and JD.com have launched dedicated campus shopping zones featuring discounts and coupons. Brands are also utilizing collaborations and social media engagement to build long-term brand loyalty among younger demographics. For instance, JD.com reported a 360% year-on-year increase in sales for 3C digital and AI products during this period.

Industry forecasts suggest significant economic potential, with the Chinese university market consumption scale projected to reach 1.6 trillion yuan over the next four years. Platforms like Kuaishou and Douyin are treating the season as a high-priority project, providing traffic support and tools to help merchants tap into the high-demand period.