Tips About Developing A School Brand

There has been news that many schools now offer a large proportion of their teaching materials online and in some cases, absolutely free. In other cases, there is no need for a fee-paying student to sit for a written exam as the entire course is conducted online.

With these new developments, is it still relevant to strategise about developing a school brand since the students of the future may no longer place a large premium in branding but the lowering of the course fees? Is there still room to compete on reputation and quality of teaching?

Let me make a point that it is still not crazy to decide to build a physical school with full-time teachers and written examinations. There are a large number of future employers who place a very high premium in the quality of teaching together with how well the students are trained for the new workplace.

Thus this article will start with building up a school brand that has been established for a number of years.

A school brand can start off as an intangible positive image that attracts the public to enrol their children there. An example is the perceived high teaching standards or an impressive list of sporting achievements. Many school administrators do not take a structured approach in developing the school brand and assume that through word of mouth, the school brand will prevail.

This view is erroneous and arrogant. This article will provide relevant tips about developing a school brand.

Alumni Feedback

The best way to start is to conduct a feedback session with the Alumni who are presumed to have experienced the unique culture of the school for a number of years. They can be asked about what they perceived are the strengths of their alma mater.

Teachers’ Expertise

Many school administrators are ignorant that their school’s unique teaching materials and techniques can be legally protected as intellectual property of the school. This is to prevent competitor schools from using these as their own. However, it is also important to develop a culture of exchange and mutual research with other schools.

School Website

Another cost effective way is to develop the brand from the school website. This can be easily achieved by hosting online forums which discuss about various aspects of the school. Teachers, current students and alumni can use these online forums to interact and bring out new ideas and strategies. There can also be a feedback section to improve the running of the school.

Individual School Email Address

A quick-fire way of creating a sense of ownership and branding is to provide stakeholders with a personalized email address from the school server. This will provide free email storage and create online exposure for your school. However, it is imperative that email users are briefed about privacy and confidentiality clauses. They must also be reminded not to “spam and flame” using these complimentary email addresses.

White Papers

It is very difficult to have credibility if the school does not provide research and white papers that are accessible to the public. These white papers are a quick way of differentiating your school and to highlight your research strengths. Of course, the way forward from here is to create a school press and publish the materials of your teachers. This is crucial as it provides an avenue for your teachers to be rewarded for their specialized writings and inculcates school loyalty within your own teaching community.

Contributing To Society

Every school should develop innovative ways in contributing back to society. In the area of school branding, the public can be provided with free talks in the area of the school’s competency or even free tuition for disadvantaged families.