Case study
Rewriting the Code x native - building a UK and Ireland student community🎓
Since launching in 2017, the US based non-profit has been supporting and empowering students and early career women to become the next generation of Tech leaders.
Building on its success, the organisation is now expanding its 30,000+ peer community across the UK & Ireland’s tech landscape – providing free access to a global network, mentorship programme, financial support and educational workshops – to help students code their futures.
We sat down with Jade Wright, Director Student Experience, to find out how partnering with native lifted their presence across 13 campuses, helping to introduce the platform to the UK & Ireland market.
Challenge: from classroom to career 
In the STEM world, undertaking a degree is just the first step – landing a career? That’s where the real coding happens.
With women only making up around 30% of the UK and Ireland workforce, Rewriting the Code was determined to find ways to extend its support across the pond.
And where to start?
“University”, says Jade, “Students are – and will continue to be – one of our key demographics. They might not feel supported or have a sense of community because there are 4.1 young men for every young woman studying computing degrees but you’ll get that support and sense of community here.”
Out of the UK’s 2.9 million students, 96% are landing on campus with career goals in mind, with many already lining up internships and signing up for extra workshops alongside their studies.
With this in mind, Rewriting The Code knew they had to introduce themselves to students early, ensuring their platform was on their radar before they programmed their futures elsewhere.
Solution: empowering students on campus
The RTC UK&I team collaborated with native to select a diverse range of universities that were widespread and representative of the entire student market. Opting to activate with a presence at Freshers Fairs across the following campuses: Imperial College London, University College London, De Montford, Queen Mary, Loughborough, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Aberdeen, St Andrews, University College Dublin and Technological University Dublin.
As Jade puts it: “We already knew that we wanted to go directly to universities but we just didn’t have the capability to do it alone. So it’s great that your service exists because you were able to do that leg work for us.”
And to spread the word even further? They opted for native’s supporting media bundle, utilising digital channels, including sponsored social and web adverts to signpost their presence on campus to students at the target unis, to drive strong engagement on the ground.
At each Fair, students had the opportunity to chat with a brand rep and even walk away with a branded rubber duck, inflatable ball or a keychain -by simply scanning a QR code and joining the Rewriting The Code community.
Results: a new generation of tech leaders
Despite being new to the UK & Ireland market – and campus – Rewriting the Code was a huge hit with students.
By the end of their tour, they’d interacted with over 74,000 students and 2,700 students had subscribed – a conversion rate of 3.6%.
This surge in engagement influenced growth of 4X in UK & Ireland memberships.
But the impact wasn’t just about the numbers.
Reflecting on their experience, Jade said: “Freshers is the first touch point of students meeting you. It gave us the chance to introduce ourselves and build that trust… for further engagement.”
The RTC UK&I team are now making plans to return back to campus, expanding their reach by booking four new locations during Welcome Back week.
Ready to harness the power of student marketing? At native, we specialise in connecting brands with students on campus. Let’s code your success together, get in touch today.