I Have a Dream!

When you have a vision about something, you have a dream of how it could be. But what drives a vision forward is passion. 

Passion is like a fire within you that, once released, fuels your actions to achieve your vision. Passion isn't manufactured and doesn't just appear – you look for it! When you find it, it’s like an evangelical experience and you want to tell the world about what you've discovered. I know because this is exactly how I feel about school branding!

So what does this have to do with school branding you might ask? Visions, missions, values, whatever you want to call them, are not just words that we throw around. They mean something. They represent real tangible dreams, motives, purposes, qualities, desires, and directions. Forget about the terms. Concentrate on what they stand for and how they apply to your school. As a principal, what are your dreams for your school? How passionate are you about making those dreams a reality?

Passion can be infectious. Your passion can rub off on others so that they share in your vision because they understand what you're excited about! Having a true understanding of where your school is heading, and how you’re going to get there, clarifies your brand and brings it alive. 

It has been said “A picture paints a thousand words”. When a school’s vision comes alive, and there is passion driving it forward, you can see it! Your website and marketing material become reflections of what is already there! They are authentic rather than manufactured representations of school life.

Your logo isn’t your brand, and your website is your brand – YOU ARE YOUR BRAND!

I would love to hear about the passion and vision you have for your school.

It's Just a Newsletter

You might think that this is a strange title for a post on school branding. But I think the following story illustrates an important point.

A few days ago my daughter's school principal placed a survey online asking the question "How frequently would you like to receive the school newsletter?" He then offered a number of options that parents could choose from. My reaction to this survey was "Newsletter frequency? There are bigger issues at stake here." The school principal immediately replied and said he would be interested in my thoughts. The next day we saw each other in the school grounds, I put on my school branding hat and began talking about ways  he could effectively engage with parents, improve the school website, use social media, iPod videos, photography, themes and styles for marketing...the list goes on.

The next day I was talking about the survey with a very dear friend of mine who said to me "It's just the newsletter. All he asked was how often would you like to receive it. That's it!"

Sometimes we become so passionate about what we do that we forget that not everything is about 'the big picture'. Sometimes it's about enjoying what we have and looking at things in a simple 'childlike' way.

School branding at a Primary/Elementary level is about keeping things simple, uncluttered, easy to understand. It is about being honest, real, authentic, human. If I was going to use jargon, it is about having a clear 'brand personality' and 'brand narrative'. But I'm not. Let's just say it's about the values and character attributes that are important and the story which explains all the wonderful things - past and present - that are special about your school.

So while it's important to look great, what matters most of all is content.

Do you have a story you can share about your school with your school community? What character traits or values are important at your school and how do you demonstrate these?

I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Craig