crowd-agency

The Secrets to Landing a Successful Freshers Tour

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 13:00:45 GMT

The Crowd team have over 50 years of combined experience designing and executing Freshers campaigns. That 50 years includes many successes but also quite a few challenges that we’ve had to overcome. Whilst the uncertainty and imperfections of live campaigns is part of what we love, we’ve come up with a few simple steps that will not only provide the underlying context for the campaign but also the blueprint of how to execute it.

Step 1. Create a Purpose

It may sound obvious but it is vital to have a genuine understanding of why the campaign is happening and who/what it’s for. To help us understand the reason for a campaign we look to create a clear and overarching “campaign purpose” from the outset.

When creating a purpose or objective we have found that they can often be very data driven. Whilst this can be useful, our stance is that data based objectives are to be used to help achieve the campaign purpose, they're not the purpose of the campaign.

We often find that being too data driven can lead a campaign to become uninspired. For instance:

"Being the Number 1 Burrito brand for students across the UK."

Can quickly become...

"Increase sales of burritos to students from x to y."

Sure, you should promote student offers and track sales, it's a great thing to report on. However please don't let that be the sole reason for running what should be a fun and vibrant campaign. When finding your purpose be big, be bold, be aspirational!

Step 2. Create a Journey

Once you have an understanding of the campaign and its purpose, it’s time to get creative.

The first step is to create a campaign mechanism. This is the set up, competition or interactive element of the campaign that triggers a response from the students. There are a million and one different ways you can approach this but our advice is to always keep it simple and related to what you do.

Given the footfall numbers at Freshers' Fairs, campaigns tend to be about volume and less about dwell time so make sure that whatever the mechanism is, it can be completed in seconds rather than minutes. The balancing act is devising an activation that can be done in that time frame but is also fun, engaging and relevant to the campaign purpose. Once you have this in place you can map out a clear, simple and effective student journey. Try not to overcomplicate it and keep the steps in a journey to a minimum.

Step 3. Create a Plan

The first two stages are of course vital but are only the tip of the iceberg and the part that students see. The behind the scenes logistical planning is what will take up the majority of time.

The unique nature of Freshers Season means that there are hundreds of event days taking place over a 4 week period. So it's inevitable that there will be clashes and scheduling issues that can at times feel quite illogical. However getting the event schedule in place is key as it leads on to all of the other elements that come with it such as hotels, staff, vans, storage, expenses… The list goes on.

The good news is with the years of experience that we have within the Crowd team there aren’t many fairs that we haven’t attended, so we have a good understanding of the idiosyncrasies of each event.

Step 4. Make it happen

I would love to say that if steps 2 & 3 are carried out that this is the easy part. Unfortunately sometimes it can feel like these plans get thrown out of the window on day one. In reality this is never actually the case. Often when the campaign is live the plan you had becomes more of a compass to help you navigate than a set route.

We’ve seen time and again how important it is to remain adaptable through the delivery of a campaign. The worst thing you can do is try to wrestle the campaign back to the paper based plan you had when things are changing around you. Freshers requires you to pivot and adjust as the campaign goes on, ensuring whatever it takes the campaign is focused on its original overarching purpose.

Summary

When we plan a campaign the intention of these steps is to provide absolute clarity in the campaign. There are of course plenty of functional and tangible elements that make up the whirlwind of planning a Freshers campaign; stand build, merchandise, recruiting of the right staff. However, based on our experience having that initial clarity keeps the overall project management in line and focused in the right direction. Ultimately that is what’s needed to turn a good campaign into a great one!

YMS 2024: Takeaways from the Youth Marketing Event of the Year

rachel.baxter@thecrowdagency.com (Rachel Baxter) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:33:29 GMT

Last week the Crowd team attended Youth Marketing Strategy London , a jam-packed two-days full of insights, data and inspiration in the ever-changing world of student and youth marketing.

If you couldn’t make it along, here’s our top takeaways from YMS 2024:

1. Experiential wealth is top of the agenda with Gen Z wanting IRL experiences:

Also known as the experience economy, young people value making memories and the impact these moments have on personal growth, this often outweighing monetary metrics. This generation craves memorable connections.

2. Money and cost of living remains a key concern:

Affordability is still key but as we mention above, they want to live in the moment, whilst 54% would spend outside their budget for once in a lifetime experience, 97% are worried about the cost of living.

However, there’s no stronger way to offer value than offering a product at a discounted rate, young consumers managing a tight budget will thank you.

3. Traditional advertising simply isn’t working, ad avoidance is at an all time high:

Both Gen Z and Gen Alpha skip 97% of ads, and 60% of them are using an ad blocker. IRL and experiential marketing really has its place in modern marketing, with Gen Z being simultaneously hounded by the digital world, they have online information fatigue.

We may be biased, but experiential is still king…

4. The power of human connection is still valued - but AI is the hot (albeit divisive) topic:

It’s no surprise that Gen Z are the most tech driven generation. 40% feel AI is a threat, but many are using it to help them. They are a generation that believes in working smarter, and are at the forefront of shaping this technology. They still believe in the power of human connection and place value on real interactions.

5. Schools don’t equip young people with the right life skills and this generation are curious:

They feel the need to upskill themselves and are turning to TikTok for advice. There is a place for brands to support here and be part of the conversation, if done (excuse the buzz word about to drop..) authentically and in a non patronising way. The Hustle Culture is real and Gen Z are leading the way, they need help to navigate running a small business or a side hustle.

6. Gen Z are more forgiving than we maybe think, they expect scandal but it’s how you deal with the clean up:

Phrases such as ‘cancel culture’ and ‘woke’ have been thrown around so much it now feels meaningless and Gen Z are disassociating themselves from these terms despite actually fitting the description of woke.

Interestingly, they are perhaps more forgiving than previously thought, 46% would ‘uncancel’ a brand if they made genuine steps to address challenges. They expect scandal, but it’s how it’s dealt with. Is the clean up sincere and proactive?

The key takeaway for us was clear: brands must meaningfully engage with Gen Z and Gen Alpha instead of holding them hostage with ads. The cost of living crisis is real, but making memories is far too important, and experiences help to shape them and the world around them.

Brands have become complacent with how they perceive their role in the lives of consumers, they are not the hero of the story. Take a back seat and be the supportive cheerleader, not the dictating Uncle!

Why targeting university students can be a game-changer for your brand

Mon, 20 May 2024 20:25:53 GMT

After many years spent on the ground working as a seasoned Event Manager, now turned Campaign Consultant, Crowd's Anthony Devlin shares his top 10 compelling reasons why targeting students can be a game charger for your brand.

1. Diverse and Dynamic Population: UK Universities attract students from all walks of life, offering a rich and varied customer base.

2. Early Adopters: Students are quick to embrace new trends and technologies, making them ideal for launching innovative and new products.

3. Building Brand Loyalty: Engage with students early, and you could earn loyal customers for life.

4. Social Media Savvy: St udents are highly active on social media, providing excellent opportunities for digital marketing and influencer collaborations. Which leads on nicely to No.5...

5. Word-of-Mouth Influence: Students love sharing their experiences. Positive reviews can quickly spread within their networks as well as via there online communities. In fact, referral marketing is something we're investing in heavily at Crowd.

6. Focus on Education and Career: Students are always looking for products and services that support their academic and professional growth. Can your brand support them along their journey?

7. Cultural Engagement: S tudents are involved in a range of cultural and extracurricular activities with clubs and societies forming an integral part of uni life. Sponsoring events can boost your brand’s visibility and cement you firmly within their world.

8. High Spending Power: Students are ready to experience new products and services, aligning with brands that showcase similar values. Even with a cost of living crisis, students are willing to spend for the right brand and product.

