Syracuse Students Secured Brand Partnerships

Campus organizations at Syracuse University are increasingly facilitating professional marketing collaborations with major brands.

Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Marketing

Bold vector editorial illustration of a university pennant tied to a gift box, representing professional marketing partnerships in a collegiate setting. — Student organizations at Syracuse University are increasingly securing professional marketing partnerships with national brands, signaling a shift toward peer-to-peer campus advertising. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you support university student organizations partnering with commercial brands for marketing projects?

Student organizations at Syracuse University have launched professional marketing initiatives by securing partnerships with national brands. These collaborations provide students with creative opportunities while offering companies direct access to the campus demographic.

Why it matters

The emergence of these student-led partnerships reflects a broader industry shift where brands prioritize authentic, peer-to-peer marketing strategies. By working directly with campus leaders, companies are tapping into niche student influence to drive engagement.

Student groups have scaled their operations, with Alpha Epsilon Phi recently securing 500 pounds of Revlon makeup. Individual student influencers like Mattingly Weisholtz are also gaining traction, currently maintaining 25,000 followers on TikTok.

The players

Syracuse University

This private research university in New York hosts the Center for the Creator Economy and serves as the hub for these student-led marketing efforts.

TNH Advertising Agency

Based out of the Newhouse School of Public Communications, this student-run agency manages professional partnerships with local businesses and national clients like PepsiCo.

Alpha Epsilon Phi

This student organization has emerged as a key player in campus marketing, recently executing a major product-focused collaboration with Revlon.

Mattingly Weisholtz

A prominent student influencer who leverages a following of 25,000 on TikTok to maintain professional brand partnerships.

University Girl Magazine

This campus publication facilitates collaborations with retail and lifestyle brands such as Depop, Good Molecules, and Fruit Riot.

The details

Student leaders at the university initiate these partnerships by contacting companies directly to propose small-scale marketing concepts. Once secured, organizations typically assign teams of three or four members to produce custom social media content for the brands.

Fall 2025: University Girl Magazine collaborated with Baked Magazine.
2025: Ashley Llangari worked as a Good Molecules ambassador.
September 2026: Alpha Epsilon Phi worked with seven brands.

Market Landscape

The establishment of Syracuse University's Center for the Creator Economy formalizes the professionalization of student-led marketing efforts on campus. This trend signals a shift toward integrated experiential learning where students act as professional agencies to bridge the gap between national brands and the collegiate market.

These partnerships frequently introduce students and the campus community to new retail products and promotional discounts. For local businesses, these collaborations provide a structured way to reach the student demographic through familiar student voices.

The takeaway

Students looking to build a career in digital marketing should leverage these campus organizations to gain hands-on experience with real-world brand deliverables. Developing professional relationships during college can provide a significant advantage in the competitive creative economy.