It’s becoming all the rage in districts across the country: school branding. Taking a cue from marketing companies, educational facilities are beginning to leverage the power of their public image to draw more students and give their districts a leg up over the competition.
Curious about what the right school branding ideas can do for your school, or don’t know where to begin? SportsGraphics, your Clarion provider of branded outdoor padding, wall decals, and more is here to help. Below, you’ll find a quick intro to school branding—the concept’s definition and what it must be and do to help your district shine.
What Is School Branding?
A brand is your organization’s persona, or public image. Although brands develop organically, eventually, an organization needs to take ownership of how their brand is projected and received in the collective consciousness, i.e., the public eye, if it wants to make use of it. Branding must be:
● Intellectual. It makes logical sense.
● Emotional. It triggers a certain feeling or connection.
● Social. It brings people together for a common reason or purpose.
When your school brand can meet all three of those criteria, it can craft a public persona that attracts students, motivates staff, and inspires the student body as a whole.
What Are the Benefits of School Branding?
We discuss this topic in detail in our school branding ideas blog on the subject, so check it out for a deep dive. For now, though, know that school brands show prospective students, current pupils, and staff that
● People at the school feel welcome or part of a family
● The school is challenging and presents good programs and opportunities
● The organization is supportive and fulfilling
● The organization is vibrant and full of energy
● The school is progressive, non-traditional, and unique
Even without reading the aforementioned blog, it’s obvious that taking control of your school’s image via a brand ensures your district puts its best foot forward and shows off its best angles. This results in it being a more tantalizing prospect for new hires and potential students alike, in addition to motivating current students to be the best they can be.
School Branding Must Do Many Things to Be Effective
We’ve talked about what school branding must be, so let’s talk action—what it must do. When the rubber meets the road and you need results, making sure your school branding is there to do the following can help.
Inspire Your Organization
If you want your school’s brand to evoke positive associations with a particular demographic, you need to determine what inspires that demographic and spurs them into action. For instance, what is the X-Factor in your school colors that generates excitement during sporting events? How can you highlight those colors in your graphics?
Align Your Brand Identity With Your Organization’s Attributes
You want your organization to stand out. The best way to do that is to create a brand that reflects your school’s strengths, values, and mission, i.e., your school’s attributes. Aligning your brand with your attributes keeps your brand identity and message on target.
Stay Consistent On All Marketing Channels
With an organization as large as your school, staying consistent with brand messaging on all channels can be a challenge. Therefore, every member of your school must have a clear understanding of your brand without deviating from the core message.
Why does consistency matter? Why isn’t close enough satisfactory? According to Forbes, in regards to branding, “It is the consistent, desired experience that builds trust and trust is the foundation for loyalty and promotion.” In other words, when you constantly deliver via your brand what is expected—in other words, you’re consistent—you build rapport with students and staff, which in turn encourages their faith in the district. Without that faith, there’s no way you can build school pride!
Tell Your School’s Story
Your organization is part of a much larger legacy with a distinguished history and unique story. Everyone associated with your school must feel they are a part of something much larger than themselves and that they are helping to write the history of the organization. You can continue the legacy by solidifying your schools’ reputation through strategic branding.
SportsGraphics: Comprehensive School Branding Solutions
At SportsGraphics, we offer a wide range of athletic products that can help you boost your school’s brand while also providing a safe environment for your athletes. We offer wall padding, gym floor mats, wall graphics, bleacher safety enclosures, custom banners, and so much more. We’ll even help you with rebranding a school from the ground up!
To find out more about how our products can revolutionize the way your community thinks about your district, call our Clarion office at 1-800-257-6405, or message us on our contact page.