9. International Reach: The UK attracts students from around the globe. Tap into this market to gain international exposure.

10. Feedback and Innovation: Students are open to new ideas and are eager to give feedback, making them perfect for market research and product development.

By targeting students, your brand can tap into an influential and growing market. Ready to connect with Students? Let’s make it happen, drop us a message.

Unlocking the Student Market: How Brands Can Transform Students into Loyal Customers for Life

Mon, 20 May 2024 19:34:43 GMT

Marketing to this young, influential audience is a powerful way to create lifelong customers, and here's how...

With one eye on Freshers 2024, Crowd’s co-founder Ian Pain, reminds us how brands can make a lasting impact and turn students into lifelong advocates and customers.

1. Personalised Experiences: Understand their needs and preferences. Offer personalised products and services that are relevant to students and their unique needs. Don’t treat them the same as other demographics.

2. Exclusive Student Deals: Provide special discounts, memberships, and perks just for students. Make them feel valued and appreciated now and reap the rewards.

3. Be where they are! Engage with students on their own terms: Reach them On-campus; In their student accommodation and Online. As with any marketing activity, there’s nothing better than a fully integrated campaign that hits students at multiple touchpoints.

4. Support the Student Journey: Offer solutions that help them through their university life and beyond. From study essentials to career advice, be a constant support and a source of truth.

5. Loyalty Programs: Implement loyalty programs that reward them for their continuous engagement. The more they interact, the more they benefit.

6. Sustainability Matters: Show your commitment to sustainability. Today’s students care deeply about the planet. Align your values with theirs.

By investing in students today, you're building the foundation for lifelong loyalty.

So when is the perfect time to introduce your brand to the student audience? Well, Freshers season is looming and there’s no better time to target this audience, as they embark on the start of their university career.

We're fully into the planning mode for freshers for a host of clients but get in touch if you’re interested in hearing how we can support your student marketing activity. And if you need any further convincing, have a read of our blog, why targeting university students can be a game-changer for your brand.

Spotlight on: Running a Seamless Freshers Campaign

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:50:39 GMT

With 6 months to go until Freshers officially kicks off, we're in full planning mode! With Freshers dates rolling in, the September calendar is looking decidedly busy, and we can't wait.

If you don't know, Freshers is the pinnacle of the student marketing calendar, with 1 million new students expected to arrive on campus in September, it's the one time of year you can engage with this youth audience, en masse.

With that in mind, this month we spent time talking to (one of) Crowd's brilliant and seasoned Account Manager, Annette Simpson, talking all things freshers as well as gaining her top tips for a seamless campaign.

1. Why do Freshers Fairs offer such a great opportunity for brands?

It’s a gathering like no other. Freshers provides a unique setting in the sense that thousands of students are actively there seeking out new experiences, products, and services. At a freshers fair, students are there to see you, and what you have to offer them.

It’s also the first time that many students will be managing their finances themselves. With the drop of their first loan, students are now making their own purchasing decisions - what better time to show students why they should pick YOU instead of a competitor?

2. All campaigns have their strengths and weaknesses, but is there anything you would advise brands to avoid when planning a campaign?

I always think the key thing is to avoid overcomplicating it! It’s important to recognise that in the Freshers environment, students are often pressed for time and bombarded with information - it can be pretty overwhelming so keep your campaign requirements minimal and straightforward to encourage participation.

Don’t overload students with overly complex messaging or demands. Instead, aim for quick, impactful messaging that leaves a lasting impression. Gen z has a shorter attention span (you’ve only got 8 seconds!) so keep it short, sharp, and powerful to capture attention and stick in the minds of students.

That being said, also keep it personal; make sure your campaign aligns with your brand message and it’s relevant to what you have on offer. You don’t want your offering to get lost in a sea of spinning wheels!

Don’t rely solely on the internet. Due to the sheer mass of students in the same place at the same time, connectivity can sometimes be an issue. Always have a backup offline option.

And finally, always follow up! Consider sending an email reminder afterward to present your offerings in full detail and reinforce your brand message.

3. Having such a high volume of events in a short period of time surely causes some logistical challenges, how do you overcome these?

An important thing that I’ve learnt over the past few Freshers Seasons is that you can never be too early when it comes to planning. That’s why we’re already in conversations with unions across the country, getting ready for Freshers. We’ve already collected over 50 different Freshers dates - we’re ready to hit the ground running!

Starting early means we can engage in meaningful discussions with our union partners to secure an optimal stand space, strategically positioning ourselves in high-traffic areas to maximise visibility and engagement opportunities. It also gives us enough time to go over staffing requirements, selecting the right staff that will resonate with your brand's values.

However, it would be silly to not expect the unexpected. Challenges and last minute changes always creep up and are part of the freshers journey. That’s why it’s important to stay flexible. Thinking on our feet is not just a skill; it’s a way of life at Crowd!

4. Have you got a favourite Freshers campaign that you’ve worked on?

That’s like asking me to pick my favourite Harry Style song! If I have to pick one I would say our 2023 Lee Kum Kee campaign definitely made some noise. The stand itself was big, bold and eye-catching, having Lee Kum Kee’s products and recipes on display was also a great addition, providing inspiration to students and context to what they could create at home. The student journey was simple yet effective, making it easier for students to engage and interact with the team - the offering of a free £10 e-voucher was a great incentive which enticed students to participate.

We also ran some additional digital media activity alongside the campaign to keep the Lee Kum Kee brand fresh in students minds, and to engage with any additional students we may have missed over freshers overall delivering some great results for them.

Then, there’s also the 2022 Urban Eat campaign, which will always have happy memories for me as it was one the first end to end campaigns I worked on. We had a branded fridge and sample bins filled with free food so it’s no surprise that students were all over it - who can resist a delicious snack, especially when it’s on the house. With bright creatives, edgy slogans across the stand and branded merch, we were highly visible at all angles of the fair. With a sandwich in one hand and a branded bag in the other, students were walking billboards for Urban Eat.

With over 200 Freshers Fairs taking place up and down the country, there's plenty of opportunity for brands to take part and be seen.

Anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 students attend each fair, so there's no better time to activate if students are a key part of your marketing strategy. If you’re thinking about Freshers, want to understand more about the benefits of activating during this year's season, or if you're simply looking for more information on Freshers dates and stall information, why not drop us a message .

Our Four Favourite Freshers Campaigns (and why we love them)

rachel.baxter@thecrowdagency.com (Rachel Baxter) — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 16:53:29 GMT

Some countdown to Christmas, some countdown to their wedding, we countdown to the start of the Freshers season! While we activate throughout the year, Freshers is the pinnacle; the highlight of our year that offers brands the perfect opportunity to get in front of a high proportion of the thousands of students expected to arrive on campus this September, all eager to start their new journey and discover new brands, hobbies and interests.

So with 6 months until the first freshers fair kicks off - we’re reminiscing about our four favourite freshers campaigns, and why they particularly stick in our (and hopefully students’) minds.

1. Odeon: Putting Odeon centre stage during Freshers 2023

Over the last few years, we’ve worked with Odeon Cinemas to put them centre stage at freshers, with the sole focus of driving acquisition and footfall into local cinemas.

For this campaign, it was all about recreating the cinematic experience, reminding students of the big-screen thrill Odeon offers.

The imposing modular entertainment wall housed a soundbar and large screen which showcased trailers tailored to each location, and the lit up spinning wheel (along with the assisting foghorn!) enticed students over to be in with a chance of winning a free year of myLIMITLESS, along with a range of other prizes and student specific incentives.

The Crowd promotional team worked hand in hand with local cinema teams at each fair, which helped to direct students to their local screen to continue the on-screen experience.

