Student-run agencies offer a dynamic learning environment that bridges classroom theory and real-world application.
Clients benefit from the fresh perspectives of a team that’s motivated to give their best effort. Meanwhile, the industry reaps the rewards of graduates who enter the workforce with hands-on experience, ready to contribute meaningfully from day one.
Starting an Agency
Starting an agency can feel overwhelming. It helps to remember that you'll be working in a dynamic environment, and you don't need to have all the answers right away. Here are some tips for a strong beginning:
People
Identifying Leadership
Choose a faculty advisor and student leaders with flexible schedules. They will spend a lot of time meeting with clients and staff.
Recruiting Talent
Promote the opportunity as a professional development platform. Look for motivated students with diverse skills in communication, design, and management. You'll be tempted to focus on specific majors, but a diverse talent pool offers many advantages when it comes to attacking client problems.
Recruiting Clients
Target local nonprofits, startups, and campus organizations. Highlight the affordability and innovation that student teams bring. It's highly likely that most of your clients will have no previous experience with agencies, so you're going to have to do a lot of explaining. Don't forget to reach out to local professional agencies. They might be open to partnerships or mentoring your students.
Systems
Building Operational Processes
Start off small, but create a clearly defined roles for student directors, account managers, and specialized team members. Define clear workflows for onboarding clients, conducting research, and delivering results. Set measurable goals for each project and use project management tools to manage tasks. Regularly review team and client feedback.
Navigating Challenges
Every agency has its own unique set of challenges, but it helps to have a clear understanding from the start. You can most definitely expect concerns from staff about balancing academic priorities and agency demands. Flexible scheduling and clearly defined responsibilities will help. A clearly defined transition process for client teams and leadership roles will also be important as you handle the turnover at the end of every semester.
Measuring Impact
Everyone involved will want to know what they're getting out of this experience. For students, make sure you block time to help them develop their resumes and portfolios and discuss how the agency fits their long-term goals. For clients, make sure you collect testimonials and create case studies to highlight successful outcomes.
Working at an Agency
Congratulations! Now what?
You’ve probably had many people tell you about the value of agency experience. They might even have told you a little bit about how an agency works with clients. But has anyone actually told you what an agency does all day?
A little bit of history
In the beginning, there were advertising agencies. They focused on paid content. Then came PR agencies. They focused on press and free content. The internal marketing department handled everything else. That dynamic has evolved, and now we have all kinds of agencies, consultancies, and firms helping organizations, individuals, brands, and products. There is no single way to run an agency, but every agency has the same essential purpose: helping clients tell their stories.
Expectations
Cross-Department Collaboration: Students work in multidisciplinary teams, ensuring that creative, strategy, media, and account management align for cohesive campaigns.
Time Management & Deadlines: Students must balance agency responsibilities with academic workloads, meeting client deadlines efficiently.
Professionalism & Client Relations: Members are expected to communicate professionally with clients, present ideas confidently, and handle feedback constructively.
Skill Development & Growth: While students contribute their expertise, they also learn from peers, faculty advisors, and industry professionals.
Working as a Client
Student-run agencies can serve a wide variety of clients. Most student agencies work with nonprofits, local businesses, and campus organizations. However, some of the more established operations have the resources to support higher profile clients.
There will obviously be certain limitations to the work that your agency can complete, and there might be specific requirements for the type of client it serves. When you come across a student-run agency it’s best to have a frank discussion about its capabilities. The best part is that even if you don’t work with the agency, that initial meeting alone will probably be a learning experience for someone.
Benefits of Hiring a Student Agency
Cost-Effective Services
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Student agencies typically charge lower rates than professional firms, making them an attractive option for startups, small businesses, and nonprofits.
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Clients can access high-quality creative work at a fraction of the cost of a traditional agency.
Fresh Perspectives and Innovation
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Students bring new ideas, creativity, and a deep understanding of emerging trends, particularly in digital and social media marketing.
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They are more likely to experiment with unconventional approaches, leading to unique and engaging campaigns.
Enthusiastic and Motivated Talent
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Students are eager to build their portfolios and gain real-world experience, often going above and beyond to impress clients.
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They bring energy and a willingness to adapt to new challenges.
Access to University Resources and Faculty Expertise
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Many student agencies operate with faculty supervision, ensuring a level of quality control and professional guidance.
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Clients indirectly benefit from academic research, university networks, and cutting-edge industry insights.
Potential for Long-Term Talent Recruitment
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Businesses can identify and build relationships with emerging talent for future internships or full-time hires.
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Working with students allows companies to assess potential employees before hiring them.
Drawbacks of Hiring a Student Agency
Limited Experience and Professionalism
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While students are talented, they may lack the real-world experience and industry knowledge of seasoned professionals.
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Client expectations should be managed, as students are still learning and may not always deliver polished, high-level work.
Time Constraints and Academic Priorities
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Since students must balance coursework and agency responsibilities, project timelines may be longer than with a professional firm.
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Academic schedules (such as exams and holidays) can impact availability and consistency.
Potential for Higher Turnover
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Because students graduate and move on, client relationships may not be as long-term or stable as with a traditional agency.
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Frequent leadership changes within the agency can sometimes affect continuity and project execution.
Limited Industry Connections and Resources
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Unlike established agencies, student-run firms may lack access to premium marketing tools, advertising platforms, or industry contacts.
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Clients who require specialized expertise or large-scale media buys may need additional support.
Variability in Work Quality
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While some student agencies produce outstanding work, results can vary depending on the experience level of the students involved.
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Without a robust quality control process, some deliverables may require more revisions or guidance from the client.
Managing Expectations
Whether you’re working with professionals or students, you’re only going to be successful if you understand how to get the most out of the relationship. Here are a few considerations as you look into hiring a student agency:
Your account team is a group of consultants. They are not interns. That means you have hired them to recommend and complete marketing solutions to your business challenges. That also means they have other clients and priorities to address.
You should have a clear understanding of your needs, and before work begins make sure both sides agree on the scope of work. Professionals find ambiguous agreements difficult. Students will find them impossible. Even if the deliverable is to determine a plan of attack, the students need to know what the work is that they’re completing.
Never use the phrase “this will be great experience for your students”—especially if you aren’t paying the agency. You are not doing anyone a favor. The students are providing a service to your organization.
You should expect the students to conduct themselves professionally and vice versa. Resist the urge to relax your standards.
You are not there to teach them, and it’s not your responsibility to make sure the students get anything out of this experience. You are there to hold your agency accountable—just as you would any other vendor. Discuss with the faculty advisor what is a reasonable expectation considering the experience level of your account team.
If you’ve never worked with an agency before, it’s important to remember that you are paying for the work they completed. You’re not paying for the results. Structure your contracts accordingly. A quality agency would not guarantee results, and a student agency would not even know what the results mean. Clear metrics for success are welcome, but don’t penalize your student agency for falling short.
It’s tempting to dismiss the college kids because you disagree with their recommendations. But don’t forget that you hired a student agency because you wanted a fresh perspective. Make sure you discuss concerns with the faculty advisor. Just because you don’t like what they’re saying doesn't mean they got it wrong.
External Resources
If you need more help, check out these books and articles
Agency Experience to Prepare Budding Practitioners
PRSSA Student Run Firm Handbook
Real World Career Preparation: A Guide to Creating a University Student-Run Communications Agency
Student-Run Agencies Best Practices: Replicating the Professional
The Student-Run Agency: Transitioning from Student to Professional