Market Demand Dictates Marketing Strategy
Brand Evolution
Creosote builds strategies that are firmly based on consumer insights. Our process works to uncover why families and students choose to enroll at a particular school, and with a sound understanding of each market we seek to engage, we deploy campaigns that communicate what audiences value most about the institution.
Recently, I’ve witnessed educational institutions evolve rapidly to meet the demands of students and their families. It’s been an amazing testament to the resolve of all those who are leading their schools and communities through the pandemic.
Survey findings on distance learning confirm that most independent day and boarding schools as well as colleges and universities have satisfied the needs of their communities during this crisis. Some have even seen upticks in admissions applications from parents who are dissatisfied with their current schools’ remote learning operations.
The events of the past few months have changed education.
They’ve forced every school to write a new chapter in their brand story. Don’t miss an opportunity to share how you delivered what was needed. Your story is a powerful asset; articulate it and tell it.
The Value of a Diminished Student Experience
There remains immense uncertainty about how the coronavirus might impact schools again this fall. In all likelihood, testing and contact tracing are going to be part of the path forward, and if—or when—cases of coronavirus are found on campuses, remote instruction may also become part of education’s new normal. And though many colleges and universities are opening under special restrictions, the altered academic, athletic and social experiences are leading to students exploring other options.
Parents and older students are already asking the question: “Is this new restricted way of learning worth the money?” When institutions can’t easily differentiate themselves by attributes such as class size, location, facilities and in-person experiences, will education lose its pricing power?
To reinforce your value, reinforce your brand. Your school’s brand has never been confined by its physical campus.
In fact, parents have likely never been closer to their children’s learning, witnessing it in their kitchens and living rooms. A school’s brand lives in its people—in its community, past and present. Demonstrate your value by offering examples of how your brand has delivered its promise without physical spaces or in-person interactions.
After the Great Depression, John Maynard Keynes theorized that demand creates its own supply. I’m certainly not an economist, but I can—with great confidence—state that the most effective marketing strategies communicate what consumers are willing to pay for.
Stay on-brand and stay well.
—Joe
Written by Joe Cliber, Principal of Creosote Affects
Creosote Affects is a leading marketing and branding firm in education—partnering with schools across the nation.