Category Archives: independent school marketing

posted on September 19, 2014

Gone are the days in efficient and forward thinking independent schools when the marketing and development functions sat separately from the school mission, vision, and strategic goal setting process. In many markets, the cost of an independent school education needs to be offset by a clear definition of value to the child receiving the education, and the parents paying the bill. Forward-thinking institutions are in the far reaching process of evaluating everything from their curriculum offerings, teaching methodologies, teacher evaluation procedures, to cost efficiencies in their expenditures. Institutions from both for-profit and non-profit sectors are looking for metrics and data to tie outlay to results. Independent schools offer a wide array of opportunities and benefits to their students, both past and present. It is incumbent on the school’s marketing department to clearly define and articulate these tangibles and intangibles to both the current, and future, school community.

Schools should include all constituencies in this healthy review process. What are our competencies? How are we preparing our students for the future? How to do stand out from the competition both private and public? How are we planning for the future? What should we be doing that we are not currently doing? What are other schools doing? Can we do what we are doing better? Marketing schools where all constituencies are fully aware of, and involved in, the goals and undertakings of the school is very productive and useful.