Case study: Educational publisher

How a leading educational publisher connected with thousands of students, before they set foot on campus. 

1. The challenge

In Year 12, students aren’t thinking about the textbooks they will need during higher education. But publishers need to reach them before they start university to begin building connections. This is where there is a visibility gap; thousands of students walk onto campus unaware of which resources to trust. Since UCAS is the trusted guide for over a million verified new students each year, it is uniquely positioned to help brands close this awareness gap at the exact moment students are making their first big decisions.

For nearly 30 years, this educational publisher has been guided by its commitment to supporting lifelong learning. Over time, the business has digitally transformed its offering from traditional printed hard copy textbooks to textbooks and curated learning videos.

How did they work with UCAS to be front of mind for students before they started their course?

Building brand awareness and forming valuable connections

Every year, thousands of students begin to access the publisher’s texts and learning resources throughout their higher education journey, which has led to the brand referring to itself as the ‘World’s Leading Education Provider’. However, they wanted the relationship with students to begin before the point they are needed, and so building connections with Year 12 students onwards was the priority for the campaign with UCAS.

2. An event-marketing solution

Meeting prospective students at a UCAS Discovery event

To reach students in the early stages of the registration process, the brand needed verified first-party pre-applicant data, which is only accessible via UCAS.

The solution was to partner with UCAS to benefit from its multi-channel media ecosystem, spanning website placements, email, events, and social, ensuring they could reach students consistently at every stage of their journey. The campaign included a special focus on meeting students in-person at the UCAS Discovery event in Birmingham.

UCAS’ Finding Their Place research shows 54% of students are concerned about how well prepared they’ll be for university-level study, yet the UCAS quick poll* found only 26% of students surveyed research books, a key part of academic study, before starting university. They feel unprepared, yet they don’t know what they need, which means they aren’t researching or buying study resources early.

The Discovery event offers a chance for brands to support them as they are just starting to explore unis, colleges, different courses, and everything they might need for uni.

These events are the perfect time for brands, including the publisher, to raise awareness of the types of educational resources they provide to support students with their university studies.

^{*UCAS quick poll, conducted in the UK 17 Nov – 4 Dec 2025, with 518 first-year undergraduate respondents.}

Pre-event brand introduction

UCAS coordinated email distribution using its verified pre-applicant dataset, precisely targeting students who were actively exploring their options, and registered to attend the Discovery event. The emails contained a link to the hub of study preparation information. This helped to maximise engagement on the day on the stand, as students had already been introduced to the brand, and came prepared with appropriate questions.

Post-event targeted media

They then followed up email and event activity with paid media ads, targeting first-year students placed at specific universities with discounted links to their study tools. This was only possible thanks to UCAS’ ability to target based on course, university, and application status.

Recognition is everything – students are more likely to buy or engage with brands during the first term if they’ve already heard of or connected with them.

UCAS research

3. Meaningful face-to-face connections

With prospective students who are eager to keep in touch

This multi-channel campaign with UCAS combined in-person contact with digital touchpoints. By exhibiting in the trusted space of the Discovery event, the brand could engage directly with students and start to build brand awareness.

The strong in-person engagement and high volume of pre-event impressions demonstrated clear demand among Year 12s for early academic support. The brand grew recognition before students reached campus and built connections with them months earlier in their journey, overcoming the visibility gap and establishing itself as a trusted learning brand before students began their courses.

The engagement achieved during the Discovery event will continue to drive impact as students progress into higher education, with deferred applicants and first‑years now familiar with the publisher’s resources.

Key stats:

• 11,000 students attended – great for brand awareness
• 345 students scanned for direct follow-up
• 615k Meta impressions, 0.8% click through rate
• 388k TikTok impressions, 0.5% click through rate