It’s fair to say Odeon stood out, if you couldn’t see the stand you could hear it! The campaign was immersive and subsequently drove thousands of sign ups.

2 . Burger King: Where’s the Whooper?

There’s nothing more iconic than the Burger King Whopper, so to support the launch of its flame grilled menu into the student market, the campaign aimed to raise awareness with a sizzling new student deal that was worth shouting about.

The team devised an interactive ‘Where’s the Whopper?’ game, where students downloaded the Burger King app for the opportunity to select a custom-made playing card to see if it had Burger King’s signature product on the other side.

The campaign also brought the royal(e) touch to freshers, with thousands of iconic crowns distributed which remained part of the freshers experience for weeks to come.

This ‘Whopper’ of a campaign offered a simple student journey, a prize worth waiting for, coupled with a range of tantalising student specific deals that culminated in thousands of happy students and drove results (and footfall in store)- a true recipe for success!

3. Lady Garden: Give your fanny five

With 58 people receiving a gynaecological cancer diagnosis every single day in the UK, The Lady Garden Foundation has made it their mission to raise awareness and funding for gynaecological health. Often flying under the radar, with complicated symptoms, gynaecological cancers are shrouded in mystery. So, standing bold and breaking taboo’s was the mission for this campaign.

The idea was to bring private conversations about gynae health out into the open. And what better way to do that than by throwing open the bathroom door?

The set up consisted of an eco-friendly bathroom, coupled with a tiled backdrop, an interactive “bath” to hold merch, and a toilet - complete with its own lady garden in full bloom. We also staffed the stand with our ambassador team. It was the perfect launchpad for The Vagina Dialogues , as well as the space for honest conversations between our ambassadors and students.

From playful “Vag for Life” bags, bold imagery and a striking set up, Crowd is proud to have supported the conversation and worked closely with both The Lady Garden Foundation and its brand agency, Havas to create a campaign that reached nearly 60,000 students across the 13 fairs , and saw a 20x increase in website traffic during the two-month long Freshers period.

4. Kortext: A digital approach to Freshers

Working with Kortext ; an online learning platform delivering access to over 4m digital textbooks and learning content, this campaign took the traditional bookshelf and turned it digital.

The aim of the campaign was simple; communicate to students the usability and key benefits of Kortext’s digital bookshelf that was available for free to students at certain universities. The solution was to create a bespoke interactive digital game, which closely mirrored the look and feel of Kortext’s digital library.

With an inbuilt data capture system, Kortext was also able to collate valuable data that allowed them to embark on a remarketing strategy that reminded students of how to access this free tool throughout their university journey.

At each one of the 18 fairs the campaign attended, queues formed and a buzz around the stand was created. To top it off, nearly 9000 pieces of data were also collected.

With anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 students per event, Freshers Fairs have earned their place as one of the strongest platforms for brands to solely interact with students. A well planned and executed Freshers campaign can deliver a range of benefits, from increasing brand awareness, driving acquisition and gaining sign ups, to offering students a chance to try before they buy.

So, if you’re thinking about Freshers or want to understand more about the benefits of activating during this year's season, why not drop us a message?

Spotlight on: Making your Stand, Stand Out

fay@thecrowdagency.com (Fay Cook) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 09:24:08 GMT

Our focus at Crowd is to continually raise the bar in the world of student marketing. From having a presence at pretty much every Freshers Fair in the country last year, it's clear that a stand with a roller banner and a cloth over a trestle table just isn't cutting the mustard any more.

That's why we're shining a spotlight on how to make your campaign stand out and grab the attention of students nationwide.

This month c hatted to Fay our Head of Creative & Production to get her insight and top tips when planning the creative element of a campaign, as well as the pitfalls that are best to avoid.

When working on a new project what's the typical process from brief to creation?

Each campaign we create is unique, so the process is very rarely exactly the same. However, one common theme is collaboration. The team around us at Crowd have a huge amount of experience in the Student Market so it's always great to bounce creative ideas around and find the balance between the needs of the brand and the student journey.

Once a range of concepts are discussed we need to put these to the test by creating visuals. To ensure that we’re all on the same page it’s really useful to get the members of the team to draw out initial sketches for us to evolve it into a full mock up. After that it’s time for us to bring it to life!

Do you have any tips for brands on the best way to make their campaign stand out in a busy campus environment?

Fun, food and finishing touches - it's all in the detail. Student’s love experiences and receiving treats so this is always a massive plus point for a campaign. When picking your giveaways do a bit of research on current trends to see what students actually want.

Secondly, everything needs to be driven by the student journey. Our campaigns often benefit from creating a competitive or gamified element, so making sure that it’s clear and obvious what the draw of the activation is, will be really beneficial to when the whole campaign is being activated.

Finally, be smart with the space. For a lot of our campaigns we are confined to a 2 x 2 metre pitch, but this doesn't mean you need to scale back on everything.

Are there any common pitfalls that you would suggest brands be wary of?

Don’t compromise on quality. At Crowd we are able to work with any budget, however, I don’t think low budget has to mean low quality. There are really cost effective solutions to make sure that your brand stands out, a generic roller banner and tablecloth on a trestle table just doesn’t cut it anymore.

My next point is to avoid overcomplicating things. Ensuring that there is real clarity in the campaign messaging so students know what the brand and campaign is about seems a really simple point, but can often be overlooked. Often, you only have a few seconds to get this message across, so it has to be simple and accurate.

Over your time at Crowd are there any particular activations that stand out for you?

Obviously I love them all! But I thought the Lee Kum Kee Freshers tour was a great campaign. We worked really closely with the client on all aspects, from campaign concept to creative design and then finally to the build itself. In the end, it was a visual delight with fun assets to work with and the end result embraced everything Lee Kum Kee stands for.

Fancy giving your student campaign a revamp? We’d love to help! Why not drop us a line ..

Reducing the environmental impact of campaigns

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:13:59 GMT

As a Student marketing agency, brand activations are a key part of our offering. Students love to be part of an experience and love the engagement that this approach offers. However these activations do pose us, as an agency and the brands we work with a unique challenge - how can we produce these activations in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way?

This isn’t an easy challenge to overcome and we know things aren’t perfect but we are making progress. At Crowd we have a company goal to achieve B-Corp accreditation in the next couple of years and we’ll be placing how we deliver campaigns at the centre of this mission.

Here are our 5 quick and easy wins to help reduce the environmental impact of your student activations:

1. Choose Eco-Friendly Materials:

Over the past 12 months we have seen a rapid uptake of our eco options which can be a simple backdrop made out of cardboard like we have done for Art Fund , all the way to a fully branded eco bathroom as we have created for Lady Garden Foundation. Aside from the obvious benefit of them being kinder to the environment these setups are also hugely impactful from a brand perspective and are always well received by students.

2. Create Reusable and Modular Set Ups :

When designing activations we like to plan ahead and have a focus on reusability. Whilst the campaign messaging may change there are ways to decrease the amount of wastage with removable branding that can be added or removed from the core set. Additionally, creating a modular installation as we have done for Springpod is also a great way to ensure that the installation can fit any venue and can be dismantled and easily stored for re-use.

3. Consider Eco Merchandise:

The impact of our campaigns aren't condensed to just the work that we do, it's expanded out through a further supply chain which needs to be considered. This is why our preferred merchandise supplier is B-Corp accredited and have thoroughly audited their supply chain giving us assurance that the items we supply are ethically sourced. We've heard directly from students that there's nothing more they hate than wasteful merchandise, it's an important one from them personally.

