How Should Private Schools Be Branded

SELLING EDUCATION THE PRIVATE SCHOOL DILEMMA

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

- Mark Twain

4 Elements of a Brand

•  PERSONALITY •  CONTENT •  CONSISTENCY •  LOYALTY

The Personality of a Brand

“A brand image is not simply a trademark, a design, or a slogan.... It is a studiously crafted personality profile of an individual, institution, corporation, product or service.”

-  Daniel J Boorstin, Harvard historian and social theorist

Brand by 1.  Creating an image that “speaks”

through VISUALS and VOICE 2.  Creating STYLE GUIDES 3.  Writing TAGLINES to create an

emotional association 4.  ENGAGING your audience

1. Visual: Graphic Style “Every brand, from startup to corporate giants such as Nike or McDonald’s, needs a set of branding guidelines and rules to maintain their identity. This document holds together what the public sees from a company.”

- www.designshack.net

2. Voice: Editorial Style “Style guides offer you the chance to present your brand in a consistent way. They help to ensure that multiple authors use one tone […] providing an instant answer when questions arise about preferred style.”

- www.intelligentediting.com

3. Some Strong Taglines •  Words Matter •  All the News That’s Fit to Print •  Just Do It •  Because I’m worth it •  Bullish on America •  A mind is Terrible Thing to Waste

Et en français…

•  Écoutez, pour voir •  Conjuguer avoirs et êtres •  Shell que j’aime •  On l’a

Private School Taglines or parts thereof

•  Bringing students together from around the world

•  École bilingue… •  Train a child in the way he should go •  Opens Doors to Colleges… •  Students First…

•  Be more… Perform more…Challenge more…

•  Great Minds. Big Hearts. We Know Boys

•  …We’ve got game… •  Happy children learn best

•  The World Needs Great Women •  Your potential is calling •  Learning. Succeeding. •  A private Arts & Science High

School for girls…

4. Engage Your Audience •  Public Relations / Advertising

campaign •  Blog: Define position •  Facebook page: Post photos,

videos, club activities, awards •  Twitter: News or opinions,

marketing results, enrollment

Be an Expert •  Develop a method •  Coin a phrase •  Register a patent •  Offer special certification •  Publish

Brand Ambassadors

•  Know the Story •  Spread your message by

word of mouth •  Reinforce the Brand •  Engage audiences

User Generated Content •  More than 50% of online content

in 2013 is UGC •  Creative consumers can shape

campaigns •  Reaches consumers (parents)

and brand advocates on a more personal level

Your Assets •  Visual and Voice •  Vision Statement •  Taglines and Slogans •  Brand Ambassadors •  Word of mouth / Stories

– Record them – Deliver on your promise

Remember that Brands •  Are defined by individuals, not

companies: •  You don’t own your brand, your

customers do. •  21% of the population considers

themselves brand loyal - Makinsey Quarterly

So Nurture Your Image

•  Leverage your brand •  Take care to choose words that

represent you •  Communicate •  Reap loyalty through the eyes of

your audience

LOVE YOUR BRAND!

For your graphic and editorial design needs