School Branding
Whether it's a teacher looking for a potential position at your school, a parent thinking about the right placement for their kids, or a student researching the best school to help him reach his lofty goals, they need to understand your strengths and the benefits of going with your school. That's where your school website comes in!
Branding goes beyond your colors and school logo, of course. It is inclusive of the entire customer experience and includes everything from your school website design and layout, your school social media interactions, and your mascot to how your staff answers the phones. So, let’s talk about how to use school mascots and logos to contribute to your cohesive brand identity.
One important strategy is to create and manage a consistent brand for your school. How do you do that? Begin by creating and using a branding guideline.
What is your school culture like? How would your students describe it? What about your staff? How can you improve it? Here are some ideas!
Nationwide, schools in the United States have a public relations problem. It would seem they could fix these problems with some well managed strategic communications and marketing efforts, right? But, the problem goes deeper than that. It isn’t even entirely a perception problem; some of it is a reality. We must respond to these issues quite differently.
Don't give your power away by allowing others to define your school for you. Claim your school’s brand for future, current, and prospective students and faculty.
When many parents select a school for their child, they are selecting with their heart, not their mind. This is actually how we make most of our purchases as well. Branding is about winning the heart. It is an intangible. A feeling. An emotion.
The term “brand” is much more than a logo or school motto, and it encompasses much more than your school letterhead and newsletters. Your brand is an image that includes the ideals that you want to promote to your enrolled families, prospective families and visitors, and the community at large. A distinctive brand can be one of your school’s most valuable communication assets, especially in this time of school choice and open enrollment.