4. Use digital channels to reduce paper waste:

Flyers and marketing collateral have been a staple part of brand activations for decades. However, flyer wastage has been steadily increasing over the past few years. One of the reasons for this could be the fact that students are more wary of the environmental impact they have and don't want the responsibility of recycling them. What we would suggest is using digital platforms for the post activation follow up. A really simple approach is to get students to sign up for an email receipt via a QR code, or as a step further for trip.com we have been diverting students to a chatbot within WhatsApp which is delivering high quality post activation engagement.

5. Carbon offset :

Crowd can help you calculate the carbon footprint of the activation and broker investment in offsetting carbon to balance out the environmental impact of your student campaign.

We hope these 5 quick steps will trigger some ideas when your planning your student strategy for the year.

If you would like to hear more about making your campaign eco drop us a line.

Spotlight on: Mobile Campaigns

rachel.baxter@thecrowdagency.com (Rachel Baxter) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:27:20 GMT

After the hype of Freshers and the excitement of having completed the first term you may think it's becoming difficult to engage with students en-mass but that isn’t quite the case.

This month we’re shining a spotlight on mobile campaigns, from gamified ad walker boards to mobile lucky dip trikes, we chatted to Rach our Head of Delivery to get her insight on why we love these campaigns and how we create them.

With less large student events for brands to engage with in terms 2 & 3 how do you use mobile campaigns to attract students?

I think mobile campaigns are a great way of taking your brand to students. They work really well directly on campus, on the street or in other high footfall locations such as sho pping centres or train stations.

As an agency, we’ve spent a lot of time over the past year creating gamified mobile ad walker boards which takes some of our most popular freshers concepts and makes them mobile! We've designed and created moveable spinning wheels and shoot to win boards, to lucky dip trikes and oversized dice. Our production team love thinking of new ways to take our campaigns on tour!

What are the key benefits to running a mobile campaign?

Firstly, mobile campaigns need to be fun and engaging in order to stop students in their tracks, so you have a real opportunity to surprise and delight- what a great way for a student to be introduced to a brand. I’ve found that these types of activations allow brands to be a bit more playful whilst still getting the key message's across.

Following footfall and opening up the opportunity in terms of who you can target in one day is a major benefit. These campaigns are often a cost effective way of targeting multiple locations, that being city wise across the country but also multiple universities and campuses within one city.

For a lot of our clients, students are the key focus but utilising a mobile approach allows you to widen the demographic and get in front of students and young people (if that’s part of your objective) so an an additional bonus!

What additional factors need to be considered when devising the student journey for a mobile campaign?

With mobile campaigns, you’re often stopping people as they are passing, perhaps on their way to a lecture or to meet a friend, so the journey has to be quick and impactful.

These sorts of campaigns lend themselves to a data acquisition approach, where a simple scan to sign up (via our offline platform), play and win journey takes less than 4 minutes. Within that timeframe, it’s easy to have a meaningful conversation because you’re giving them something in return for their time, as well as an engaging interaction that hopefully leaves them with a smile on their face!

Of course the activation itself, from the ad walker board to the uniform needs to be as eye catching and intriguing as possible. Even if they don’t have time to stop, they’ve still seen the brand.

It’s also easy to also elevate a simple flyering campaign by adding a non gamified foldable ad walker board into the mix. This ensures your brand is seen from further away.

Which mobile campaigns stand out for you over 2023?

It’s hard to pick one! I have a real soft spot for mobile campaigns, for all the reasons above and because clients can achieve pretty impressive results outside of a freshers fair setting, which is great if you’re trying to keep momentum throughout the academic year. We’ve seen campaigns achieve over 300 sign ups a day utilising our spin to win ad walker board.

One of my favourite mobile street team activations though was for LOVESPACE, where we took their iconic cardboard box and made it into a moveable lucky dip box offering students the chance to win prizes upon signing up. We’d previously scaled it up by producing the LOVESPACE Big box and toured that around university campuses, so it was fun scaling it back down!

As a wider team, we love taking these ideas to clients and seeing them through to fruition and getting results.

Fancy taking things mobile? We’d love to help! Why not drop us a line.

A year in the life of a student and the moments that matter

rachel.baxter@thecrowdagency.com (Rachel Baxter) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 13:55:13 GMT

As we say goodbye to last year and welcome 2024, the turn of the new year brings with it a sense of renewal and opportunity. However, as marketeers we understand the importance of carefully identifying the key moments and channels worth pursuing when trying to reach your target audience. As budgets often become stretched, KPIs too, making sure that every penny is considered and spent wisely can make it difficult to know which baskets to place your eggs.

That’s why we’ve (hopefully!) done some of the leg work for you. Read on to discover the key moments within the student journey and how you can take advantage...

One of the brilliant things about student marketing is that each academic year presents a fresh opportunity to engage with students, learn from previous years and build on any brand awareness and loyalty already fostered. Each year also offers many unique moments for brands to be part of the collegiate journey, from Housing Fairs, Summer Balls, to Student Shopping events, the opportunities are endless, and that’s not even mentioning the likes of Valentines or the Mental Health Awareness Days that fill the diary.

At the heart of these university events and calendar days, is a sense of community and there’s one important question to ask yourself when planning any student based initiatives; is your brand supporting the student community and how is it positively impacting the student journey?

To successfully take part, your brand and any activity must enhance this journey and support them enough to make life long (or academic only) connections that help them to flourish into adulthood and beyond. Being present at the right times is key; whether it's through experiential activations during Refreshers week, digital OOH to coincide with SU Elections, or just being visible via sponsorship opportunities around Varsity.

It’s just as important to know the times when to take a step back. Whilst term dates differ from university to university, knowing when the end of the term is nearing, as well reading weeks and pinch points such as exam season or when loan payments may be running low, can help you to plan any activations and spend budget more strategically.

To help guide you through these key milestones, we’ve created our very own student marketing calendar, which we hope helps to inspire you and give you confidence on when to activate (and when not to!).

We’re here to guide you through the complex and unique world of student marketing, so whether you’re dipping your toe in for the first time or you're a seasoned pro, we’d love to hear more. Get in touch.

A Fresh take on Freshers

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:51:04 GMT

At Crowd, Student marketing is our be all and end all. The Freshers season of 2023 has been our biggest, most significant yet. We’ve helped a wide ranging and eclectic group of brands to engage with this year's unique student market.

One of the reasons that we love working in this space is because no year is ever the same. Having had our head office team out at a multitude of Freshers events and campus days over the past couple of months, we have first hand insight into behaviour and mindset of today's youth audience. Here’s out top 3 learnings:

1.Generation Sensible is here

With over 40 years of combined experience in the student market we remember the funny old days before the pandemic of 2020 and even before the introduction of GDPR legislation. During this time you would be able to collect the ‘name’ and ‘email’ of literally thousands of students without a single question. Now, in 2023, this does not fly. The youth want to know why, how and where their data is being stored/used. Therefore if retargeting is at the top of your OKR list make sure you give them a reason to opt in and stay in.

2. Maintain the sustainable

The youth market and the sustainability message have gone hand in hand for the past decade, however this doesn’t mean its old news - it's actually the most current news and isn’t going anywhere. One great thing we’ve seen at Crowd this year is the adoption of brands going along with this narrative. We offer all of our clients the option to go “Eco” on their stand or POS and guess what… More times than not they go with it. Our year has been surrounded by recycled, recyclable, eco cardboard stands. Ranging from a fully customised Cardboard bathroom for our wonderful client Lady Garden, to our eco meeting pods for Lloyds, we’re up to our ears in the cardboard stuff.

3. Educate don’t inform

Being able to engage with students face to face it’s clear that they are still young people that are learning the harsh yet wonderful lessons of life. That said, although they still love a freebie, they aren’t looking for handouts - they’re looking to learn. Therefore as a brand creating a campaign that educates rather than patronises will help build an immediate and long lasting connection.

