a journey into the student market
this is pizzaexpress
PizzaExpress needed to boost its appeal among students and tap into a lucrative youth audience, so our journey began with in-depth brand insights and research.
We surveyed over 230,000 students across the UK, ran focus groups at key universities, and uncovered challenges including limited promotion platforms and misconceptions around price and accessibility. This data enabled us to shape a clear student marketing strategy, emphasising PizzaExpress’s new, more flexible discount and repositioning the brand to feel welcoming and relevant for students.
From there, we devised a dynamic, youth marketing campaign that showcased our core services—Experiential Marketing, Event Staff, Digital Marketing, and Brand Insights & Research.
Whether it was organising on-campus Freshers Fairs or orchestrating accommodation block takeovers, we focused on authentic, memorable touchpoints. We leveraged freebies like dough balls and pizzas to spark immediate excitement, supported by targeted digital campaigns that amplified reach and drove home the brand’s student-centric message.
To bring it all to life, our specialist event staff delivered hands-on experiential activations, engaging students face-to-face in a way that digital marketing alone can’t match
We created eye-catching branding, set up custom stands, and even employed branded trikes to hand out dough ball samples—ensuring PizzaExpress remained top-of-mind at every interaction. This combination of physical and digital tactics forged real connections and helped reshape perceptions around cost and exclusivity.
The results spoke for themselves: PizzaExpress not only captured the attention of thousands of students but also saw a remarkable lift in sales within a five-mile radius of campaign activity.
By integrating experiential marketing, event staff, digital marketing, and youth-focused brand insights, we successfully positioned PizzaExpress as a go-to dining destination for university students—laying the groundwork for long-term loyalty and repeat visits.
