School Branding Projects

Let Children Write the Rules They’ll Live By School rules should never be something imposed upon children by teachers or administrators. When we create and enforce them on behalf of the students, we rob them of one of the most important opportunities education has to offer: the chance to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions. Instead, the conversation should begin with a simple but profound question posed to the class: “When people talk about our class in the street, what would you like them to say about who we are?” The answers are always beautiful. Children say things like: • “We want them to say we’re kind.” • “We want them to say we’re brave.” • “We want them to say we’re good friends.” These statements are not rules — they are values. They become the foundation of a shared identity. - From Values to Action Once the children have defined who they want to be, the next step is to guide them towards action. We ask: “If we want people to say those things about us, what actions do we need to take to make sure they see that?” The answers come quickly: • “We’re always kind to other people and living things.” • “We try new things and we’re not scared of failing.” • “We don’t gossip or use unkind words.” At this point, the children are no longer following a list of arbitrary rules created by adults — they are writing their own constitution. They are deciding how they want to be represented and how they will hold themselves accountable. - Internal Policing and Real Responsibility When students are the authors of their classroom agreements, something powerful happens: we no longer need to police behaviour. The responsibility has shifted. The children monitor themselves and each other, not because they fear punishment, but because they care about staying true to the identity they chose. And there’s another essential step: we, the adults, must live by these same values. If the children commit to kindness, so must we. If they promise to avoid gossip, we too must model that behaviour. This consistency builds trust and creates a culture of equality, permanence, and fairness. - A Strategy That Calms the Storm If you’re a teacher or school leader struggling with behavioural challenges, I promise you this: try this approach. Hand over the reins of rule-making to the children. Let them decide who they want to be, how they will show it, and how they’ll hold each other accountable. When students are given that kind of agency, the classroom climate transforms. Conflict reduces, cooperation increases, and your learning environment becomes a community — one defined not by rules, but by shared values that everyone truly believes in. #Education #Montessori #School #Children

Leadership Insights with Dr. Paul Teys - evaluating culture. Newly appointed principals often step into their roles with a critical mandate - to assess and transform the school's culture. This challenge, while daunting, is pivotal for fostering an environment where students thrive academically and emotionally and where staff feel supported and valued. Evaluating School Culture. Understanding a school's culture is no small feat. It requires a nuanced, methodical approach to peel back the complex layers contributing to a positive learning environment. There are three key strategies a principal can use: 1.     Comprehensive surveys - surveys stand out as a powerful tool for capturing the sentiments of students, staff, and parents. By covering a spectrum of topics—from learning attitudes to the sense of community—these surveys provide invaluable data. This feedback is crucial for pinpointing strengths and diagnosing areas ripe for improvement. 2.     Focus Groups. For a deeper analysis of the school's cultural dynamics, focus groups are excellent. These discussions can unearth insights into intricate issues like student-teacher relationships or the effects of recent changes, offering a qualitative counterbalance to survey data. 3.     Classroom Observations. To grasp the day-to-day realities that shape the school's climate, classroom observations are effective; this lens into the learning environment reveals much about teaching practices, student engagement, and the overall academic climate. For educational leaders, the task of evaluating and enhancing school culture is both a challenge and an opportunity. It's about building a foundation that supports every student's success and fosters a community where educators and students alike feel valued and inspired. #principals #culture #schoolclimate #aspiringprincipals #educationalleaders

Traditional college marketing is no longer effective, and Relying on outdated methods is costing colleges both students and credibility. What No Longer Works in College Marketing 🚫 ❌ Flyers & brochures – Students don’t rely on printed materials; they search online for reviews,experiences, and content that resonates with them. ❌ Cold calling students – Nobody likes getting unsolicited calls. Today’s students prefer personalized digital interactions. ❌ Random social media posts – Posting without strategy or engagement won’t capture student interest. Colleges need to create meaningful content that connects. The New Playbook for College Marketing in 2025 🔄 ✅ Community-driven marketing – Engage students before they apply through interactive webinars, student-led content, and discussion forums. ✅ AI-powered lead nurturing – Automate and personalize follow-ups via WhatsApp, chatbots, and email to keep students engaged throughout the decision-making process. ✅ UGC & influencer marketing – Students trust real experiences over polished ads. Featuring alumni stories, student testimonials, and campus life vlogs builds authenticity. The Bottom Line 💡 Students today aren’t just looking for a degree—they’re looking for a brand they trust. Colleges that adapt will thrive, while those stuck in the past will struggle to attract students. Is your college keeping up with these changes? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇 Focused on digital mark

