This summer marks 15 years since Student Beans’ founders James and Michael Eder, two recent graduates, came up with an excellent idea of launching a brand new student discount service for the digital age, revolutionising the concept of the student loyalty program. Since then, we’ve seen Millennials pass the baton to Gen Z, the rise of the smartphone, exponential growth in ecommerce, and many other changes that have made marketing to students more exciting than ever. Here are some of the most valuable student marketing lessons we picked up along the way.
Innovation is everything
Over the past 15 years, our product has transformed as tech trends and innovations have emerged, adapting for a new generation of digital-native consumers. This includes launching our mobile app and our award-winning verification technology, which ensures our offers are available exclusively to verified students.
Collaboration is key
Partnerships have played an important role in the Student Beans journey. We’re proud to work with Gen Z’s favourite brands to ensure students get the best deals of the products they love. Some of the big names who trust our student marketing expertise and use our product to engage this audience include McDonald’s, Boohoo and Google.
Listen to your audience
When marketing to young people, never make assumptions about what they want. We’re in constant contact with students worldwide through our Insiders network. This enables us to keep our partners constantly up-to-date with the latest Gen Z trends and give informed, actionable advice on their next campaigns.
Students are the leaders of tomorrow
Many brands over the years have questioned the value of students in comparison to young professionals. We know from experience that today’s students will be the most powerful consumers of tomorrow. Winning them over now means building a strong foundation for a relationship that will last for years to come.
Each country’s student culture is unique
Student Beans started in the UK. We’ve since expanded and we now have the ability to verify students in 52 countries worldwide, including the US, Australia, China and more. Student life and therefore the student marketing landscape is different in every country. Our experience in different markets means that we’re able to share this knowledge with our partners to help them go global too.
Some things never change
While young people are typically ahead of the curve when it comes to new trends, we find that what’s most important to them stays surprisingly consistent over the years. They expect quality products, good service, and an affordable price. With more consumer choice than ever, it’s crucial for brands to tick every box.
Find out more about the Student Beans story so far and how you can get involved.
