The competition within education is becoming increasingly difficult and many schools’ enrolments are beginning to stall due to the plethora of options students now have. If you are experiencing a continued trend of stalled or low enrolment it may be time to re-evaluate the past, reflect on the future and rebrand the school’s image to make it more appealing to the masses. Even minor details such as the design of school signs can have a considerable impact on how the institution is perceived.
Benefits of rebranding
When rebranding a school, there are many benefits. First, the alignment of the institution’s mission and marketability would increase. The desire of prospective students to attend that school would also be higher , thus increasing enrolment to the target level. Second, there is often an increase in the amount of international students who wish to enrol which brings a variety of different viewpoints to the classroom and to the overall learning experience. Third, the influx of new students with higher credentials could increase the government rankings of the institution which, in turn, can attract further interest in the school.
Rebranding considerations
When rebranding an educational institution, it is important to consider the four following rules:
1. Make it about the student
Consumers, even those looking for a school to attend, purchase for themselves and choose products because they are a reflection of who they aim to be. Therefore, to reach this type of consumer, it must be clear whom you are not a good fit for as well as your perfect prospect. If you are a school for all students, you are not going to appeal to any specific student and the message becomes redundant and bland. So, when considering rebranding, determine who your ideal student is, define it and create a campaign around it.
2. Include emotion in the rebranding
As previously stated, products and services are selected based on emotional reasons, ones that drive behaviour. For example, if you want to introduce a consumer to coffee, the benefit desired by the consumer may be to perk up so they are more alert. You would then create an emotional message that drives this specific desire and align the brand with it.
3. Lead from the top
In spite of where the rebranding concept was introduced, the leader must be active and involved. If the Headmaster is not on-board with the rebranding process, do not move forward. It will not be successful if the Headmaster only supports the concept rather then being actively involved; they need to drive it across all areas of the organisation. The leader must be the Chief Branding Officer, setting the vision and leading the change.
4. Position with clarity
The rebranding process should create clearer positioning within the marketplace. The objective must be to make it easier for prospective students and parents to determine why your school is the first choice and other schools cannot deliver the same value. Therefore, do not create a meaningless message and make claims without proof. Instead, use words like ‘pastoral care’ and ‘academic excellence’ to get the point across.
Following these pointers will allow you to successfully negotiate the rebranding process necessary to put your school firmly back on the map.
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Martin Robins
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