How UCAS helped Specsavers drive optometry applications

Inspiring more young people to choose optometry as a healthcare career

Specsavers partnered with UCAS to raise awareness of optometry careers and engage future talent at scale using a targeted, multi-channel campaign informed by UCAS insight and first-party student data.

Key highlights:

• Built awareness of optometry careers among young people exploring future career pathways  
• Activated a multi-channel campaign including targeted emails, adviser outreach, and paid social across TikTok, Meta and Snapchat  
• Used UCAS insight and timing data to reach medically aligned students at key decision-making moments  
• Delivered interactive engagement through UCAS Discovery events and experiential activity  
• Supported promotion of the Specsavers Bright Stars scholarship programme  
• Drove increased student interest in optometry pathways and early careers opportunities  

The result:
A stronger pipeline of engaged, informed students considering optometry as a career, supported by UCAS’s targeted reach, trusted environment, and integrated media approach.

1. Growing the future workforce

A report by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) in the UK published in September 2025*, has revealed that major eye conditions are expected to grow by 25% by 2032, which will increase the demand in optometry services. With the number of patients on waiting lists already high, the AOP has recommended that community eye care delivered in High Street opticians could alleviate pressure on hospital eye services.

This creates clear demand for more students to enter optometry courses and bolster the future workforce within this sector of healthcare.

Reaching students through the UCAS media ecosystem

For medicine related courses, the application deadline is in October, which is far earlier than for other higher education subjects due to the competitive nature of some medical courses. Therefore, young people aspiring to medical careers must submit their choices early.

With 1+ million individuals using UCAS each year to explore their next steps, it holds the UK’s biggest early talent pool, enabling Specsavers to engage students at the start of their research journey.

Following strong results delivered in the initial campaign in the 2025 cycle, Specsavers continued the partnership with UCAS into 2026.

2. Integrated media and email activation

What role did UCAS channels play in reaching medically minded students earlier?

Specsavers turned to UCAS to leverage its deep insights into the student journey, motivations and behaviour, including data on optimal timings that helped deliver strong impact in the first year of the partnership.

These insights informed the campaign approach, maximising engagement at key points in the student career discovery and application journey, and ensuring medically aligned students encountered Specsavers’ messages when they were most receptive.

In both campaigns, UCAS activated targeted tactics including adviser outreach, pre applicant and registrant emails to verified students, and a triggered applicant email promoting the Bright Stars Scholarship. This scholarship offers funding over four years alongside paid part-time work and mentorship.

A paid media campaign across TikTok, Meta and Snapchat supported a multi-channel approach within the UCAS trusted environment, including its content pages, Career Finder and logged in Student Hub.

Specsavers also exhibited at UCAS’ Discovery events, to engage with young people face-to-face and bring their careers to life through experiential displays and activities.

3. Optometry as a healthcare career of choice

Carefully timed strategy to build application uplift

The results demonstrate that UCAS’ timing insights were instrumental in reaching students not yet fully committed to medicine.

Top performance indicators

• Email click rate is the strongest indicator of performance.
• Triggered applicant email achieved 21% CTR in 2025/26, compared with 15.5% when not triggered.
• Meta CTR increased from 0.56% to 0.91%, performing 21% above employer benchmark.
• Video view rates exceeded benchmarks (0.65% full views vs 0.42%).

Creative analysis indicates that simple formats with clear calls to action performed best across display.

What changed compared to year one

• Email and Meta saw significant YoY CTR uplifts.
• Employer Profile page views increased by 221% (Aug – Feb).
• Video performance was reported for the first time following the introduction of video creative.

4. What this proves for other employers

Using insight from previous campaigns and a joined-up, multi-channel approach, employers can reach students earlier, when career decisions are still open, and build engagement over time instead of relying on one-off campaigns.

Specsavers’ success shows what’s possible when employers engage students before decisions are made.

With UCAS, you can reach over 1 million young people exploring their options each year, build early awareness of your opportunities, and turn interest into applications.

Reach future talent with UCAS

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