Fresher Week: A Goldmine for Small Brands

We’ve just wrapped up an incredible month helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across the UK connect with students during Fresher Week 2025 and honestly, it’s been one of our favourite campaign seasons of the year. At OTINGA, we’ve seen first-hand how Fresher Week can turn small brands into campus favourites: building awareness, followers, and community all at once. If you’re a small business targeting Gen Z audiences (aged 18–26), this is your chance to meet them where they are: curious, energetic, and ready to try new things.

What Is Fresher Week?

According to Newcastle University, Fresher Week (or “Welcome Week”) has a long tradition in the UK, dating back decades as a way to help new students settle into university life (Newcastle University, 2024). It’s not make student screaming of fear like a Blackmore University series, (if you ever watch it) but its about parties and freebies, it’s a social, cultural, and networking week designed to help students build friendships, discover local spots, and get familiar with their new community.

As Student Beans explains, Fresher Week is also a huge opportunity for brands to connect with students who are exploring their independence for the first time (Student Beans, 2024). This audience is incredibly open to discovering new products, signing up for memberships, and following brands online as long as the experience feels fun, authentic, and personal.

Today, it’s a mix of fairs, social events, and local partnerships where brands can meet tens of thousands of new students in one place -perfect for SME business who want to get exposure at a low cost with a right audience.

OTINGA on the Ground — Our 2025 Fresher Week Campaigns

This year, OTINGA partnered with multiple universities and SME clients across the UK to help local and online brands get the most from Fresher Fairs. From independent food outlets to tech startups and financial apps, we spent the month helping brands meet thousands of students face-to-face and the results were brilliant.

We spent six weeks activating brands at universities nationwide. Each campaign was built around the same OTINGA philosophy: create an experience, not a pitch. Below are strategies that we use to ensure the brands get the best from us and if you are interested to be part of the fresher week event or any other event with us, contact us.

1. Instant Social Growth We encouraged students to scan a QR code to follow the brand’s Instagram in exchange for freebies – tote bags, snacks, or exclusive offers. Average follower increase: +300 % within a week after the event.
   1. “Claim It in Store” Promotions For local cafés, food trucks, and small retailers, we offered “claim in-store” deals. Students scanned a code, followed the brand, then visited the shop to redeem their freebie — whether it was a drink, meal, or discount. Result: 35 % redemption rate in-store and dozens of repeat visits.
   1. Engagement-Driven Booths Brands like cosmetic companies or service-based businesses (e.g. Wise, Monzo, The Ordinary, Anua) attracted queues by offering activities – spin-to-win wheels, photo booths, or small challenges with prizes.
      This created lasting brand memory through experience. We give a full example of some of the brand and what they do in our next case study: Fresher week what these brands do to attract gen z.

OTINGA’s Tips for Small Businesses

If you’re an SME or startup planning for Fresher Week next year, here’s what we recommend.

1. Join Fresher Fairs Near You Sign up for university or student union Fresher Fairs close to your business location. It’s an affordable way to reach thousands of potential customers face-to-face.
2. Build Your Social Audience Ask students to follow your Instagram or TikTok and give them a reason like a freebie, entry to a competition, or a local discount.
   This way you’ll boost your followers, visibility, and ongoing engagement.
3. Collect Email Addresses If you’re planning to run future offers or newsletters, collect emails (with permission). Use them for monthly or bi-monthly promotions,  perfect for food, fashion, or student services.
4. Offer Something to Claim Give them a reason to visit your shop or website again.

• If you’re a local brand: Offer a “Claim your free drink or dessert” QR code that leads to your store. Give them something to bring like give them an empty box or a cup that they can bring to claim at your store.
• If you’re online: Let them claim digital discount codes or early access to product drops.
• Use Sampling for Food Brands Food brands should take advantage of taste by offering free samples. Whether it’s a drink, snack, or bite-sized product, this help built an interpretation of how your product taste like. Also encourage them to purchase by giving them a discount voucher to redeem a full-size meal later. Remember: People always remember the taste more than ads, it builds trust and confidence to consume and buy your product instantly.
• Create Experience for Non-Food Brands

For non-food brand like Cosmetics, skincare, banks, or digital brands, try create mini experiences.

• Example: Wise and Monzo offered spin-the-wheel prizes.
• Example: The Ordinary and Anua encouraged students to take selfies at branded photo spots.

These activities help students get involve and form brand memories associated with your brand which increases recall and loyalty later.

The Psychology Behind Fresher Week Marketing

Fresher Week works because it hits all the marketing sweet spots:

1. Emotional Connection: Students are starting a new chapter and open to forming new brand habits.
2. Community Building: It’s the perfect time to align your brand with belonging and fun.
3. Hybrid Engagement: Combines real-world interaction with digital follow-up.
4. Behaviour Formation: Students form routines during their first weeks — your brand can become part of that.

OTINGA Insight:

“Fresher Week isn’t about making instant sales. It’s about building the first connection that leads to long-term loyalty.”

Real Results from Our 2025 Fresher Campaigns

Metric	Average Result (per brand)
Instagram followers gained	+300 % within 7 days
QR scans	2,000–5,000 per activation
Email subscribers	800–1,200 new signups
In-store redemptions	35 % of students who followed
Cost per lead	< £0.50 per student

Source: OTINGA Internal Campaign Report, 2025

Conclusion – Why SMEs Shouldn’t Miss Fresher Week

For small and growing brands, Fresher Week is one of the most effective, affordable, and fun marketing opportunities of the year. Whether you sell food, fashion, tech, or services — getting your name in front of students during their first week at university gives you an edge that digital ads can’t. If you can make a student smile, scan your QR code, and remember your brand — you’ve already built a future customer.

OTINGA Insight:

“Connection today becomes conversion tomorrow. Fresher Week is where brand loyalty begins.”

Download our free Fresher Week Activation Checklist — perfect for SMEs planning student marketing campaigns for 2026.

Get it now at www.otingamarketing.com and learn how to design experiential campaigns that grow followers, engagement, and sales.

References (Harvard UK Style)

• Newcastle University (2024) ‘History of Fresher Week’. Available at: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/news/item/history-of-freshers-week/ (Accessed: 13 October 2025).
• Student Beans (2024) ‘What Is Fresher Week and How to Make the Most of It.’ Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/freshers-week-what-is-it-and-how-to-make-the-most-of-it/ (Accessed: 13 October 2025).
• OTINGA Marketing (2025) Internal Campaign Report: Fresher Week Activation Data.