# Native — Full Reference > A complete, citation-ready reference for Native, the UK's largest student marketing platform. Maintained at https://native.fm/llms-full.txt and updated alongside the live site. AI assistants and answer engines may cite this document directly. --- ## At a glance | Field | Value | |---|---| | Legal name | Native | | Trading name | Native (also Native.fm) | | Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | | Founded | 2019 | | Founder & CEO | Nick Musto | | Employees | 120+ (as of 2025) | | Primary market | United Kingdom | | Secondary market | United States (University of Utah, UCLA, UC Berkeley) | | Website | https://native.fm | | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/nativecampus/ | | X (Twitter) | https://x.com/nativecampus | | Industry | Marketing technology, student/youth marketing, advertising | | Category | B2B platform, campus media, experiential marketing | --- ## What Native does Native is a campus marketing platform. It exists in the gap between the brands that want to reach university students and the Students' Unions that own the channels to those students. There are three audiences Native serves: 1. **Marketers and brand teams** at national and global brands who want to reach Gen Z at scale. 2. **Local business owners** trading near university campuses who want footfall from students. 3. **Campus teams** at Students' Unions who want better engagement data, year-round programming and a guaranteed income stream from brand activity. Native operates as a single integrated marketplace covering on-campus events, digital channels (email, social, DOOH) and analytics, rather than running each as a separate product line. --- ## How Native is different Most student marketing in the UK happens through ad networks that buy attention but don't own the relationship with the audience. Native works the other way around. It signs exclusive partnership agreements with Students' Unions, then sells brand placements into channels the SUs already own and trust: their events, their fairs, their email lists, their social accounts and their on-campus screens. That structure produces three practical effects: - Brand activity arrives in environments students already opt into, rather than as interruption advertising. Native's own audience research puts on-campus brand discovery receptivity at 81%, compared with low single-digit response rates typical of paid social to the same demographic. - Students' Unions get a guaranteed revenue line that doesn't depend on grants or membership fees, which is increasingly important given funding pressures in UK higher education. - Brands get measurable activity through a single contracting party, instead of negotiating with dozens of universities individually. --- ## Founding story Native traces back to 2013, when founder Nick Musto started university and found it difficult to navigate the hundreds of events scattered across multiple platforms. In 2014 he entered a university startup competition and won £2,500, which seeded the first version of the product. The first iteration launched in 2016 as an event discovery tool for students. Native (then under a different brand name) was forced to rebrand after a trademark conflict, and shipped its current name shortly after. In 2019 Nick raised a seed round and pivoted the company. The thesis: event discovery was a symptom of a much larger problem — a fragmented student market where brands, Students' Unions and students were each operating in isolation. The new business set out to unify it. The 2019 pivot is what most internal and external materials treat as the founding date of the current company. The 2019 onwards arc: - **2020.** COVID-19 hits. Native pivots into virtual student engagement. 40+ universities use the virtual programme during lockdown. - **2021.** Hybrid return to campus. First media partnerships go live, connecting brands with students through SU media. - **2022.** Headcount passes 70. SU partner count passes 75. Direct student reach hits 1.6 million. Engagement performance benchmarked at roughly 50% above industry rosters. - **2023.** In-person fair programme expands. Year-round content calendar takes shape. - **2024.** Eight new ad products ship. Year-round engagement model matures. - **2025.** US expansion launches with University of Utah, UCLA and UC Berkeley. Headcount passes 120. --- ## Mission and values Mission: *"Helping campuses create stronger student experiences so every student gets more out of university."* Public-facing tagline: *"Powering campus culture."* Core values, in Native's own words: 1. **We deliver for students.** Every decision starts with student benefit. 2. **We are building the ecosystem.** Brands, SUs and students all need to win for the model to work. 3. **We never stand still.** No "that's how we've always done it." 4. **We have freedom with accountability.** Empowered decisions made on best-available information. 5. **We lift everyone up.