Chosen because Marin Academy won Gold for Still Photography In-House in the 2022 Brilliance Awards. Justine Clifford, Marin Academy Director of Marketing & Communications, and Melissa Neal, Visual Storyteller, explained what was behind it.

Start with a Goal

“We are a school with a mission to tell stories and capture moments that define our community,” says Melissa Neal, Visual Storyteller. “Our immediate goal was to improve our imaging across all communications channels, including social media, newsletters, and our website. Simultaneously, we created an image archive, building a legacy of memories through photos.”

Marin Academy believes that every story they tell demands a visual component to maximize the emotional impact. When hiring, they modified the role of the Communications Manager in their three-person team to Visual Storyteller, specifically to attract artistic talent and clearly articulate their vision for the MarCom department.

“The incredible artistry of our Visual Storyteller Melissa Neal has had an astonishing impact on our brand overall, “ says Justine Clifford, Director of Marketing & Communications. “From our website to our social media, the polished and emotionally evocative work Melissa produces every day has truly leveled up our Marketing and Communications work.”

“The project is particularly exciting because it was the result of a wonderful collaboration between our Communications Team and our stellar faculty and student organizations. One of the most powerful photos [above] was of Calpulli Tonalehqueh, an Aztec Dance Troop brought to our campus by two of Main Academy’s Identity and Equity Groups, LSU (Latine Student Union) and WOC (Women of Color). The MA student leaders who organized the lunchtime event are also trained in facilitation, leadership, and social justice through our Identity and Equity Groups.”

— Travis Brownley, Marin Academy, Head of School

Establish An “Everyone is a Storyteller” Mindset

Marin Academy found that the key to great visual storytelling in schools is a strong collaboration between their MarCom team and their incredible faculty and student-facing staff. They spent the last three years deepening connections for this collaborative “everyone is a storyteller” communications strategy, and it is really paying off.

Every year at opening meetings, they kick off the year with an inspiring pitch to faculty to be partners in storytelling. They connect over lunch, participate in extracurricular programs, and invest in their relationships which results in the community always keeping them in the loop, inviting them to capture memorable moments, and sending them stunning photos like the one Jon Bretan, a faculty member, contributed for this collection.

Shoot Strategically

The MarCom team began the school year by establishing some key content pillars—academics, art, athletics, etc.—to ensure that their visual messaging is consistent across channels and that their audience is seeing every aspect of campus life. “Keeping a running list of everything shot in each category ensured that we were not over or underrepresenting any area,” says Melissa. “Content pillars are the foundation of any successful content strategy, providing structure and guidance day to day.”

They shot on campus an average of three days a week from August to January, building a library of photos that can be used throughout the last half of the school year and summer. They try to ensure that a portion of these images are “evergreen”—not showing students’ faces—so they can be used in the coming years. In February, the department’s focus will shift to more specific marketing videos and utilizing footage from their image library.  

“Another of the stunning photos [above] in the series was captured by one of our faculty members, Jon Bretan, who captured the spirit of MA’s experiential education program perfectly. His photo captured our students exploring the beautiful Bay Area while developing perspective, balance, integrity, mindfulness, and social responsibility outside of the classroom.”

—Travis Brownley, Marin Academy, Head of School

Watch Engagement Explode

Justine told InspirED, “Our social media engagement rate has increased by 30% since last year. The feedback has been tremendous from prospective families, students, and alumni. The increased collaboration with faculty has allowed us to expand our catalog of images and footage and made all of our stories more impactful.”

Advice for Others

The Marin Academy MarCom team encourages others not to wait until special events are happening to start shooting on campus. Take photos on a regular basis. Often, the “everyday” images—students walking across campus, in class with their teachers—will be the most useful.

TEAM
Justine Clifford, Director of Marketing and Communications
Julie Helmbrecht, Assistant Director of Communications
Melissa Neal, Visual Storyteller and Communications Manager
Jon Bretan, Science Teacher & Boys Cross Country Head Coach

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