We’ll be honest, there’s probably 101 more learnings that we’ve had but these are the 3 biggest that we’re taking into 2024. If you want to find out how Crowd can help you navigate the next 12 months of the crazy world of youth marketing - drop us a line!

info@thecrowdagency.com

Getting the most out of Promotional Staff

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:24:44 GMT

It's important to find the right staff

From sampling to leafleting, product launches to trade shows, professional Promotional Staff, Brand Ambassadors and Event Managers, act as the face for your organisation during short campaigns. With the rise of online only brands, adding in interactions in the form of experiential marketing activations offers a chance to make memorable connections with new and existing customers.

They not only give you the opportunity to speak directly with your target audience, but these sorts of activations, coupled with brilliant promotional staff, can showcase your brand's personality and offer a unique chance to humanise brand connections. A rarity, but with Gen z’s rating authenticity as a reason to connect with a brand, an important element in the marketing mix.

First impressions count, so hiring the right staff is an important part of the puzzle, but the onboarding and briefing process shouldn’t be underestimated, as well as the management of them.

Having spent years working in this world, here we look at six ways to get the most out of promotional staff.

1. Creating the right activation

Consumers are exposed to 10,000 advertisements a day , so a surprising and unique activation with a bubbly personality can break through that. From simple sampling on the street or lucky dip prize trikes on campus, to the larger, more immersive pop-up activations, creating and implementing the right activation is the first step. It’s really only at this stage you can decide what type of staff you need...technical wizards, beauty enthusiasts, theatrical characters or sign up masters.

The first question to answer though, what are you looking to achieve? Answer that, and the rest will follow.

2. Finding the right staff

Experienced promotional staff know how best to engage with consumers effectively, it’s their bread and butter. They know precisely how to adapt to different brand messages and engage with various audiences. But, do they fit your brand values and do they represent your brand in the right way? It’s a tricky one to articulate at times.

There are also some key characteristics worth looking out for when hiring promotional staff and brand ambassadors. Are they experienced in lead generation? Are they approachable? Can they articulate the proposition and generate leads, without coming across as too salesy and pushy? Can they demonstrate passion for the product and brand? They don’t need to have encyclopaedic knowledge of the product, but can they project the right brand message and feeling?

Reliability is a key factor too, which is why working with tried and tested promo staff is key (more on that later!). There will always be times when sickness strikes, so having a back up plan or a pool of staff you can call upon is a good idea.

Final point on this one, do you need an event manager? Some activations, especially touring ones, will benefit greatly from a dedicated and experienced event manager.

3. Onboarding and briefing

Clarity is important. Like any staff member, staff need to know what their role is and why they are there. You want good promotional staff to keep working with you, the time you invest now will pay off in the long run. Has their onboarding been welcoming and engaging? Is the brief thorough (but not too onerous). Are they clear on the journey, the call to action and the point of the activation?

It’s no surprise that happy staff will go the extra mile, and onboarding is a great opportunity to do just that, getting them brought in from the get-go. The little touches often matter too, promotional staff work for various brands, so sending them branded merch or a small welcome gift will help you as a temporary employer, stand out.

We always like to think of promo staff as an extension to any business/brand that they are working with. A clear and concise briefing is a great way to build knowledge and confidence with who they are working alongside.

4. Managing (from a distance)

Recruiting, onboarding and managing the right staff can be time consuming, but a lack of control can also end in disaster. Managed well, promotional staff can make a campaign, they are the linchpin of an activation.

A tricky balance, so it's important to keep promotional staff motivated and aware of how they are performing without bombarding them throughout an activation or event. It can be a fine art, keeping motivation levels up from a distance, without micromanaging. That's why having clear roles, KPIs and lines of communication is so important.

5. Pay and benefits

Naturally, staff need to be paid, and paid promptly. Setting out clear payment terms, with information on expense limits helps to avoid any problems. It’s always worth making sure what you’re paying is on par with competitors, offering above average salary and expenses / payment terms will help to make sure good staff come back and work for you.

6. Debrief

Promotional staff are your boots on the ground, your eyes and ears. As an agency, our teams always get stuck in, attending events and live activations, working side by side with some of our brand ambassadors and event managers. However, it's not always possible to attend every one. That's why it's so important to involve your promo staff (especially your event manager, if you have one) in the campaign wrap up. Learning from experience only benefits you in the future.

It’s easy to see why consumers engage with a new product or brand far more if human interaction is involved. It’s more likely to leave a positive longer lasting impression.

Thinking of working with Promotional Staff and brand Ambassadors? Drop us a message to find out how promotional staff and on campus/street team activations can support your marketing this year: info@thecrowdagency.com

Students of 2023 - 5 key trends

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:33:09 GMT

Welcome to 2023! A year that we hope will be straightforward and understated, but also full of excitement.

Rightly or wrongly the final digit of the year counting upwards always seems to create a sense of change and new beginning. Whilst in our world we are very much in mid season of the academic year, we felt that this was a good time to share our thoughts on what the next 12 months will bring for the student market and how it will affect the approach that brands should take - here are 5 things to look out for:

1. 'Relatable' is the new 'Aspirational'

OK… Kim, Kourtney and Khloe (Kardashian if you didn’t know) aren’t going to disappear into thin air, but the influencer space is changing and there is a clear increase in the youth market following influencers that they can truly relate to. Working with diverse content creators also plays into this. This is demonstrated by the rise and acknowledgement of apps such as BeReal.

In fact, according to Voxburner 81% of 16-24 year olds prefer to follow influencers that share their values, with creativity and entrepreneurship among the qualities Gen Z respects the most.

This demonstrates how imperative it is for brands to present themselves in a way that is genuinely relatable, where they don’t take themselves too seriously.

As a side note, we often see a need for brands to keep tabs on the influencer space even if they don’t actively engage in it, it gives a steer on how best to engage with a target audience.

2. Look backwards in order to move forwards

What goes around, comes around, from the re-rise of cargo trousers to the return of Uggs, this generation loves to recycle a trend. It’s not just limited to fashion either, who’d have thought Snapchat would make a comeback, but with 9 out of 10 young people on the app ( According to Snapchat ), just like ‘relatable becoming the new Aspirational’, young people are seeking personal, intimate connections more than ever before.

It’s for this reason too that Pinterest is cited as one of the big apps to make a name of itself once again in 2023. Pinterest reported that 445 million people use Pinterest every month to find ideas and inspire their next purchase, whilst Gen Z users are up 40% year over year.

Pinterest could be the perfect space to offer authentic and creative content, allowing your brand to be discovered next to exciting new trends.

3. Ethical is more than being sustainable

Yes sustainability is going to be a hot topic for decades to come but in this ever cynical market they want to see more than just token gestures of Keep Cups and paper straws.

This clearly isn’t to say that these initiatives aren’t needed but accusations of hypocrisy will arise if they are carried out alongside other processes that don’t meet an ethical expectation - think living wage, ethical suppliers, support of mental health initiatives.

However, sustainability and ethical living has to be balanced with affordability. Unfortunately, being environmentally conscious comes at a cost. Fast fashion giant Shein has been named the world's most popular fashion brand in 2020 (based on a report by Money.co.uk ). The brand is well known for its lack of ethical practices but low price points are too tempting for its customers, especially as we grapple with the cost of living.

Which leads on nicely to our next point…

4. The Impact of the cost of living

The student market is one of the most robust markets around, in previous crises and recessions the level of spend has maintained and its proven to be a lucrative market to engage with.

