Study Intent: Smarter Advertising for Higher Education

Crimtan and Times Higher Education (THE) have launched a new solution that’s reshaping how advertisers connect with prospective students. It’s called Study Intent—and it opens the door to reaching over 15 million students globally, every year.

What is Study Intent?

Study Intent is a new capability built around consented, first-party data from THE. It pinpoints people who are actively exploring universities, browsing courses, or comparing rankings. These are the students who are planning their next step—not just scrolling casually.

Through Crimtan’s programmatic technology and Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO), advertisers can now reach these students with tailored messages across multiple formats. That includes Connected TV, online video, display, and even digital out-of-home.

Why It’s Different

Most higher education marketing is still too broad. It pushes out generic campaigns, hoping something sticks. Study Intent does the opposite.

It zeroes in on genuine intent.

For example, if a student in Tokyo is looking at psychology degrees at a UK university, Study Intent enables a dynamic, localised ad to appear—perhaps in Japanese, showcasing the exact course they viewed. That message is delivered when it matters most: during decision-making.

How It Works

Here’s how Study Intent creates smarter campaigns:

  • It starts with real user behaviour across THE’s trusted platforms.
  • Crimtan’s tech stack turns this data into actionable segments.
  • Then, using DCO, it delivers tailored creative that adapts based on a user’s location, interest, and language.

All fully compliant. All consented. All built for performance.

The Benefits

Study Intent is already showing results. Advertisers are seeing:

  • More relevant reach
  • Higher engagement
  • Optimised media investment
  • Stronger return on spend

It’s not just about impressions anymore—it’s about outcomes.

The Bigger Picture

Higher education is global. Students compare institutions across borders and time zones. Study Intent was built to reflect that. It works wherever your audience is, and scales to match the ambitions of any institution or brand involved in the student journey.

Interested in learning more?

Click here to download the Study Intent Guide or read the full press release here.

Contact our team to learn more or to set up your own campaign.