So, What is a School Brand?

As a young graphic designer, I assumed that when a company came to me asking for a new logo, I was creating for them some amazing new branding that was going to change the world. It was exciting. I jumped right in and began designing lots of different types of logo options.

Some school administrators might say that by approaching their local printer or graphic designer to create a logo for them, they are branding their school.

So, what is a school brand?

A successful school brand is about having a clear description regarding your school’s culture and finding ways to represent this in the life of the school. This can be anything from the way the school grounds are presented, how teachers communicate with parents, school trips, printed material, to how a school’s online social media channels are managed. Therefore, if a school brand is going to be successful it requires that stakeholders understand their school’s culture so they have clarity about their individual and collective roles within that brand.

I always ask schools that I am working with, what is unique about them? How do they differ from another school just down the road? What dreams do they have for their school? Have they surveyed their community to see what positive or negative perceptions exist about them? What are some goals they hope to achieve with their new branding? It is important for developing a strong visual identity that I understand as much about a school as possible.

Over the years I have learned that a successful school brand requires maintaining a healthy and strong school culture – in the good times and bad. It includes surveying your school community and developing a marketing plan based on this. The result is a school brand that will stand out in the community and be more effective in attracting prospective families to your school.

I will talk more about what defines a successful school brand in my next blog.

Do you have a clear understanding of your school culture? Does your school have a branding strategy?

I would love to hear what your experience has been.