Where to Reach Students: A Guide

On campus and at the freshers fair

Larger set-ups, like a sampling van, usually sit in open space near the union.

Campus is where students gather in the biggest numbers, and the students’ union building is usually the centre of it. Campus and fair space is something you or your agency book directly, so build it into the timeline and the budget.

Counters and small stands fit inside the union and stay out of the weather. Larger set-ups, such as a branded vehicle or a roadshow, usually sit in open space outside, close to the union entrance.

If you are paying for space, fill it with something to do: games, cooked samples, live product demonstrations, sign-ups for a prize. A stand with nothing happening gets walked past, however well branded it is.

Choosing which campus is part of the same decision. Course mix, student numbers and location all change who walks past the stand, so a product aimed at one subject area belongs at the universities strongest in it.

Just off campus

A giant inflatable gets noticed long before the team does.

Activity a few metres outside the main entrances reaches the same students without needing campus space. It suits anything mobile: leaflet distribution, tactical sampling, voucher drops and quick sign-ups taken on a tablet.

The routes in matter as much as the gates: the bus stops and stations that feed the campus, and the streets between halls and lecture theatres.

Hot food still works away from a fixed stand if it comes from a branded catering vehicle that can move on when asked. Anything that needs a set pitch for the whole day is better booked on campus.

Late morning works well, as first lectures end and the next wave arrives. Wednesday afternoons can be quiet at the main entrances, because many universities keep them free for sport.

Student neighbourhoods and local shops

A prize wheel at the door gives passing students a reason to stop.

Most cities have streets where nearly every house is a student let, with takeaways, convenience stores and bars that live off them. Footfall peaks in the morning and early evening as students head in and out.

Students here are not rushing to a lecture, so there is time for a proper conversation. That suits offers that need a little explaining, and local businesses with something to say to new neighbours.

Local bars and pubs serve these streets, and some run nights aimed squarely at students. For the right brand they are an easy way to find a student crowd away from campus.

Ideas that work here go beyond a stand: a roadshow parked in the busiest shopping street, branded ad bikes giving students a lift to lectures, or a sample handed to every student on the walk in from home.

Street teams working the same streets on set days build the kind of familiarity a single visit cannot.

Student housing

A food truck brings the offer to the street rather than the doorstep.

Halls of residence are private property, and most have strict rules against promotional activity. Treat them as off limits unless the owner has agreed in writing.

Shared houses in student areas are easier to reach, but a door to door leaflet competes with a pile of takeaway menus. Something students notice, such as a branded vehicle handing out samples on a weekend afternoon, earns more attention than paper through the letterbox.

City centre apartment blocks have grown as a student option, and like halls they are private buildings. The streets and transport around them are where activity belongs.

Go when they are home: evenings and weekends, outside exam weeks. A campaign that arrives while everyone is at lectures reaches empty houses.

Nights out

Serving at a union freshers night puts the product in hand at the right moment.

Pubs in student areas are where many nights begin, and the mood is relaxed enough for a chat. Pub and bar promotions there suit drinks, late food and anything sociable.

City centre bars and clubs run student nights through most of the week in term time, which brings a concentrated and almost entirely student crowd. That is ideal for a giveaway or a competition outside the door.

Gigs and concerts add another route in, once you know which artists your audience follows and when they play.

Sponsoring a student night, or creating one, gives a brand the whole room. Student union bars, local pubs and pop-up venues near campus can all host a branded night, and branded ad bikes can lead students from the street to the door.

Freshers is the obvious peak, but Halloween, the first weekend back after a break and the week student loans arrive all bring busy nights too.

Timing still matters after dark. The start of the night works better than the end, when the crowd is less likely to remember who handed them what.

Choosing the mix

Most campaigns combine two or three: campus for reach, the streets around it for repeat sightings, and a night-time element where the product suits it.