Dominos leaflets scattered on the streets, hands full of club flyers and student discounts everywhere. Yep, it’s fresher’s week and businesses will do everything they can to get their hands on your newly acquired student loan money. Targeting students is a very effective way for businesses to reach a new audience and gain loyal customers. Here are some of the businesses that do it the best:
Santander
It may seem strange to include a bank at the top of the list but Santander is super savvy when it comes to acquiring student customers. Just look around and I guarantee that you can see the red card being flashed around the SU. One of the reasons for its success is the free 4-year railcard promotion that comes when you open up an account with them. Obviously, this is very handy for students living away from home but from a business perspective, it gives Santander an edge over other banks in attracting student customers. However, other banks also offer student promotions, for example by opening an HSBC account you can get £80 Amazon voucher and Amazon prime free for a whole year. So it’s worth doing your research and finding the best one for you.
MacDonald’s
The golden gates are calling and the students come running. It’s no secret that students love a good Macdonald’s, whether its drunk end of the night food or hangover breakfast heaven, but Ronald has a great way of keeping us coming back for more. The promise of a free cheeseburger or Mcflury when you buy a meal is ever so tempting and is a great marketing technique to attract the student population. A quick flash of your student card is all it takes and other fast food companies have followed in pursuit. Barburito, Wasabi and Dominos are just some of the food companies offering student promotions. Unidays and Studentbeans are great sites to search for some tasty deals.
Apple
Apple has managed to convince a lot of the student population that a Mac is the ultimate university accessory and has a unique student promotion just to entice you even more. You can get 10% off and Beats wireless headphones for free when you purchase a Mac for uni. Again another great marketing tactic from the technology giants as many new students will be looking for a laptop before starting their studies. You can also get student discount with HP and Samsung if that doesn’t do it for you.
Xercise4Less
The fitness industry is growing and student customers are becoming more and more valuable to the gym businesses. Xercise4Less is a perfect example of this as it already has low prices but as a student, you can benefit even further. Their current promotion is a £0 signup fee and your first month free, which is great for the struggling student. It’s a great way to attract the students attempting to shed their beer bellies and multiple free cheeseburgers…
Fresher’s week marketing heaven for businesses so keep your eyes peeled for those cheeky discounts and promotions before they go!
Shona Augustinus