The Independent School Awards™ (ISAs) welcomed 320 guests from the sector to celebrate the strategic and financial achievements of the independent school sector at the National Motorcycle Museum on November 14. Guest speaker was the lauded explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes who brought the house down with his dry wit and hilarious tales.
Welcome to the new digital world. Where beautiful school websites draw in new prospective parents with ease. Alumni give generously by entering their credit card information. And marketing is automated.
The current economic climate has prompted many businesses to take a closer look at how they communicate with their target audience. Schools are no different. It has never been more important to understand how changes in the marketplace and the needs of the consumer should affect how you position and market your brand and, in turn, your brand communication.
Applications double for ISAs 2012
The number of schools applying for this year's Independent School Awards is more than double that of 2011. The judges have added in an extra layer to the judging process to manage the numbers.
Timeline
Pre-judging will be complete by the end of May. The categories will be distributed to the full judging panel by mid-June. This takes into account any conflicts judges may have with schools that they know and so removes them from judging particular categories where those schools have submitted an application. The judging will be complete by mid-July.
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The S factor
The expression “marketing in a downturn” refers to an activity where budgets and prices are cut to counter falling demand; and is a popular option. Malcolm McDonald argues that it is, however, a misguided approach
There is overwhelming evidence that there is no country in the world where the low price segment of any market is greater than 10 per cent. “Primark!”, “Aldi!” and others, I hear you cry. Yet Primark has less than a half of one per cent share of the UK clothing market and Aldi has less than 5 per cent of the food market, so of course their results look dramatic at a time like this.
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Ready for your close-up?
Once considered a luxury on the list of a school’s marketing tools, a film is fast becoming a must-have item, particularly with the importance of raising your profile not only nationally but internationally too, writes Felicity Warren
Traditionally, schools have commissioned linear programmes, usually 15-20 minutes long. Although this type of programming has its place, the advent of myriad delivery platforms – internet, YouTube, Facebook, exhibitions, email sign-offs, enewsletters – mean alternative attitudes to content need to be considered. One size does not fit all.
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Inner beliefs
How does your school’s marketing activities square with the points of view of your stakeholders? It is likely that each will consider them differently. Kevin Fear reports on possibly the hardest part of the marketing role
Getting internal communications right is critical to a successful marketing implementation. Here is the range of points of view for a new marketing manager to encounter and manage:
From the head
A variety of reactions is possible: it may be that your appointment is the result of the school governors having concerns about the marketing of the school, which previously had been the head’s domain. S/he will have her/his own views on marketing and these may be some way behind your own, based on your previous experience. Of course, the appointment of a marketing person may well reflect the fact that the head has recognised this weakness.
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Entries to the Independent School Awards 2012 are now open!
Applications to the ISAs opened on March 1 and have a closing date of May 16.
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Watching the pennies
There has never been a more important time to review your marketing plans and assess how to spend every penny wisely. Suzie Oweiss provides a checklist of the most effective ways to market your school on a shoestring
Before executing any new strategy, examine previous activity and assess successes and failures.
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The independent sector working with the National College
The National College for the Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, formerly the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), pledges to improve children’s lives by inspiring leaders. Steve Munby, the chief executive, is committed to fulfilling this aim irrespective of the type of school in which a young person is educated. As part of this commitment, building the link between the college and the independent sector is a significant part of current activity. Jill Berry reports
This academic year, the college has appointed three independent school advocates to strengthen this link, liaising with colleagues across the independent and maintained sectors and with college staff to promote links and encourage mutual understanding, respect and co-operation. All three advocates have experience of headship in independent schools, and all are committed to the principle that leaders across the sectors have much to learn and to gain from working together. Those who have been involved in the huge range of independent/state school partnership projects which have flourished in recent years need no convincing that everyone can benefit if ideas and expertise are pooled.
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Unforced entry
Entrance exams are failing to distinguish between those of actual ability and those who have been coached by over-enthusiastic parents. Christopher Ray reveals how they resolve this dilemma at The Manchester Grammar School
The 11+ is alive and well: state-maintained grammar schools and over-subscribed selective 11-18 independent schools have come to rely on these tests – so often variations on English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Even more alive and well is the industry that the 11+ system has promoted: private tutors and independent junior schools put huge amounts of energy into preparing their charges for the rigours of entrance examinations.
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Value judgements
Independent schools’ greatest challenge over the coming years won’t be selling an annual increase in fees, but finding new ways to offer greater value to keep and attract future parents. Simon Shneerson reports
Heads and bursars have traditionally viewed annual increases in fees with trepidation. Yet, until now, each year they reported that only one or two parents had complained and none had left the school as a result.
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Welcome measures
The admissions office has never been more important to independent schools. But how effective is yours? Jan Evans advises on how to integrate the office into the overall sales drive to help you secure more pupils
Over the past 10 to 15 years, the independent sector has understood the concept of schools as businesses and, as a result, most have realised that a professional approach to marketing is as essential as sound educational principles and good financial management. Because of these changes, the sector is relatively buoyant even in these difficult times (this is not an accident, as any commercial marketer will tell you).
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Don’t waste money on a poor prospectus
Most prospectuses look the same? Unfortunately, there is an element of truth in this, according to Jon Willcocks
This trend is driven by two factors:
1 Design agencies could be guilty of selling beyond what they are prepared to deliver. By cutting costs and failing to undertake thorough research, the prospectus falls short of conveying the distinctive qualities of each school; or
2 The school has driven the costs down so low that they get what they pay for, and the product lacks integrity and fails to represent the school in a distinctive way to help parents to be sufficiently informed about the advantages of the school.
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Reeling them in
The Autumn term is finally over, the open days are complete and (hopefully) applications are looking healthy, both in number and calibre of students. Carolyn Reed explains how you can sharpen up your act for future promotions to parents
Financial uncertainty means that more schools are adopting an increasingly professional approach to marketing and sales, so you have to work just that bit harder. After all, you know the competition is tough.
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Your school’s DNA
Marketing within schools is often geared towards prospective parents, but understanding your current parents is a critical aspect that is frequently overlooked. Kate Nicholson shows how to be sensitive to their preferences
Schools evolve over time, which means that the experience for a child attending a particular school today will be different from when their parent attended the same school a few decades ago. Many factors can alter a particular school experience. The most significant of these is a change in headship or to the school make-up ie expansion into earlier/later years, a move to co-education or an increase in overall school size. However, more subtle changes such as amendments to the school curriculum, the facilities or teaching personnel can all have some impact.
