Content Last Updated on June 2, 2020
Who are student ambassadors?
Student ambassadors are current students who link universities with the wider community. Using their local knowledge, bubbly personalities and connections, student ambassadors are often a friendly face around campus who help students ease into university life.
As 84% of us are more likely to trust recommendations from family and friends over traditional advertising, brands who want to access the £20 billion student market could benefit from using the familiar presence of student reps to promote their brand on and off campus.
Student ambassador programmes
If you want to get students on board, a student ambassador programme can give your company the leverage it needs to reach students directly.
Uber took this opportunity in 2014 with their UK student ambassador programme. To get more students using their app, Uber recruited students to plan promotional events, partner with key organisations across campus and liaise with Uber HQ to drive new sign ups. In return, student reps were paid, given Uber credit, VIP access to events and other perks.
Another example is Red Bull, who also launched their own student marketeer programme where recruits were tasked with delivering tailor-made sales and marketing strategies to attract students in their local area.
Student ambassador programmes can revamp your brand while allowing you to access a wider student customer base. For students, it gives them the chance to boost their CV and earn some money while they’re at it.
If your company can’t afford to pay students, but still wish to use ambassadors to attract a younger audience, then there are plenty of other ways to reward hard working student ambassadors. You can offer ambassadors perks such as CV reviews, company discounts at selected brands, vouchers, job interview training and anything else you can think of which could add value to their time spent with you.
So if you’re thinking of new ways to attract the student market, consider the benefits of working with the people who know students the best — other students.
If your brand is looking for ways to engage with students in 2020 be sure to check out our extensive guide to student marketing.
