Q: Identifying & Marketing Strengths
/Our school is going through a tough time, as many are. We dropped in enrollment during COVID because of distance learning, but have been on a downward trend for several years. I am one year into this position and feel like much of what I've been doing is quick recovery & fixes but we need a strong turnaround into the right direction to gain some upward momentum. I have studied the program offerings inside out, surveyed families and alumni, and spent time understanding perception and reputation. At the core of our issues (in my opinion), is that we have not differentiated our brand from other schools enough. We have tried to be "all things to all people" by having programs all across the board. While I think it's great to be well-rounded (and I can't imagine cutting out sports, music, or arts is the answer), we really need to decide a direction and invest in it.
My question is: how do you recommend going through a process to identify our strengths and deciding which way to go and market ourselves? Where would you begin? Anonymous
A: ENGLISH
I have two answers to your ultimate question — "Where would you begin?”
One: Engage an independent school marketing/branding consultant who can guide you through what is a complex, layered process. It will cost a significant amount of money (that can be justified based on x number of additional tuitions) but, if well done, will lead to improved enrollment and fundraising results. One way of looking at the advantage of using an outside resource is the old saying “you can't see the label from inside the jar.”
Two: If you are intent on doing this yourself, I would suggest two exercises that are uncomplicated but require a ton of thought and more importantly require the input of an array of stakeholders in the school — educational leadership, faculty, trustees, business office, parents.
The first is a simple intersectional exercise that starts with three lists:
1. What are your school’s defining qualities and strengths - in terms of academics, graduate outcomes, quality of faculty, educational approach, athletics, student experience, parent experience, etc.
2. What are the defining qualities and strengths of other competing schools
3. What do you believe are the needs interests and concerns of prospective parents
What you do is find the intersection of what your school does better than competing schools or what your school offers that competing schools don’t and that aligns with what parents (pr segments of parents) are looking for. Ultimately, it’s a three-circle Venn diagram. It’s admittedly crude but will be a start in understanding your school’s "selling points” and could lead to a more sophisticated approach to prospective parents.
The second exercise is based on Simon Sinek’s Golden Rule TED talk. First, watch the video (even if you have seen it before) and better yet, have the same array of stakeholders I noted above to watch it as well. Then, have people articulate the why, how and what of your school. That will definitely provide a basis for marcom efforts.
If thinking about the "Why” of your school is too challenging (it’s way harder than it sounds) then try the converse question which is “If your school didn’t exist, what would be missing in its community/catchment area. What choices would be lacking for parents?”
Like I said, the exercises are imperfect but will definitely be a good start toward your goal of “identifying our strengths and deciding which way to go and market ourselves.”
Good luck. Feel free to be in touch with any questions.
A: DIGIOVINE
As I read your question, I wonder if your comment about being “all things to all people” refers to your school’s messaging or to the school and its programs.
If the former—if you have a great school but people don't understand how great it is and what it can do for students (a frequent complaint)—conducting a branding exercise is a wonderful option. Even well-rounded schools have strengths and distinctive “flavors” that make them good fits for many (but not all) students. Branding, especially when conducted by an outsider who can see your school objectively, can uncover what makes your school special so you can differentiate it from the competition. You can then create compelling messaging and visuals that work together to reach potential right-fit families. Don’t be afraid to tout those distinguishing characteristics in your marketing instead of relying on a safe sameness (the dreaded “trying to be all things to all people”).
On the other hand, if the school itself is trying to be all things to all people and not doing a great job at it, then all the branding in the world won’t help. Whether a school aims to offer a well-rounded experience, serve a particular niche, or provide some combination doesn’t matter as much as that it does what it sets out to do well. Deciding whether programs should be improved or dropped are matters of institutional priorities, not something that can be fixed in the marcom office.
When my frequent partner, Andrea Lehman, and I work on branding projects for schools, we enjoy getting to the heart of each one. Showing what makes a school unique (and every school is in their own way!) is what will connect with families.
A: CAIN
Great answers from Adrienne and Chuck.
Branding has a mixed reputation in higher education. When it’s not done well, it can be seen as inauthentic, or even counter to a school’s teaching and learning environment. And it doesn’t often top the list of mission-critical things needed for a school to operate.
But your school’s brand is actually more important now than it’s ever been. (And it’s something you actually have the power to influence.) And you can’t afford to ignore it now.
A: GOODMAN
The responses from Chuck, Adrienne, and Kathy are spot on in terms of process and considerations!
For your school, one of the largest considerations is how the faith-based aspect is interpreted, marketed, and understood for both the members of the church across the country and those that are not familiar with your school that you hope to attract. To Adrienne’s point, the lived experience of your school community can affect the school’s reputation and word-of-mouth, and there is little to be done about that from the Marcom office in a vacuum.
I recently worked with a school founded and rooted in the doctrine of a Protestant denomination that is not well-known or understood to those outside of that church community. They too were experiencing a slow decline in enrollment. Together we uncovered several key blind spots that stood in the way of their future goals and developed strategies to move forward. If you would like to reach out to me, I have clarifying questions I would like to ask you about the research you conducted on your own and your findings.
A: KADISON
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A: PETERS
Thanks for these questions! You’re right—your school is not alone in these challenges.
I’ll affirm and echo what my peers have said: It’s really difficult to develop a compelling and differentiating case for your school without the help of outside counsel. That said, it’s not impossible, and there are certainly steps you can take to move the needle.
A quick look at your website confirms your concerns—your school isn’t differentiated from other schools in the market and is instead taking a “check all the boxes for all the people” approach to messaging. I would gather your leadership team and start with a quick examination of competitor websites, noting the values they claim and the messages they lead with. Then look at your own messaging. What are you leading with that no one else in the marketplace can claim? [In this case, the group will likely conclude you’re not leading with anything no one else can claim, which should set the stage for your next steps.]
Follow that activity with the exercises Chuck describes (which are very similar to those I typically recommend as well) with an eye toward how your faith component is lived out within your school’s particular context (as Jill noted).
I agree with Adrienne that it’s one thing to portray yourselves as all things to all people and it’s another to actually live it. Part of any strong branding process is revealing your brand (as opposed to creating it) while also recognizing which aspects of your programming and lived experience honor your brand (lean into those) and which elements dilute your brand (rethink those).
As Kathy mentioned, a strong, authentic brand is really important. And when done well, it is a celebration of the magic you make happen for students every day as opposed to just one more project on the list. If you need additional assistance, I’m sure any one of us would be happy to talk things through with you. Good luck!
