There’s a lot that goes on at university that you – as a marketer – may not know about. But we’re about to change all of that. Here are three of the biggest and brightest campus moments (beyond Freshers and re-freshers, of course) to look out for in the academic year. 

Awards Szn 

Feb – May

Hey – it’s not just the film industry that gets a star-studded awards season. 

As the core on-campus organisations that govern all aspects of student culture and wellbeing, Students’ Unions host their own awards ceremonies, designed to recognise the hard work of students who shape their clubs, societies and volunteering projects. Some larger Students’ Unions even have a whole awards season. 

It’s a chance for students to recognise – or be recognised for – positive contributions to the university experience. Every SU takes a different approach to the actual awards, but more often than not, they cumulate in a luxurious awards ceremony. Awards recognise everything from individual contributions (such as personality or performance of the year) to group level awards, like best society. 

Over to you

University awards seasons are great opportunities for brand involvement. You might opt to sponsor an award if the category is relevant to your organisation, for example. Or, you could go all out and sponsor an entire awards ceremony (some larger Students’ Unions, such as UCL, spread out the ceremony over multiple days). It’s a great way to create a positive association for your brand – and, in the case of volunteering or cause-driven awards, align yourself with what Gen Zs truly care about. 

But awards are great for another reason. If a student is winning an award – individually or as part of their sports team or society – you can guarantee that they have shown up, committed to an organisation, and balanced it all with their degree. These are the high fliers of their year group – and the potential future bright stars of your organisation. Connect with them during awards season, while they’re already thinking about the future, and align your recruitment campaign to the digital and physical channels that exist on campus. 

Varsity 

Jan – April 

Described by the Tab as “one of the biggest social occasions in the sporting calendar”, Varsity holds an important place in the year for the 60+ rivalries that exist today. From the Roses tournament (York v Lancaster, and the biggest in Europe) in the North to Cardiff vs Swansea in South Wales (which you can actually catch on TV), and to the heart of the capital for UCL vs Kings, geographical battles are waged yearly across UK campuses. 

It’s a big deal for the one in five students who take part in university sports – but it’s also a huge social occasion for those off the field, too, with spectators and revellers lining stands, filling out pubs, and showing up to support their teams. This means a lot more students than usual are out and about on campus. 

Over to you

Historically, the high-profile varsity series’ across the country have attracted sponsors of all ilks – from local businesses getting behind a team or fixture, to major brands sponsoring the entire event (such as KPMG, who got behind The London Varsity). Each and every Varsity rivalry has a rich lore – with ready-made slogans, chants and narratives to tap into. 

Aside from sponsorship, though (or indeed in addition to it) – there’s another key draw to varsity for brands. Fixtures attract spectators in their thousands, with Roses in particular garnering around 30,000 attendees in 2023. It’s the perfect opportunity to tap into the festivities with an experiential activation – after all, 57% of students have purchased from a brand that they first encountered on campus. 

Summer Balls

University is an intense time for students. The academic year brings its own trials and tribulations – which makes it all the more important to have celebrations to look forward to once academic commitments are complete. 

Summer Balls are among the biggest and brightest in the student calendar. As the name suggests, they often occur in the summer months – or at least soon after exams have wrapped up for most students. 

Summer Balls have their origins in the UK’s two most elite institutions – Oxford and Cambridge. Cambridge May Balls are exclusive – tickets come with a hefty price tag, and are hard to come by – and, confusingly, often held in June. With high-profile headliners, fairground rides, champagne and fireworks, May Balls are essentially high-class festivals. Squint your eyes, and you might not see much difference between a Cambridge May Ball and an Oxford Commemoration Ball. 

These lavish, high-class events are white tie, star-studded, and often last the whole night. But UK festival culture, too, has played a role in shaping the Summer Ball – so much so that many other universities have adopted them. Not every institution insists on the white-tie-and-champagne vibe purveyed by Oxbridge colleges – but the mood of celebration and congratulation on a year well spent is still the same from one uni to the next. 

Over to you

Sponsorship and Summer Balls go hand-in-hand – many of the larger events will actively seek a corporate sponsor. It’s a great event to attach your name to – guaranteed to have lots of students in one place at one time, in a receptive, excited state of mind. 

Depending on your offering, you could also play a direct part in the event with a creative, value-adding activation, offering free samples or by acting as an experiential cog in the wider event machine. 

To wrap up 

Uni life isn’t all about studying – and together, Varsity, Awards Season and Summer Balls speak to everything else that goes on during the academic year. These campus moments are testaments to the friendships made, achievements garnered and (friendly) rivalries with other universities. There’s no real non-uni equivalent – meaning that students will remember them for the rest of their lives. 

With this in mind, these three events are great opportunities for brands to be a part of the university picture, contributing to key memories – and even planting that seed of recognition in the minds of revellers. 

See you on campus in 2024? 

Propel your brand to the heart of Varsity, Summer Balls or Awards Season with native. We’re your gateway to Gen Z students at over 72 of the UK’s campuses – drop us a line to start making plans.