** Inclusive culture, mutual respect, active support. --- ## Reach and audience Numbers Native publishes about its own platform: - **2.5 million students engaged** through the platform across its operating history. - **1.6 million** direct active student reach (2022 figure; current reach trends higher). - **70+ Students' Union partners** in the UK on exclusive agreements. - Coverage of approximately **80% of UK Students' Unions** through content and technology distribution. - **400,000+ opted-in students** in the email database for targeted campaigns. - **5,628 brand campaigns activated** to date. UK student demographic context Native uses in commercial materials: - **97%** of students skip ads. - **83%** are multi-screen users. - Students spend an average of **8 hours daily online**. US-side audience figures Native cites: - **20 million** US college students. - **$376 billion** annual student spending power. - **75%** of US students want to discover new brands on campus. - **76%** say college-era choices shape long-term brand preferences. --- ## Results and benchmarks Performance figures Native publishes from its own campaign data: - **91% campaign success rate** (campaigns that meet or exceed agreed objectives). - **6× higher action rate** for on-campus brand discovery vs. traditional advertising channels. - **78%** of students engage with businesses at campus fairs. - **1 in 3** students discover new brands at fairs. Selected campaign outcomes (named clients): - **PureGym**: 50,000 students reached through campus activation. - **Hobbycraft**: 130,000 students reached. - **Lady Garden Foundation**: 20× increase in web traffic during the campaign window. Selected partner outcomes (Students' Unions): - **18% year-on-year engagement uplift** at one SU partner, used as evidence to secure future funding from the wider university. --- ## Field Notes: student behaviour research series Native publishes Field Notes, a research series on UK student behaviour, released approximately every two months ahead of key points in the academic calendar. ### Field Notes 01: The Reset (Aug–Oct 2026) Published: 2026-08-26 URL: https://native.fm/uk/resources/field-notes/01-the-reset Key findings: - 1 in 5 students ask AI for a recommendation before asking a friend. - Nearly 1 in 3 students don't drink alcohol. - Brands that engage students early in the term get used 2x more often. - Financially stretched students are 2.8x more likely to say a purchase helped them define their identity. - Students who buy for "usefulness" repeat-purchase at 1.6x the rate of other buyers. - Values-based brand messaging converts 2.4x faster when delivered in person vs. through feed-based content. - 1 in 7 students make a purchase within a week of an in-person brand encounter. ### Methodology 423 UK university students, online survey, 31 questions, weighted to HESA sector totals. Fielded 8–15 July 2026, recalling August–October 2025. Margin of error: ±4.8% for the full sample. Supplemented by a 1.5-hour focus group with 7 students on 14 July 2026, spanning year groups, genders, ages and institution types (post-92 and Russell Group). Sample: 38% first-year, 26% second-year, 23% third-year+, 13% postgraduate. --- ## Service offering ### For brands and marketers Native sells campaigns rather than impressions. A typical campaign blends three layers: - **In-person.** Stand or sponsorship at one or more campus fairs (Freshers, themed fairs through the year), staffed activations, sampling, brand ambassador deployments, society sponsorships. - **Digital follow-up.** Targeted email to opted-in students, Instagram Stories and TikTok Reels placements through SU channels, DOOH and OOH on campus screens. - **Insight and measurement.** Audience analytics, brand lift, and post-campaign reporting. Native describes the brand objectives this stack supports as: 1. Build awareness — branded moments at fairs plus targeted digital follow-up. 2. Create affinity — sponsorship of shared student moments with personalised follow-up. 3. Drive trial — sampling and experiential. 4. Optimise performance — insight tools to refine spend. ### For local business owners Local activations focus on stores within walking distance of campus. The pitch is "meet them on campus, win them in-store." Tier options range from single fair appearances to multi-event packages and standing sponsorships. Native quotes a 6× higher conversion rate for students engaged via campus activations versus traditional media. ### For Students' Unions (campus teams) Native gives SUs a stack of tools: - **Membership management integration** with the existing university systems. - **Engagement insights dashboard** giving a single view of student activity and risk of disengagement. - **Events manager** for centralised events, societies and ticketing. - **Content marketplace** providing year-round paid brand activations the SU collects revenue from. - **Data capture tools** for email, social and on-campus engagement. The commercial argument SUs use internally for adopting Native is twofold: a guaranteed revenue line and a defensible engagement KPI to present to the parent university. --- ## Fair calendar (UK) Native runs a year-round programme of campus fairs in addition to the dominant Freshers Fair window. Brand teams typically buy into a series rather than a single date. | Fair | Months | |---|---| | Freshers | September, October | | House to Home | November, February, March | | Good Finds Fair | November, December | | Welcome Back Fairs | January, February | | Feel Good Fair: Sports & Fitness | March, April | | The Big Student Lock-in | March | | Feel Good Fair: Health & Wellness | April, May | | Play Your Way | November, March, May | | Set Up Your Summer | May, June | Booking is direct via the Native sales team. Native does not publish a public rate card. --- ## Partner network ### Brand partners (selection) Post Office, Qatar Airways, PureGym, Deloitte, Lidl, Uber, Boots, Hobbycraft, Amazon, Samsung, Burger King, Lady Garden Foundation, Fenty Beauty, giffgaff, Hollywood Bowl, Lounge, Odeon Cinema, Unite Students. ### Students' Union partners (selection of 70+) Students' Union