Social platforms have evolved over the last decade into creator-led entertainment hubs rather than spaces to connect with friends and family. Now, Meta is attempting to revive some connectivity from early social networking, starting on college campuses.

In August, Meta partnered with student discount platform UniDays to verify students and connect them with classmates on Instagram. (The company tried a similar concept with Facebook Campus in 2020, but shut it down two years later.) Meta hopes that the partnership will help students meet each other "at a time in their lives where connecting with their new school-based community can be beneficial," according to a release.

As an ode to the original nature of social platforms and younger generations’ need for connection, SVP of social and content at Ogilvy Natasha Flint said she was “cautiously optimistic” that it will resonate.

“Gen Z is very well researched and quick to call something out that’s not authentic, which I think is why nostalgia is so big,” said Flint. “When they can point to a heritage, that makes [a trend] more valuable.”

This launch comes as more marketers recognize that a college-focused approach to reach young consumers is an opportunity for brand affinity.

“It’s a group of energetic, high intent, and otherwise difficult to reach consumers who can potentially be long-term, lifetime value customers," said Eric Shiffman, vice president of product marketing at Yieldmo.

Letting students set trends

Meta isn't alone: More brands are visiting campuses and launching products for college students. This includes Wawa opening a store at Villanova University, Bath and Body Works expanding to campus bookstores, and brands engaging with students through experiential marketing, giveaways, and activations.

“Back-to-school marketing is now owned more by the students than it is by the brands,” said Reid Litman, global consulting director at Ogilvy Consulting. “Gen Z is having so much more social and economic influence than previous generations, and we’re starting to see examples of this bubble up.”

Brands and platforms that prioritize community and embrace consumers as trend setters will succeed, said Litman.

“Gen Zers are actually leading the conversations and creating the media, opposed to just sort of passively consuming,” said Litman. “I think both the opportunity and the risk for brands is to put themselves out there in co-created, fandom-led spaces.”

Better targeting means safer risks

Advancements in audience targeting and sentiment analysis have given brands confidence in reaching the right consumer, allowing companies like Meta to target narrow, niche communities without worrying about ad waste.

“So on a rivalry week, even if [your ads are not] geo-delineated, you can make sure you're only on the content that's positive about one side or the other,” said Shiffman. “It used to be too risky or too wasteful to do, and now it's not because we can just carve out exactly what we want. There’s a huge opportunity for the schools themselves to capitalize on that.”

Leaning into college pride taps into fandom and reveals more about consumers than basic demographics like household income, he said.

“University loyalty, passion, spirit becomes a part of their identity and supersedes so many other things at many schools,” said Shiffman. “If a brand could in any way attach themselves to that experience, it’s a total awareness and loyalty opportunity.”

Supporting peer connection

The ubiquity of AI content has exacerbated feelings of isolation on social platforms; AI can make it difficult to both connect with real people and verify identities.

• Lack of human connection (80%) and privacy (71%) are the top reasons consumers avoid AI, according to an April Menlo Ventures survey.
• 60% of Gen Z say mental health is their top personal concern, according to a September Channel Factory study.

Flint pointed to the virality of Brick, a device to limit screen time, and a “pudding with a fork trend” in German, where young people are gathering to spend more time together.

“There’s this need for algorithm-free meetups, but fandom is coming up in a lot of our briefs,” said Flint. “There are these two camps of community and the real life need for connection.”

As Meta pushes AI content over content from friends and family, said Litman, Gen Z is now "preferring the social platforms like Discord and Twitch, because [Meta] has lost that sense of connection and community.”

“The timing is right, and I commend the move back to localism,” said Litman. “Gen Z is deeply craving connection over the algorithmic slop of the moment.”