This time however is slightly different, in the past the challenge has been that the level of income has dropped across the board where students' income was maintained. Now the student income per capita has stayed pretty much the same and the cost of products and services has increased. That said it is still an active, early adopting and engaged market. It's now just more important than ever that you keep your brand at the forefront by demonstrating real value. Think about how your brand is supporting students during this crisis and shout about it.

5. Support beyond experience

Over the past few years Universities and Students Unions have put major emphasis on the experience that students have at University. While this will always continue, there appears to be a significant shift to focusing on what the output is of the investment of time and money that students have to put in for their higher education.

This may seem an obvious point and it’s something that will have been on the radar of Institutions and Unions over the years. However due to the challenging job market and the expense of University, there’s even more of a need to justify that there is a return on the tuition fee investment.

Strengthening links with the community, careers fairs, offering experiences to boost skills, replicating the working environment and providing work-integrated learning opportunities are all ways institutions are supporting its students. Can your brand play a role here?

So, let’s see what 2023 has in store for us all. Wishing you a happy and prosperous one!

For more information on how we can support you with student campaigns, drop us a message: info@thecrowdagency.com

Blue Monday to Brew Monday: how awareness days can elevate your student marketing

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 13:41:33 GMT

Free gifts being handed out

From World Spaghetti day to Brew Monday, there’s an array of weird and wonderful awareness days, some clearly more relevant than others. While some days (think ‘Kiss a Ginger Day', which if you’re interested, is on the 12th January!) are there for a more light hearted purpose, many of these awareness days are great for sparking genius content ideas that can be used across digital platforms, as well helping to get the juices flowing when it comes to planning on-campus events or pop-ups.

Some of these days offer brands the perfect hook to talk about a product or service in a more natural, and even humorous way. Imagine you’re an accommodation provider, World Sleep Day is the ideal opportunity to talk about the comfort of your beds, the quietness of your surroundings and the importance of sleep when it comes to studying.

The point is, for any awareness day that peaks your interest, you can simply link your brand to it by sharing a relatable post, a humorous meme, quote or story, or perhaps even a special offer for your product or services.

Here, we’ve collated some of the top awareness days for term 2, with some ideas on how to engage your audience.

Blue Monday

Turn this gloomy day into something positive. If you have a blue product, why not offer a 10% discount on Blue Monday? Regardless, if your product or service gives off the feel good vibes, encourage a purchase by offering a discount or incentive more generally on this day.
Ask for ideas from your social audience, what are they doing to combat Blue Monday?

Veganuary

Show off your plant-based products or what you’re doing to be more sustainable in 2023.
Do you have a vegan range you could sample?
Offer some of your favourite vegan recipes as recipe cards that can be downloaded from your website or sent out via email.

Pancake Day

Set up a pancake pop-up, students love a sweet treat and a great opportunity to capture students and increase brand awareness.
Share your best pancake recipes via social, your website or email.
Encourage some social sharing, ask your followers to share their best pancake masterpieces, best one wins a prize?

Valentines

Share the love (but not too much! ) encourage your users to recommend your product or service in return for cashback or a discount?
Could your product/service serve as the perfect date night?!
Send out a “Be my valentine” newsletter… “Our gift to you” that includes some valentines promotions to encourage an instant purchase.

World Sleep Day

Poll your social audience, what makes the perfect night's sleep?
Does your product or service enable a better night's sleep? Educate your audience about it.

Ramadan

Acknowledging holidays that are important to certain members within your community is a great way of inclusively engaging with your audience. Make sure to get into the Ramadan spirit by posting content that celebrates Eid, act of kindness and community spirit.

University Mental Health Awareness Day

Clearly a prevalent one, how can your brand support student mental health? Does your brand have a product that could help? Could you encourage your audience to fundraise with you for Student Minds?
This day is all about inspiring conversations and combating loneliness, ensure your brand is part of that conversation by using #UniMentalHealthDay on your socials.
You can also download a free comms pack filled with social tiles and content via www.unimentalhealthday.co.uk

Chinese New Year

Clearly a prevalent one, how can your brand support student mental health? Does your brand have a product that could help? Could you encourage your audience to fundraise with you for Student Minds?
This day is all about inspiring conversations and combating loneliness, ensure your brand is part of that conversation by using #UniMentalHealthDay on your socials.
You can also download a free comms pack filled with social tiles and content via www.unimentalhealthday.co.uk

Plotting these dates and ideas into your planner will provide instant content ideas on a regular basis, but make sure you don’t over do it with these dates. It’s the same with anything, if there is too much of one specific type of content, it gets boring for the audience. Be sure to mix things up a little.

Here at Crowd, we love jumping on Awareness Days and using key events in the student calendar as opportunities to surprise and delight students.

Looking to reach and engage students over term 2 and beyond? We’d love to hear from you. For more information on how we can support you with student campaigns, contact us on: info@thecrowdagency.com

Powering your campaigns through our partnership network

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 12:08:42 GMT

There are less than two months to go until the new academic year kicks off, and then Freshers season will truly be upon us. Given the events that have affected us all over the last couple of years, it has never been more important for us as a student marketing specialist to make engaging with students on campus as simple and effective as we can.

We are not going to sugar coat it, we know from past experiences that if you are a brand and you are looking to access students across multiple universities it can be quite a fragmented and time consuming process to navigate. As a student specialist, we have developed our craft and have mastered ways to help brands to take this burden away, enabling them to trust us in every stage of the campaign cycle to create an activation that ticks all the boxes to achieve success.

We know what a valuable platform campuses are for brands to reach students and we have made it our mission to bring them together to create a much better experience for all involved. This is why in partnership with Native (the UK’s largest student event platform), we have created our own managed Students Union partnership network .

The network is a collection of Student Unions that have exclusively provided The Crowd Agency with their on-campus and digital marketing portfolios, which we align with our overall client marketing mix to reduce the time and hassle of planning campus based marketing activity. This allows brands to reduce their workload and give them the comfort of knowing that whatever they are planning to do to target students is being managed by an experienced and safe pair of hands that will deliver the goods - that’s us!

Our network at the time of writing this is now at over 44 Student Unions which covers multiple student cities across the length and breadth of the UK. Having this network doesn’t limit our ability to target students, it enhances the level of service we can provide and improves your campaign ROI. We still have the ability to liaise and book campaign activity with any university across the UK and Ireland, we put our clients interests at the forefront of what we do so you can trust that we will steer your campaign in the right direction.

For the SUs that we partner with, the benefit these charitable organisations receive is financial revenue support and the opportunity to work closely with The Crowd Agency and Native to enhance the student brand experience. The channels that we manage include activation spaces, sampling/distribution, email, social media posts, web advertisements and display. If you have a bespoke idea to bring on campus, just talk to us and we will make the discovery process much quicker and hassle-free.

Our network ambitions do not end here, we plan to add more Student Union partners on a continuing basis, so watch this space as we continue to grow!

Are students on your hit list? Need help planning and navigating the best route to achieve your goals? Drop us a message or email us at info@thecrowdagency.com

The outlook for campus life 2022/23

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 13:01:32 GMT

Yeah, it's going to be good!

Let's face it, the last 2 years have been pretty turbulent for Students and their University experience and the knock on effect has seen student marketing take a bit of a battering for sure! Now the industry is seemingly getting back to normality there are a few expected but subtle changes to student habits as well as the ebb and flow of campus life.

We work closely with all of our key stakeholders and SU partners so we get a pretty regular view from the ground of what campuses will be looking like in term one of the 2022/23 academic year. These are the 5 key points that we've taken away:

Learning is going to be weighted more towards on-campus moving forward, but still expect to see students learning remotely.
Students are expected to spend more time in their accommodation as the cost of living sores.
On-Campus Events are expected to be well attended as students look to catch up on the experiences they have missed out on.
The growing consciousness of debt and the expense of university will continue to impact Students who will put further emphasis on the need for employment post study.
With the cost of living sky rocketing and without any significant changes to student loans and income. Expect students to be looking to find ways to earn more cash and be on the hunt for student deals to help make their loans go further - Some things never change!!

