How Brands Are Turning College Students into Influencers

A decade ago, companies tapped college students to hand out t-shirts, rep their gear (think: wearing a Red Bull backpack to class), and give out flyers on university campuses. Now, many of these college ambassador programs are turning college students into mini influencers.

For beauty company Clinique, for example, students create and post content on Instagram and TikTok to “create buzz” about its products. And they must have a modest social following already: 1,500 or more followers across Instagram and TikTok, according to a description of the program. They also host activities on campus and hand out samples to friends and classmates that come in a large package for Instagram-worthy unboxing. College students are paid to be part of the program.