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Freshers' week marketingFreshers' week marketing, planned properly.
How brands reach new students at Freshers' in Ireland: when it happens, the formats that work, and how to plan posters, stands, sampling and sign ups as one campaign.
48,485 new students, forming new habits.
In 2024/25, 48,485 new entrants started higher education in Ireland (HEA Key Facts and Figures 2024/25). In their first weeks they choose a bank, a phone network, a takeaway app, a gym and the places they will go out. Freshers' week is when many of those choices are made, with the highest footfall and spend of the year on campus.
Many of them are also new to the country: 44,535 students in 2024/25 came from outside Ireland. For them, almost every brand is a new brand.
What works at Freshers'.
The strongest Freshers' campaigns combine visibility, contact and a way to stay in touch.
- 01
Posters before and during
Posters in the weeks around Freshers' build familiarity, so students recognise you at the stand. See campus postering.
- 02
Fair stands
A stand at the Freshers' fair, booked through the students' union, staffed by students who know the campus.
- 03
Sampling and goodie bags
Product or a voucher in every hand. See sampling and promotions.
- 04
Sign ups on the spot
A QR code to a student offer or an opt in WhatsApp list, so the conversation continues after the week.
- 05
Bar and retail nights
Freshers' nights and student offers in the venues and shops near campus.
- 06
Social content
Student creators covering the week, timed to the activity on campus.
A Freshers' timeline.
- Spring. Brief us with the product, the colleges and the offer. We confirm the rules and what is available at each campus.
- Early summer. Book stands and poster dates. A deposit secures your category exclusivity.
- Summer. Artwork, print, samples and staff.
- September. Posters go up, stands run, samples go out, and we monitor and replace placements.
- After the run. Our campaign report. The balance is due on the report.
Missed Freshers'? January brings a second first impression with the new semester. See the full calendar in how to reach Irish college students.
Planning a student campaign? Call or WhatsApp Philip on 087 054 9971, or email hello@studentlink.ie with the product, the audience, the cities and the timing.
When is Freshers' week in Ireland?
Freshers' weeks run at the start of the autumn semester, usually in September. Each college and students' union sets its own dates, so we confirm them campus by campus when we plan.
How do brands get a stand at a Freshers' fair?
Stands are booked through each students' union, and the best spots can go early. We can plan stands, posters and sampling together so they support each other.
What is a Freshers' goodie bag campaign?
A goodie bag carries samples, vouchers and leaflets from several brands to new students. Ask about category exclusivity before you join one.
What about Rag week?
Many colleges and students' unions hold a Rag week later in the academic year. Dates and formats vary, and some have changed in recent years, so we check each college before planning around it.
When should we book for Freshers'?
Brief us in spring or early summer. That leaves time to choose campuses, book stands, design and print before students arrive.
Got a poster run in mind?
Call or WhatsApp Philip on 087 054 9971 and he'll walk you through it personally.
087 054 9971Prefer to write it down? Use the form and you'll usually hear back within one working day.