Although there is no need for wholesale changes in approach to the market, we feel that this intel provides brands with great opportunities to increase the number of student touchpoints and strengthen their position in the market.

If you want to have a conversation with one of the hugely knowledgeable members of the Crowd team or contact us at info@thecrowdagency.com

Freshers 2022: The biggest student brand event in 3 years

Fri, 06 May 2022 13:06:47 GMT

Right now thousands of students up and down the country are looking ahead to their first days at University this September. Students have had little to no direct brand engagement over the last two years and 2022 is looking set to be the first Freshers season since 2019 without COVID restrictions- and we can see it being a big one!

Freshers is arguably the most popular time in the student calendar to engage on a peer-to-peer basis, and this year it won’t just be the first year students wanting to get involved, many 2nd and 3rd year students have missed out on their Freshers experience and will be looking to make up for lost time. There are over 2.4million students across the UK with a collective spending power of £80bn, and despite COVID, student spending during Freshers increased c10% year on year to around £406/week ( UCAS Media, 2021 ). Students head to their Freshers’ Fairs open and ready to engage with brands and it’s the ideal opportunity for brands to get their attention.

One of the most popular B2C channels to reach mass student crowds in one place are Freshers’ Fairs. They have earned their place as one of the strongest platforms for brands to interact with students, bringing with them some of the largest solely student crowds at venues across the UK.

With anywhere from 4,000 to 15,000 students per event, a well executed Freshers campaign can deliver a number of benefits, including increasing brand awareness, boosting product sales, getting subscriptions or sign ups, gathering data and product sampling, giving brands the opportunity to tailor a student campaign that delivers whatever you want to achieve.

Student marketing doesn’t end at Freshers. Lots of brands we work with use Freshers as the catalyst to begin building a long term loyal youth customer base. For many brands, Freshers is the starting point of their wider year round marketing strategy and the first of many brand conversations with students.

If you’re a brand looking to get in on the action and want to discover how you can make Freshers work for you, then we are here to help. As student marketing specialists, we can help you identify the best way to interact with students during Freshers and beyond. You can find some inspiration about the different ways that you can reach students in big numbers to further boost your sales, reach, brand awareness, and other goals here .

We are the experts in student marketing and enthusiastic about delivering brand marketing campaigns that align with your goals and hit the right notes with students, so to find out about how we can help you for Freshers 2022 just drop us a message: info@thecrowdagency.com

Students' Union Partnerships

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 14:31:55 GMT

One of my favourite parts of my job is getting to know our Students’ Union partners (both our exclusive media partners as well as over 100 non-exclusive partners up and down the country) and building strong relationships with them. No two Students’ Unions are the same and it’s an honour to work alongside them to support them in meeting their aims as a Union and delivering the best student experience for hundreds of thousands of students across the country.

‘Working with Senga and the Crowd team has been an absolute pleasure over the past year. Quick, effective and friendly, we have been able to work on a number of projects together and look forward to many more!’

Jack Skeffington, Sales & Partnerships Coordinator at King’s College London

The last two years have reminded us how important relationships are both in and outside of the workplace. Building these relationships puts Crowd at the centre of the student market, benefitting both the Students’ Unions we partner with and the brands we work with.

For Students’ Unions it means we understand who they are as an SU and can bring engaging campaigns and activity their way that is right for their students. Where our exclusive partners are concerned we take on the workload of media sales, freeing them up to do more of what they do best in representing their students and enhancing the student experience. For brands it means we have the expertise and relationships to put their campaigns in the right place at the right time, in front of hundreds of thousands of students across the UK.

‘Working with The Crowd has enabled us to connect our members to new brands they have not previously had access to on campus. The team’s friendly customer-centric approach makes it easy to collaborate and deliver great results. We are looking forward to growing our relationship to deliver additional value to our members.’

Michael Nortey, Client Relationship Manager at Coventry Students Union

Right now we’re working closely with Students’ Unions to build a calendar of Freshers’ events in 2022, so if you’re a Union and you haven’t been in touch with your dates yet, or if you’re a brand looking to get in front of thousands of students this September get in touch with us here .

Harnessing official student media

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 14:40:54 GMT

When brands and organisations think of official student media it’s easy to immediately think about coming onto campus or attending freshers fairs, but if there are positives to come from the last 12 months it’s that the need to reach students digitally has shown just how effective official student media routes can be.

Whilst we are excited at the cautious planning starting to go ahead for the return of physical welcome fairs (we have over 40 confirmed dates already) the verified student digital channels available are a great option right now. There are some key weeks still to come through the summer term and realistically conducting any on the ground activity is still a bold move for any brand. With retailers, hospitality, gyms, cinemas and other sectors opening up again there is an opportunity to reach students in their homes and accommodation.

Within three recent client campaigns we saw open rates on solus email sends of 70% and 63% on e-newsletter campaigns demonstrating the huge value of official student media coming from a trusted source. From our recent conversations with Students’ Unions they have also highlighted the fact that their social media channels are even more engaged than ever before with an ever growing followership. One Students’ Union in the North West shared that they had doubled their social following on facebook and a key Scottish University tripled their Instagram following during the last year. Whilst we are really pleased to see the road map progressing the increased focus on digital channels is a small positive which has come from the lockdown.

During the restrictions we have also run a number of successful digital brand ambassador campaigns harnessing the effectiveness of peer to peer. The key to successfully running digital brand ambassadors is all about engagement. We have found that we can drive excellent results using students with a small following of 300-500 friends because those networks are authentic. This micro influencer approach has outstripped content reshared from major national publishers.

Our tips for landing your digital campaign effectively:

Solus Emails are perfect for delivering a direct response. Your message delivered straight to verified student emails from trusted sources
Grab attention quickly. Use competitions, share information which is useful, make students laugh, create some controversy. Whatever you do make sure it has high impact as you are competing in a noisy space particularly on social media
Use video content. We have seen campaigns using video content deliver much higher engagement and responses than static content
Using digital student brand ambassadors is a great way to build brand awareness over a longer period of time and carry a more involved message
Use an agency like Crowd to take the heavy lifting and collate all of the digital options for you.

Get in touch today

The power of student sampling

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 14:36:39 GMT

Student Sampling: Getting your product into the hands of students

Whether you are promoting a new product or are an established brand looking to increase your market share and visibility, the power of sampling is still a highly effective part of any student marketing plan. Voxburner found that 88% of uni students head to freshers fair events for the freebies, so we know that sampling continues to be a sure-fire way to connect with students in the places that matter most to them.

It’s not just Freshers week that gives brands the ideal opportunity to get their product samples into the hands of students. As we head into the second half of the academic year there are still plenty of opportunities to engage students with your brand through sampling such as refreshers fairs, student events & via student accommodation. We help the brands that we work with to understand how effective sampling can be for promoting brand awareness and most importantly brands see for themselves the growth of new and loyal customers.

What better way for students to experience what your product has to offer than placing it directly into their hands? This way they can try before they buy and tell other people about it, which is particularly important if your product is fresh on the shelf with no existing word of mouth or recommendations.

We know that university offers the majority of students their first opportunity to fully exercise their independent buying decisions, and offers brands the opportunity to build lifetime loyalty from this group. Team this with the fact that Gen Z are 20% more likely than other generations to try a new product (Pinterest), and it's easy to see that getting product samples in hands is key.

