Student Marketing.
Student marketing lands best in person: a prize game at the freshers fair, a free hot dog between lectures, a quick chat on the walk back to halls. Our job is finding the people behind those moments, at colleges and universities in England, Scotland and Wales.
Marketing to students for freshers, campus and the streets around it
In their opening weeks away from home, new students are picking a lot of things for the first time: where to eat, what to drink, which apps to keep. Your brief and our people put your offer in front of them while those choices are still open.
From a single freshers fair to a run of campuses nationwide, we match people to your brand, with upwards of 6,000 on the register and 40 hubs to draw from.
Cleared Ahead Of Freshers
Right to Work and ID are confirmed for everyone ahead of shift one. Each booking is covered by Employer and Public Liability insurance. If your brief needs DBS checks or a written risk assessment, ask and we provide them.
Your Offer, Learnt First
Each campaign gets a bespoke brief, and every team member is taken through your offer, your prize rules and the lines you want said before the first campus.
On Our Payroll
We pay every team member via PAYE, so payroll tax, NI and HR admin never become your job.
Every Shift Time-Stamped
Shift reminders go out in advance, every arrival is geo-tagged at check-in and every check-out is time-stamped. Our 24/7 support line answers all day and night, every shift.
Campus marketing, staffed role by role
Six jobs we fill for campus marketing, from the first morning of freshers to the last week of term. Most briefs combine a couple of these, sometimes three.
Plan your freshers →The team worked fast and adapted to our ever changing brief brilliantly, even at 23:30 the night before! On the day the activation ran brilliantly. The whole team brought bundles of energy and were so engaging on behalf of our client. A real pleasure to experience.
Freshers fair teams
A team behind your table at the freshers fair, opening conversations with new arrivals and getting your offer into their hands while the hall is at its fullest.
Prize game crews
Spin wheels, Plinko boards and instant wins, run fairly and briskly so the queue keeps moving and every prize goes out by the rules you set.
Scratch cards and giveaways
Scratch cards, branded freebies and vouchers handed over with a reason to follow up: a code to redeem, a store to visit or an order to place online.
Tasting tables
Hot food, cold drinks and snacks offered to students by people who know the product inside out. For tastings away from campus, see our product sampling page.
Ambassadors with a mascot
Brand ambassadors chosen to suit your audience, working on foot or from a branded vehicle. Want a mascot alongside them? Our costume characters can join the team.
Campus shops and nearby streets
Students do not stay on campus all day. Teams can work campus shops, the stations they pass through and the roads around halls.
Food, drink and retail brands
Food chains, drinks makers and retailers bring us the offer and the list of universities. We find the people, brief them and manage every shift, from a single campus to a nationwide freshers tour.
Student and experiential agencies
Agencies planning student campaigns for their clients use us for the people on the ground. The agency keeps the concept and its client; we handle recruiting, briefing and every shift.
Recent student marketing campaigns across the UK
Freshers tours, prize games, campus tastings and store openings aimed at students. Each tile opens the full write-up: the brief, the people we placed and how the days went.
See every case study →Great service and response even to very last minute requests.
RecentKopparberg | Strathclyde Freshers | Glasgow
RecentPopeyes Chicken | Spin to Win | Manchester, Leeds & Nottingham
RecentRollover | Freshers Week | Nationwide Student Tour
RecentBoost Drinks Iced Coffee Sampling
RecentStarbucks Chilled Classics | 100,000 samples
RecentUniqlo Store Launch | 15,000 Leaflets
Marketing to university students, from brief to first campus
The same four stages apply to a single freshers fair and to a tour of dozens of campuses.
Send your student brief →The Team at Executional are always great to work with and it has been a pleasure working with everyone. The team are always very quick to help and consistently demonstrate strong flexibility especially when adapting to any last-minute requests.
Name the universities and dates
Which universities or colleges, the dates, the shift hours, what students will be doing and the headcount per site. Booking space at a fair is down to you or your agency.
An itemised quote
Expect a price back, normally within hours, with each cost shown separately: hours, pay rates, on-costs. Billing is set out in that quote before anyone starts.
People picked for your audience
We choose staff for each site by experience, fit with your brand and where they live. Once the quote is agreed, an account manager from our team takes charge of the campus days.
Briefed, then on campus
Everyone goes through your offer in a briefing ahead of shift one. Bespoke training, virtual or in person, is costed in the quote if you want it, and so is any reporting you need, shaped to your campaign.
Get a quote for campus marketing services
Tell us which universities, which dates and hours, the activity, and the team size per site. Freshers dates book up fast, and an early brief leaves more people to pick from.
Great agency with competitive and fair rates. Communication was excellent throughout and the staff provided were very helpful, proactive and knowledgeable on the brief sent over. Would recommend and use again!
Prefer to talk it through? Ring the Head Office Line on 0113 479 0075 or our London office on 0203 026 1069.
Questions about marketing to students on campus
The points brands and agencies most often raise before freshers.
Ask about your campaign →I have used Executional for roughly 8 years. They have been great to deal with. From arranging staff 6 months in advance for events to last minute a week before when our requirements have changed. I would highly recommend using them for anyone wanting to make their life easier!
What is student marketing?
Promoting a product or service to people at university or college. Our part is the face to face side: staff who meet students at freshers fairs, on campus and in the places they live and go out.
Can you build a marketing strategy to attract students?
That part belongs to you or your agency. Our role is the staffing: give us the audience, offer and locations, then we recruit and brief a team to deliver it.
How much does student marketing cost?
Cost rests on the number of universities, days, hours and people. Send those over for a costed breakdown, normally ready within hours.
Do you cover freshers week across the UK?
Yes. With 40 hubs behind us, we cover marketing to students UK wide, whether that is one college or dozens of universities in England, Scotland and Wales.
Can you reach graduate and mature students too?
Yes. For marketing to graduate students, tell us where that audience spends its time, such as libraries or postgraduate events, and we prepare the team for those conversations.
Can students sign up for prizes and offers?
Yes. Teams can take sign-ups on a tablet or paper form for prize draws and offers. The questions and the privacy wording come from you.
Can I book student marketing staff at short notice?
In many cases, yes. Last-minute bookings are fine, but freshers is a busy period, so earlier notice means more staff to choose between.
Do your teams work beyond freshers week?
Yes. Welcome back weeks, exam season, end of term and the streets around halls are all options. Our guides below cover planning a student campaign and where to reach students, from campus to nights out.
Our guides to student campaigns
Two guides for brands planning a student campaign: choosing the audience and dates, then deciding where to reach students.
