OpenAI makes ChatGPT Plus free for students: what marketers can learn
What B2B marketers can learn from OpenAI's strategic move to capture the student demographic.
OpenAI just made its first big marketing move, and it's targeting a specific demographic that could shape future AI adoption—college students. Under new CMO Kate Rouch, the company is offering ChatGPT Plus free to college students during the crucial final exam period, signaling a strategic push to embed its technology in education while building brand loyalty among future professionals.
For marketers watching AI's evolution, this campaign reveals how even AI's biggest players recognize the need for traditional marketing to drive adoption. It raises important questions about audience development, educational marketing, and the role of free-to-paid conversion in the AI space.
This article examines OpenAI's first major marketing campaign, what it reveals about the company's go-to-market strategy, and the lessons B2B marketers can apply to their own AI initiatives.
Short on time?
Here's a table of contents for quick access:
- What is OpenAI's student campaign?
- Strategic context: Why target students now?
- Marketing insights and actionable strategies
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What is OpenAI's student campaign?
OpenAI has launched its first large-scale marketing campaign, offering free access to ChatGPT Plus for college students in the US and Canada from March 31 to May 31, 2025. The initiative, announced by CMO Kate Rouch on LinkedIn, strategically targets students during the high-pressure final exam period.
The campaign showcases various applications of ChatGPT for students—from studying and job hunting to workout planning and summer preparations. Beyond digital channels, OpenAI is distributing campaign creative across "billboards, digital ads, podcasts, and more throughout the coming weeks," according to Rouch's announcement.
Students who participate gain access to premium features typically reserved for paying subscribers, including increased file uploads, expanded messaging limits, advanced voice mode, and enhanced research capabilities. The campaign was developed in-house at OpenAI, marking a significant milestone as the company's "first scaled marketing campaign."
Strategic context: Why target students now?
OpenAI's student campaign builds upon its existing momentum in education. The company has been steadily expanding its academic footprint through partnerships with prestigious institutions like the University of Oxford and University of Pennsylvania via ChatGPT Enterprise.
Last year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Edu, a specialized offering designed for universities to "responsibly deploy AI to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations."
The timing is particularly strategic—targeting students during final exams provides immediate value while addressing a specific pain point. By positioning ChatGPT as a study aid rather than a shortcut, OpenAI is attempting to navigate the ethical concerns around AI in education while demonstrating practical applications.
This campaign also arrives amid significant company growth. OpenAI reported that over 250 million people use ChatGPT weekly as of October 2024. While the company doesn't publicly disclose financial results, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI generated US$3.7 billion in annual revenue last year and projects more than triple that figure to US$12.7 billion by 2025.
The student campaign represents one element of OpenAI's broader marketing push under Rouch, who joined as the company's first CMO in December 2024. Earlier this year, she led OpenAI's first rebrand and its Super Bowl debut—a US$14 million pointillism-style ad created with Accenture Song.
Marketing insights and actionable strategies
OpenAI's student campaign offers valuable lessons that B2B marketers can immediately apply to their own strategies:
1. Looking beyond product-led growth
Despite ChatGPT's viral adoption, OpenAI recognizes that even revolutionary products need strategic marketing to scale. By implementing classic B2C techniques—free trials, targeted demographics, and multi-channel campaigns—they're actively expanding beyond organic word-of-mouth growth.
Action step: Identify your "student equivalent" demographic—individuals who could become influential advocates or decision-makers. Map your customer journey to target these high-potential segments with campaigns addressing their specific needs.
2. Building tomorrow's customer base today
By focusing on college students, OpenAI is cultivating relationships with future professionals who will eventually bring AI tools into workplaces. This creates a pipeline of enterprise customers familiar with their product ecosystem.
Action step: Create time-limited offers tied to high-pressure periods in your customers' business cycles—quarter-end reporting, annual planning, or industry compliance deadlines. This "moment marketing" connects your solution to specific pain points when users are most receptive.
3. Balancing premium value with sustainable economics
OpenAI's two-month access to premium features showcases value without undermining their core business model. The limited timeframe creates urgency while the feature selection demonstrates benefits.
Action step: When designing promotional campaigns, carefully select which premium features to include in free trials, ensuring they showcase value while preserving incentives for conversion to paid plans.
4. Normalizing new technology through education
By positioning ChatGPT Plus as a learning tool, OpenAI addresses concerns about AI while demonstrating practical applications. This educational approach builds trust—essential when introducing complex technologies.
Action step: Connect digital products to real-world experiences through multi-channel marketing. Integrate physical events, direct mail, and digital campaigns to reinforce your message across contexts.
As OpenAI demonstrates with its student campaign, even the most innovative products benefit from strategic marketing.
By targeting influential user segments during high-need periods and showcasing practical applications, B2B marketers can accelerate adoption of complex technologies while building brand loyalty that translates to enterprise growth.