Universities should be among the most exciting brands in the world. So why aren't they? That’s the central question of this excellent new report by Firehaus and Education Marketer. The findings offer a constructive look at the systems that are keeping many university brands shallow, siloed, and stuck. Some insights that stand out: 🔹Universities know what good branding looks like. 70% say consistency is essential, 63% want true differentiation, and 61% value emotional storytelling. But only 15% have a differentiated position, and just 24% use storytelling in practice 🔹Brand is still treated as marketing’s job, not a shared responsibility. 67% say brand is seen as “owned” by marketing, while only 23% report meaningful leadership involvement 🔹Academic staff are missing from the conversation. Faculty are seen as critical to brand success, but most are excluded. This is a missed opportunity. Students often form their strongest emotional bonds through teaching and research, yet brand-building rarely connects with the academic experience. 🔹Authenticity is non-negotiable. The report makes clear that branding must be lived, not just launched. Staff alignment and internal engagement are some of the most neglected areas despite being crucial to credibility. If the brand doesn’t show up in the day-to-day experience of students and staff, it won't stick externally. 🔹Risk aversion kills distinctiveness. Institutions dilute bold ideas out of fear of scrutiny, of being seen as unserious, or of stepping outside the comfort zone of sector norms. The result? Vanilla brands that blend in, even when their underlying stories are extraordinary. So what can universities do? 🔹Stop treating the brand superficially. The brand is a strategic asset that must be embedded in behaviour, not just communications. 🔹Bring academic and student voices into the centre as co-authors of the institutional narrative. 🔹Invest internally. Culture is the brand. If staff aren’t living it, students won’t believe it. 🔹Be brave. The raw ingredients for great university brands are already here: research with global relevance, student stories with emotional punch, alumni with impact, and missions that matter. But they need to be expressed with clarity, humanity, and ambition. This report offers a hopeful analysis for the future of HE branding. The path is there. We just need to start following it. #Universities #HigherEducation 👉 https://lnkd.in/gwnBYCYG

Your school's biggest competitor isn't the private school across town. It's Netflix, Instagram, and YouTube. After nearly three decades in education and now helping schools fill their classrooms, I've watched this shift happen in real time. Parents used to compare schools to schools. Now they compare your communications and marketing messages to everything else fighting for their attention. Think about it: Netflix delivers personalized content that keeps them engaged for hours. Instagram serves up exactly what they want to see, when they want to see it. YouTube answers their questions instantly with compelling video. Meanwhile, schools are still sending: → 5-page PDF newsletters nobody reads → Generic emails that get buried in inboxes → Social posts that look like they're from 2010 → Websites that take 6 clicks to find tuition info Here's what winning schools figured out: They stopped competing with other schools and started competing for attention. They're creating content like media companies: → Short, engaging videos of actual student life → Stories that hook parents in 8 seconds → Personalized communication journeys → Content that parents actually want to share The schools still treating marketing like it's 1995? They're losing families to schools that understand the assignment. Your biggest competitor isn't charging $40K tuition down the street. It's charging $15.99/month and lives in everyone's pocket. What's one way your school is adapting to compete in the attention economy? #SchoolMarketing #EducationMarketing #DigitalMarketing #IndependentSchools #K12Education

Number of study programs in Germany rising - almost 23.000 now (11.600 bachelor) - at the same time number of students declining: Does this make sense? At first glance this seems to be a paradox. But if we look closer at the patterns behind the number, we find the establishment of new programs as a rational strategy to attract more students. For instance, to be attractive for diverse student groups the same program is simultaneously offered as full- and part-time program. Or interdisciplinary programs are established, which focus on topics instead of disciplines (almos 18% of the new programs in 2023/24). Also, we find many new programs in fields where student numbers are rising (psychology) and the labour market needs more graduates (teacher education), so there is an adaptation to demand. And there is a strong increase of programs at private universities of applied sciences (+44% from 2019 to 2024), showing the fact that there is a market for private higher education especially for lifelong learners looking for study options to be combined with the job. However, I have some concerns regarding three aspects of these developments: 1. At a certain point, universities have to consider also to close down or rearrange the traditional programs instead of just adding new ones, or to collaborate across institutions. 2. we find a lot of new programs that differentiate a subject into sub-subjects. On the bachelor level, this could lead to overspecialization that comes too early. This makes more sense for master programs. 3. The complex market for study programs has to remain transparent for students, guidance and information tools are needed (CHE tries to contribute with our ranking on HeyStudium). Here is our full study https://lnkd.in/esMAHXtY #studienangebot #studyprogram CHE Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung Cort-Denis Hachmeister

