Run the Takeover at your school.
A one-of-a-kind student marketing competition. Create and run your own campaign for Residen on your campus, climb the leaderboard, and walk away with executive-level marketing experience that'll move your career.
21 Teams
universities across Canada
$21,000
total prize pool
Sept 8 – Nov 30
three monthly cycles
A marketing competition that lets your ideas come to life.
This fall, 21 university teams across Canada will compete to put together the best marketing campaign to bring awareness to the student housing marketplace, Residen.
Teams are responsible for planning and running competitive marketing campaigns on campus from September 8 to November 30, 2026. Each team manages its own social platforms, while also designing and executing impressive events and activations.
Monthly prizes
Each month, the top three teams executing the best campaigns win cash prizes.
1st place
$4,000
$1,000 per person on a full team
2nd place
$2,000
$500 per person on a full team
3rd place
$1,000
$250 per person on a full team
Every cycle is scored independently.
See what past teams pulled off
Check out the teams that ran the Takeover at their campuses in the two previous iterations of the Residen Takeover.
What you actually walk away with
Create something people notice
Launch events, content, and campaigns that get students talking. You'll get the freedom to try ideas, test what works, and leave a real mark on your campus community.
A spotlight resume piece
By the end of the program, you'll have led a real three-month marketing campaign with measurable results. It's hands-on experience that demonstrates initiative, creativity, and execution; qualities employers value.
Skills you can't fake
Develop experience in marketing, budgeting, sales, content creation, event planning, and outreach. You'll gain the confidence to pitch ideas, work with partners, and execute projects from start to finish.
Compete against campuses across Canada
Go head-to-head with students from 21 universities and prove your campus can deliver the strongest campaign.
Be the reason your friends find home
The housing search is stressful and broken. Every student you bring to Residen is one less person scrambling or stressing. You become the reason your friends land a place they actually want to live at.
Cash prizes
The top three teams win a cash prize every cycle: $4,000, $2,000, and $1,000 per team for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. On a full team of four, first place is $1,000 per person.
Three monthly cycles, one clear goal
21 university teams compete from September 8 to November 30. Your goal is simple: drive awareness for Residen through content, events, partnerships, and campus presence. Each month is scored independently, giving every team a fresh opportunity to win.
1. Build your team
Apply as a group or on your own. Teams can have up to four students, and individual applicants can be matched with others at their school.
2. Run your campus
Use your team's social media accounts, budget, and merchandise to create content, host events, and generate word-of-mouth awareness across campus.
3. Get coaching
Join optional mentorship sessions with the Residen team to review progress, refine ideas, and build on what's working.
4. Climb and win
Track your verified sign-up numbers on a live dashboard. Full scores land at the end of each monthly cycle, and the top three teams win cash.
Students who get things moving
- Students who take initiative and make things happen
- Students interested in marketing, growth, entrepreneurship, or community building
- People who are connected to their campus and can bring others together
- Creative, competitive self-starters who enjoy solving problems and trying new ideas
- Students looking to add impressive marketing experience to their portfolio
*Must be 18 years or older, a legal resident of Canada, and a full-time student at a Canadian university listed in the application.
Judged on marketing skill, not just sign-ups
Every team is scored each month on the same rubric, out of 100. Judged marketing skill is 80% of your score. Here is what counts:
Strategy and budget
A real plan with goals you set yourself, executed and documented, with clean spend.
Creativity
Original ideas, content that hooks, and how your posts actually perform.
Events and activations
Well-planned, well-run campus activations, and how you improve them month over month
Verified sign-ups
Verified students you bring onto the platform, screened for authenticity, adjusted for school size, and scored relative to the leading team each cycle.
Monthly presentation
Your end-of-month recap of results, spend, and learnings.
Sign-up totals are adjusted for school size, so smaller schools compete fairly against larger ones. The full scoring guide is published to every team before launch. See the Official Rules for the complete breakdown.
Key dates
July 31, 2026
Applications close
Get yours in before spots fill up.
August 2026
Plan your campaign
Meet your team and plan your campaign.
September 8, 2026
Competition launches
The Takeover begins.
November 30, 2026
First semester competition ends
Last chance to climb and win.
Think your campus can win?
Spots are limited to 21 universities, and applications close July 31, 2026.
Apply to run the TakeoverApply to run the Takeover
Takes a few minutes. Apply as a team or on your own.
No purchase necessary. Open to full-time enrolled Canadian post-secondary students, 18 or older. $21,000 total prize pool awarded across three monthly cycles. Winners are selected by a documented skill-based scoring rubric. There is no random draw. See the full Official Rules. Sponsor: Residen Technologies Inc.