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Distinguishing Your School in the Marketplace of Donors, Parents and Students

Distinguishing Your School in the Marketplace of Donors, Parents and Students. Kathleen Hanson Senior Consultant and Principal Leader – Schools Practice Group Editor, The NAIS Handbook on Marketing Independent Schools NESA Leadership Conference – October 2011. Our focus.

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Distinguishing Your School in the Marketplace of Donors, Parents and Students

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  1. Distinguishing Your School in the Marketplace of Donors, Parents and Students Kathleen Hanson Senior Consultant and Principal Leader – Schools Practice Group Editor, The NAIS Handbook on Marketing Independent Schools NESA Leadership Conference – October 2011

  2. Our focus Two main and interwoven areas: • Distinguishing yourself in the marketplace • Adopting an “integrated” approach to marketing

  3. “Distinguishing” means… Mission and Core Values Leading to Points of Distinction which are Attributes and Benefits

  4. Distinguishing means…

  5. Resolving inexact terminology: Image: A set of beliefs others have of you. Competitive positioning: Developing and communicating meaningful and powerful differences between your offerings and those of our competitors. Brand: The brand is the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced.

  6. Distinguishing language It must be more than clear. Your audience must understand and value it.

  7. Obstacles to “Distinguishing” • The desire to illustrate all we do • Inability to gain consensus internally • Fear of alienating a segment of your current or potential community

  8. How do you accomplish it? • Third-party Branding and positioning program • Internal Needs a qualified leader (highly qualified)

  9. The process Identify your passions Understand your competitor’s passions

  10. Research based • Is your mission unique? • Are there unique elements to your program? • Is your school’s passion the way you approach teaching and learning?

  11. Research based • Why do students select your school and stay? • How do your alumni characterize their experience? • Why do parents sacrifice to send their children to your school?

  12. Distinguishing factor It must be relevant, authentic and believable.

  13. Authentic Who you are vs. Who you want to become

  14. Relevant Important to the marketplace • Families will pay for it • Donors will support it

  15. Believable Your audiences must believe that you can execute on your promise.

  16. How Firm A Foundation River Oaks Baptist School in Houston distinguishes itself as the elementary school that provides the “firm foundation”

  17. The Foundation Foundation in wisdom Foundation in faith Foundation in compassion A solid bedrock of values and knowledge

  18. Key Messages – Central Messages Once you have uncovered your distinct competencies, you need to develop a set of key messages which enhance and support them.

  19. Distinguishing is the first step • Success depends upon an integrated marketing approach. • Marketing is defined as “an exchange of things valued.”

  20. Why integrate your marketing? Marketing Goal: increase competitiveness and effectiveness in: • attracting and enrolling students • attracting the support of donors • creating pride of association in your alumni

  21. Why integrate your marketing? Strategic problems are rarely solved with tactics. • An integrated marketing approach forces marketing issues to a strategic level. • It stresses research, accountability and ongoing evaluation.

  22. It requires an integrated effort Unfortunately, for most schools, the departments involved in achieving marketing’s goal aren’t located in the same division.

  23. Silos Let’s collaborate! HOS Admissions Development Mkt./Comm You want me to talk about philanthropy to prospective families? But, fundraising is not my only objective! “Sure, the School’s marketing messages are ok, but not for fundraising.”

  24. Breaking down the silos Calling for collaboration… Requires: Full endorsement of the Head Some Internal Marketing More on that later…

  25. Integrated marketing requires a leader and a team School leadership teams They are changing…

  26. Tomorrow’s leadership teams • Collaborative • Strategic • Understand marketing • Value Research • Deeply understand all audiences

  27. Regardless of your structure Integrated Marketing Comes Together around: • Strategy • Organization • Message

  28. Strategy Your strategy might be: “Promote the school’s distinguishing features in all areas of school life.”

  29. Organization You need to organize around that strategy, coordinating resources and sharing responsibility.

  30. Message When marketing is integrated, the messages are consistent, well coordinated, and driven by strategic decisions.

  31. Internal marketing Marketing integration can only occur when internal audiences are on board: • Administrative Team • Faculty • Staff • Influential Volunteers

  32. Final challenge • Some schools are there • Many are not • Even some progress will make a difference

  33. Q & A

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