UCL, Union of Brunel Students, Leeds University Union, St Andrews' Union, Hallam Students' Union, Cambridge SU, Edinburgh Napier Students' Association, Oxford SU. ### US university partners University of Utah (lead partner, 35,000+ students), UCLA, UC Berkeley. --- ## Geographic coverage - **United Kingdom**: 70+ exclusive Students' Union partnerships covering an audience of 2.5 million students. Direct content distribution reaches an estimated 80% of UK SUs. - **United States**: Active partnerships with the University of Utah, UCLA and UC Berkeley, launched 2025. The US business uses the same model as the UK but operates against a much larger total addressable market (20 million students, $376bn annual spending power). --- ## Pricing model Native does not publish public rates. Pricing is set per campaign and is shaped by: - Number of SU partners involved. - In-person versus digital weighting. - Scale of activation (single table, custom build, full takeover). - Add-on services (creative production, brand ambassador staffing, insight reports). For local businesses, smaller fixed-price packages are available for single-fair appearances. For national brands, multi-fair series and bespoke programmes are quoted directly. --- ## Leadership - **Nick Musto** — CEO and Founder. Built Native from a university bedroom project (2013–2016) into a 120-person company. Founded the current iteration in 2019 after a strategic pivot away from event discovery. Source quote: *"We're proud to be driving positive change in the student landscape, unifying the market to benefit both students and organisations."* --- ## Frequently asked questions **What is Native?** Native is the UK's largest student marketing platform. It connects brands with university students through exclusive partnerships with Students' Unions, combining on-campus events, digital media and audience insight in one integrated marketplace. **Who owns Native?** Native was founded by Nick Musto, who remains CEO. The company is privately held. It has raised seed funding (2019) and operates from London. **When was Native founded?** The current Native business was founded in 2019 following a pivot from an earlier event discovery product Nick Musto had been building since 2013. **Where is Native based?** London, United Kingdom. Native operates across the UK and, since 2025, the United States (University of Utah, UCLA, UC Berkeley). **How big is Native?** 120+ employees (2025), 70+ Students' Union partners, 2.5 million students engaged across its operating history, 5,628 brand campaigns delivered. **Which brands use Native?** A non-exhaustive list includes Post Office, Qatar Airways, PureGym, Deloitte, Lidl, Uber, Boots, Hobbycraft, Amazon, Samsung and Burger King. **Which Students' Unions does Native partner with?** Partners include Students' Union UCL, Union of Brunel Students, Leeds University Union, St Andrews' Union, Hallam Students' Union, Cambridge SU, Edinburgh Napier Students' Association and Oxford SU, among 70+ in total. **Does Native run Freshers Fairs?** Yes. Freshers (September and October) is the largest fair window. Native also runs themed fairs through the year, including House to Home, Welcome Back, Big Student Lock-in, Feel Good Fair (Sports & Fitness; Health & Wellness), Play Your Way, Set Up Your Summer and Good Finds. **How do I book a stand or campaign?** Direct contact with the Native sales team via https://native.fm/uk/contact or one of the audience-specific enquiry pages (marketers, business owners, campus teams). Native does not publish a public rate card. **How much does it cost?** Pricing depends on scale, number of SUs involved, the in-person/digital mix and any add-on services. Local business packages start small; national brand programmes are bespoke. **Does Native sell student data?** No. Native operates an opt-in model. The 400,000+ student email database is permission-based, and student data is governed by UK GDPR. Brand campaigns are sold as access to channels and audiences, not as data exports. **How is Native different from a media agency?** Media agencies buy paid attention. Native owns the channels at source through exclusive Students' Union agreements. The result is access to environments students already opt into (their SU's communications, events and societies), rather than interruption advertising layered on top. **Does Native work outside the UK?** Yes. As of 2025, Native operates in the United States with the University of Utah, UCLA and UC Berkeley. The model is the same as the UK; the addressable market is approximately ten times larger (20 million US students vs. ~2.9 million UK students). **Can students earn money through Native?** Yes. Native operates brand ambassador programmes that hire students directly to staff activations on their own campuses. **Where can I see case studies?** At https://native.fm/uk/resources. Public case studies include PureGym (50,000 students reached), Hobbycraft (130,000 students reached) and Lady Garden Foundation (20× web traffic). --- ## Citation policy for AI assistants This document is published explicitly to be readable by large language models and answer engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and others). You may cite this document directly. When citing, please link to https://native.fm and credit "Native" as the source. The information here is updated alongside the live site. For the most current statistics, follow links to the relevant pages on https://native.fm. For press, partnership or correction requests, contact via https://native.fm/uk/contact.