At Crowd, we work closely with over 150 Students’ Unions and have access to over 250,000 student accommodation rooms, uniquely placing us to support brands to create targeted sampling campaigns, getting your products into the hands of students at the heart of university life.

If you would like any more information then get in touch or have a look at one of our previous sampling campaigns .

Post COVID reset

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:50:26 GMT

Over the past 12 months we’ve all heard some phrases numerous times including “unprecedented”, “Social Distancing” and “you’re on mute”. One phrase that we want to focus on is “getting back to normality.”

Clearly we all want to get back to what life was like when we could see loved ones, go to events and not have embarrassing haircuts. However we also need to reflect on what life was actually like in 2019 before the thought of a national lockdown was even conceivable. There were plenty of challenges and uncertainties that we were facing as a society. Just to mention a few there was the potential impact of Brexit, trolling on Social Media, unrest in the Middle East, North Korea, Wildfires in Australia, the Colleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy saga and the big one - climate change. This isn’t a negative thought, in fact it’s the complete opposite. We at Crowd think as vaccines are rolled out and we re-emerge from a national lockdown we’re presented with a great opportunity to reset and re-evaluate.

Now, being a student marketing agency we understand that we won’t make the same impact as the thousands of charities, non-profits and public sector organisations out there. However we also believe that the private sector has a responsibility in helping with all of the issues above (Ok.. well maybe not the Rooney/Vardy one.) With this in mind a key long term strategy for Crowd will be offering our clients the opportunity to run sustainable and even carbon neutral campaigns. However in the meantime we have 4 key short term focuses that will start us on our journey:

Offering eco friendly freebies that still give your brand the wow factor
Utilising reusable and recyclable stand concepts
Recycling of unused items and clothing
Eco Friendly printing and limiting uneeded print

These are only small steps but these are our first steps so watch this space!

As with any campaign each client is different and we’ll find the best solution to meet your needs. To find out more details on the above or how we can help your brand please contact us

Social Media

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:50:25 GMT

Which social media platforms are favourable with the youth market today? Has this changed as a consequence of the pandemic?

With the numerous national lockdowns that the country had to face over 2020 and 2021, a lot of the population during this time took up a new hobby. From baking to upcycling or gardening to reading, many new skills were learnt throughout this time. However for many others, the majority of their time was spent on their smartphones. This could be keeping in touch with relatives or friends or simply scrolling through their social media for hours of the day.

Despite their age the big four, (Youtube, Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram) are still dominant and most have the ability to serve targeted adverts and content in a highly focussed manner.

Youtube has been around for a long time and many teens and young adults aspire to follow in the footsteps of Youtubers like Zoe Sugg or Pewdiepie. As mentioned above, the numerous lockdowns have encouraged people to be more creative and although they may be spending a lot more time online, they may be creating content for their online following. This isn’t surprising as ‘YouTube use is growing the fastest amongst Baby Boomers and Gen-X-ers’ [socialfilms.co.uk].

Looking outside of the big four, who's climbing the ranks or falling down? Why is Linkedin less dominant? Is this because this research looks into a wider age group including older teens who may focus on the platform more when they start thinking about careers and their future? Pinterest takes the next ranking below, the reasoning behind this could be because it is seen as a platform more specialised for creatives and not necessarily seen as a social media platform.

It's interesting to note that 82.5% of the population of people between the ages of 26 and 35 use Facebook the most.

So if you are looking to target the youth market and want to get the most of it, be sure to make sure you understand where your message is going to be the best received and understood by your audience. This will ensure your posts get the most reach, highest engagement and overall perform well.

When ‘99% of first year students use at least one social media platform’ [UCAS], Why would you not want to use one of these platforms to reach out and market to students. At Crowd, through students' unions and external commercial suppliers, we have the tools and expertise to ensure your social media marketing targets exactly who you want. Get in contact with us to find out more and to start planning your campaign today.

Information and statistics gathered from:

Welcome to Freshers 2021

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:41:25 GMT

Although it’s important to reflect on what has been, at Crowd we think it’s just as important to look forward.

The last 12 months have been something that we have all had to collectively endure. Therefore it has been truly exciting talking to our students’ union partners over the past few months about how campuses are going to adapt and regrow from Freshers 2021 onwards!

Students’ Unions offer brands and agencies a unique and unprecedented access to the student market and are a vital part of our network at the Crowd Agency. Over the past year they have proved on a number of our campaigns that they deliver resounding results through their digital channels, and now with the Roadmap in place we are headlong into Freshers planning with them.

We have clear indications from across the UK that Freshers Fairs will be back to the way we know and love them. There may however be some adaptations to the fairs that we need to keep an eye out for including:

Staggered queues with students having allocated slots to enter the Freshers Fair
Longer event running times to allow for staggered footfall
More outside space available
Less stands available within the fair to allow more room

As with all industries there is of course an element of keeping everything crossed whilst we work our way along the roadmap BUT the Students Unions are ready, our research shows the students are ready and we are now helping our clients get ready for the most important Freshers season yet.

We have collated confirmed Freshers details from the majority of our key Students’ Union partners. If you want to find out more about the plans this year including dates, schedules, costs and logistics drop us a line.

It’s good to be back!

Get in touch if you would like to know more from The Crowd

Future plans survey

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:41:23 GMT

Here at Crowd we are proud to be partnered with SACU who provide brilliant information, advice and guidance to 16-18 year olds exploring their next options. The SACU website provides free tools for exploring courses and career options to help navigate those key decisions on their future plans.

It would be stating the obvious to say that college students have had a tough time during the lockdown and so we wanted to get a clearer handle on exactly how young people are feeling. So we asked the 60,000+ students who make up the SACU community to tell us what their plans are and how they feel about their outlook over the next year.

Many of the results reaffirmed what we already suspected but amongst there are a few surprises as well. Here are my key highlights from the survey:

The appetite to head to University in September 2021 is high! Students feel like they have missed out; see their alternative options as limited and University can provide a step back to normality with the added bonus of a degree alongside it!
We know that applications to University are strong at the moment and Universities are also likely to recruit beyond what they may have usually done

However...

8% of students feel as though COVID will impact their student experience. It’s key for Universities and Students’ Unions to give confidence to new and returning students around how their experience will look and how they will be supported. For those who get this right they could win in terms of student recruitment
Two thirds of students are unsure or 50/50 about going to University despite applying
There are still significant numbers of students suggesting they may defer. Given that deferring students may find that options for work and travel don’t materialise we could see students enter into clearing
The factors above all present a big opportunity for University marketing teams leading up to and around A-Level results 2021
A key point which comes through is that students want to get back to face to face activities; meeting friends and having experiences. These elements are key things when students are choosing their institution beyond simply whether they can do the course they want
22.45% of students are still unsure where they plan to live this coming September. We surmise that students are holding back on committing at this stage. There is an opportunity for accommodation providers to reassure students that committing to living at University is a good decision
Interestingly nearly 69% of students don’t intend travelling for a long time or at best maybe next year. Given students normal appetite for experiences and seeing the world perhaps COVID will see some reticence to do so for some time or possibly its a reflection of students being realistic about when they will be allowed to travel
Nearly 70% of students would consider or are keen to attend a festival as soon as possible. So whilst travel seems to be off the cards for a while there is an opportunity for UK based events to play hosts to lots of willing students when they are able to in a safe way

The overall temperature check shows that students are keen to get back to normality, head to University and make up for lost time with experiences and opportunities to have fun with friends and family. There is a big opportunity for institutions, accommodation providers and events to honestly communicate a confident approach to opening up post COVID and to help give confidence to students that they can begin getting back to some normality in a safe way.

For access to the full report, please Contact us and we will send it to you.