Excited to share that my thoughts on the strategic role of marketing in higher education have been featured in Business Standard! In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, universities must rethink traditional approaches. Drawing from my ~2 decades of experience across 20+ countries and now at the helm of marketing at GALGOTIAS UNIVERSITY, I discuss how brand equity, digital transformation, and strategic marketing can redefine success for higher education institutions in India. I want to emphasise the need for higher education institutions in India to closely understand the role of EdTech companies, as they are becoming key players in shaping the future of education. In this article, I focus on the need for universities to integrate marketing with their institutional strategy, foster purposeful international collaborations, and enhance the student journey through data-driven decision-making. Indian universities and higher education institutions still need to work harder to make the CMO role more integral to leadership. Thank you, Business Standard, for this platform! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g-PAtefD #HigherEducation #MarketingStrategy #BrandEquity #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #GalgotiasUniversity

I recently met Ansgar Kühn (Professor at Pforzheim University) and discussed some #Marketing topics. Here are my questions and his answers: ▶️ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀? Only looking at numbers: in winter 23/24 German Universities offered about 10.000 Bachelor and 10.000 Master programs. Now if you slip in potential students‘ shoes that must be not very clear. So, universities have to find ways to reach their desired target group and convince them of a unique product. So yes, universities need to foster marketing to fill their programs while the total number of students will go down for demographic reasons. Secondly, if you want to reach out to students from abroad as a university there is only one chance: to spend more effort on marketing! ▶️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻? It depends on the target audience: Undergraduate students use Instagram and the university homepage, while some universities use TikTok. Here lies the conflict between scientific seriousness and target group-oriented communication. Another important channel is LinkedIn, especially for employees and business contacts among an older target audience, where LinkedIn is increasingly important. It's also relevant for network effects. Secondary effects also occur with high school graduates through parents who become aware of content via LinkedIn and are mostly involved in their children's decision-making process. ▶️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀? Besides branding the organization, personal networks, and personal credibility is essential. And that is only built between individuals. Therefore, very important. But also need to be active in other academically minded networks e.g. Research Gate to be visible in the academic community. Thank you so much for your time and your answers, Ansgar! I really appreciate it! What do you think about these topics? Drop your feedback in the comments. 👇 Thanks! And if you want to keep updated on the latest #Innovation in marketing or trends in #DigitalMarketing, follow me!

Building a strong brand on social media takes more than just posting content—it requires a strategic approach to stand out and grow. Here are some key strategies to help you elevate your brand presence: ✅ Define Your Brand Identity – Maintain a consistent voice, style, and message across all platforms. ✅ Know Your Audience – Understand their interests, pain points, and engagement patterns to create content that resonates. ✅ Create High-Value Content – Share educational, entertaining, and problem-solving content that adds real value. ✅ Leverage Video & Reels – Short-form video content boosts engagement and improves visibility. ✅ Engage with Your Community – Respond to comments, start conversations, and build relationships with your audience. ✅ Collaborate with Influencers – Partnering with industry influencers can help expand your reach and credibility. ✅ Use Data-Driven Insights – Track analytics to refine your content strategy and maximize performance. ✅ Stay Consistent – Success doesn’t happen overnight. Post regularly and maintain an active presence. Your brand’s growth depends on authenticity, engagement, and consistency. Focus on building trust, providing value, and adapting to trends! What’s your go-to strategy for brand growth on social media? Let’s discuss this in the comment section. 👇

The Teacher as Storyteller – How Educators Can Use Storytelling to Shape Identity and Belonging In every classroom, teachers wear many hats, mentor, guide, facilitator. But one of the most powerful roles they can embrace is that of storyteller. A teacher’s story can spark imagination, foster connection, and shape a student’s sense of who they are within their culture and community. When a teacher shares stories of national heritage, personal experiences, or local heroes, they’re doing more than delivering content, they’re cultivating belonging. In the context of national identity, storytelling becomes a tool of empowerment. A well-told story can make students feel part of something bigger: the story of their country, their people, their place in history. It reminds them that they are not passive observers, but active participants in the national narrative. What makes a great educational storyteller? Authenticity: Sharing real experiences, even humble ones, helps students relate. Cultural connection: Weaving in local traditions, dialects, and values brings lessons to life. Interactive storytelling: Inviting students to continue the story, add their voice, or act it out deepens engagement. In the UAE, where the National Identity Mark symbolizes unity, strength, and pride, the teacher can make these values tangible. Through storytelling, abstract ideals become lived values. Imagine a teacher beginning a lesson on unity with a personal story of how their family came together from different emirates. Or sharing the journey of a historical figure who overcame adversity to help build the nation. These aren’t just lessons, they’re seeds of identity, planted with purpose. Why it matters: A nation’s future sits in every classroom. When a teacher tells the story of the nation with heart, students begin to write themselves into it, with pride, with purpose, and with belonging.