The agency, called Bright Young Things, operates from the university's Eastbourne campus and offers services including marketing, communications, public relations, market research and event management.
Students have been working with over 25 local organisations between Brighton and Hastings including Eastbourne Borough Council, St Wilfred’s Hospice, Hastings Voluntary Action, Pestalozzi, Grand Flowers Florists and Age Concern.
University of Brighton Principal Lecturer Dan Bennett came up with the idea after his students won a national competition run by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He said: "It confirmed to me that there was no better way for students to learn than by working on real-life projects. We can enhance our clients' marketing efforts whilst giving students a real-life platform from which to launch their developing skills."
The student teams have worked on a range of briefs including re-branding, fundraising, awareness raising and sales promotion. The clients all pay modest fees to cover expenses, and any excess funds generated go towards extra learning and development opportunities for the students, such as attending conferences or bringing in guest lecturers. This year over 100 students participated in Bright Young Things as a formal part of their degree, and a further 30 companies have expressed interest in working with Bright Young Things in the future.
For more information about Bright Young Things, contact Dan Bennett dan.bennett@brighton.ac.uk 07939 374343