A presentation outlining an approach to the re-brand of a private 6th Form College. It includes explanation of the different elements of building a brand and factors to consider for private colleges in particular.

1. Branding for Education
A strategic view of communications for a private 6th form college
– the development of an educational brand
Eleanor Maclure

2. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Define purpose
and requirements
Develop
appropriate
strategy
Execution of
outcomes
Update of Brand for Private 6th Form College

3. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Branding as a Marketing Strategy
Branding is the process of
purposefully shaping the
perceptions of your audience,
in order to achieve the aims of
your organisation

4. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Branding as a Marketing Strategy
“Your brand is what people
say about you when you
leave the room”
Jeff Bezos, creator of Amazon.com

5. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Branding as a Marketing Strategy
You have a brand whether it
has been managed or not
It is more than just your logo,
it is your reputation

6. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Branding as a Marketing Strategy
Who has the potential to influence the
perception of a private college?
• Current students
• Alumni
• Parents
• Current and former teaching staff
• Administrative staff
• Senior management
• Educational agents
• Academic community
• Other Independent Colleges
• Other secondary and private schools
• Ofsted
• Exam boards/moderators/external
examiners
• University admissions boards

7. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Branding as a Marketing Strategy
Building and managing your brand will
help you create a coherent marketing
strategy allowing you to promote
the college more effectively. It will
distinguish you from your competitors
and strengthen the identity of the college

8. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Branding as a Marketing Strategy
Everything you communicate,
whether done verbally,
visually, physically or written
will shape the perception of
your brand

9. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Building and Managing your Brand
What you look like –
your brand identity.
How well does it
visually communicate
what you are trying to
say and do?
What you say –
written and verbal,
your message, your
tone of voice, your
vocabulary
What you do – Your
actions, behaviours,
attitude, achievements
and integrity. Do you
deliver on your claims?
Your Brand

10. Brand Strategy for a Private College
• Talks/speeches
• Presentations
• Meetings
• Slogans
• School motto
• Telephone manner
• Articles
What You Say can include:
• Newsletters
• Blog posts
• Advert copy
• Press releases
• Prospectus text
• Website content
• Social media content
Building and Managing your Brand

11. Brand Strategy for a Private College
• Exam results
• Behaviour of students
• Success of alumni
• Expertise and knowledge of staff
• Quality of teaching
• Effectiveness of senior management
• Efficiency of day to day running
• Open days
• Other school events or performances
What You Do can include:
Building and Managing your Brand

12. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Brand Identity
Brand Assets
Building and Managing your Brand
What You Look like includes your:
The visual expression of your brand values, personality and message
Distinctive elements of your identity that evoke your brand in the
mind of your audience

13. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Visual Assets:
• Logo/logotype
• Colours/colour palette
• Typeface/typography
• Graphic devices
• Shapes
• Patterns
• Characters
• Style of advertising
Sensory Assets:
• Scents
• Textures
• Tastes
• Sounds - songs,
music, jingles,
rhythms
Physical Assets:
• Buildings
• Places
• People – figures
synonymous with the
brand (eg. Richard
Branson and Virgin)
or celebrities
Brand Assets can include:
(not all will be applicable in every case)
Building and Managing your Brand

14. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Offline/Printed media:
• Prospectus design
• Leaflets
• Posters
• Stationery
• Printed newsletters
• Banners
• Newspaper/magazine
adverts
• Photographs
Online/digital media:
• Website design
• Email newsletters
• Email signatures
• Online advertising
• Blog pages
• Social media pages
• Videos/animations
• Photographs
• Electronic presentations
• Screen savers
Physical media:
• Signage/wayfinding
• Interior design
• Building
• Exhibition stands
• Promotional items
Execution of you Brand Identity
Building and Managing your Brand
Visual Language: Logo, Colour, Typeface, Shapes

15. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Building and Managing your Brand
The execution of your brand identity
should visually reinforce your message,
creating a consistent look that is
distinctive from other colleges and
recognisable as belonging to you

16. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Building and Managing your Brand
Execution –
Consistent
application of the
brand identity
across marketing
platforms
Your message –
Shaping the
perception of
your audience
Brand Identity –
The visual
interpretation
of your brand
message
Your Brand

17. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Building and Managing your Brand
Building and managing your brand
will help to build your Brand
Equity or Brand Value. This can
be built over time by delivering a
consistent product or service and
communicating a consistent brand
message

18. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Building and Managing your Brand
Brand equity is the increase in
value placed on a product or
service as a result of it being
produced or provided by a well-
known, established or respected
brand

19. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Consistent
application of
Brand Identity
Brand
Equity
Consistent
Communication
Consistent
Delivery
Distinctive
Brand Identity
Building and Managing your Brand

20. Defining a College’s Brand

21. Brand Strategy for a Private College
How is the college perceived?
How do you want the college
to be perceived?
How is your college unique?

22. Brand Strategy for a Private College
What are your USPs?
• Committed to academic excellence
• Rewarding and engaging experience
• Outstanding exam results
• Top university destinations
• State-of-the-art facilities
• Great location
• Students treated as mature adults
• Friendly, informal environment
• Sense of community
• Wide choice of subjects
• Individual attention
• Scholarships available
• Supportive and knowledgeable staff
• Small class sizes
• Extra-curricular activities
How is your college unique?

23. Brand Strategy for a Private College
What are your Brand Values?
What is your Brand Personality?
A set of characteristics that define the personality of your school
and differentiate you from your competitors
A set of key values that define what your school and therefore what
your brand stands for
How is your college unique?

24. Brand Strategy for a Private College
What is your Brand Position?
What is your Value Proposition?
Your defining feature or benefit that sets you apart from all your
competitors; your niche
The value of the features and benefits your audience receives as a
result of choosing your organisation
How is your college unique?

25. Brand Strategy for a Private College
How is your college unique?
Brand
Personality
Brand
Values
Brand
Position
Value
Proposition
Your BrandDefining
your brand

26. Brand Strategy for a Private College
• Friendly
• Caring
• Supportive
• Creative
• Responsible
• Motivating
• Nurturing
• Informal
How is your college unique?
Example Brand Personality traits for your college:
• Challenging
• Informative
• Enlightening
• Empowering
• Fun
• Inspiring
• Relaxed
• Open
• Understanding
• Energising
• Stimulating
• Encouraging
• Invigorating
• Rigorous
• Committed

27. Brand Strategy for a Private College
• Committed to academic excellence
• Rewarding and engaging experience
• Outstanding exam results
• Students treated as mature adults
• Friendly, informal environment
• Sense of community
• Wide choice of subjects
• Supportive and knowledgeable staff
• Dedicated attention
How is your college unique?
Example Brand Values for your college:

28. Brand Strategy for a Private College
How is your college unique?
Example Brand Positioning statement
for your college:
Informal Excellence

29. Brand Strategy for a Private College
How is your college unique?
Example Value Proposition for your College:
We prepare our students for life
and higher education as mature,
independent, successful adults
able to pursue excellence and
further achievement.

30. Developing a
Brand Identity

31. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity
At the recent Headmasters’ and
Headmistresses’ Conference in Belfast,
Mungo Dunnett ‘advised schools to
create a distinctive brand, which marks
them out from other private schools in
their area’.
Anna Davis, Evening Standard

32. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity
Who are your competitors?
• Other Independent Colleges in the UK
• International Colleges/schools
• Private schools with Sixth Forms
• Grammar schools with Sixth Forms
• High performing state schools with Sixth Forms
• High performing state Sixth Form Colleges

33. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity
What do your competitors offer?
• Outstanding Ofsted inspection
• Preparation for university
• Excellent exam results
• Top university destinations
• Extra-curricular activities
• Boarding
• State-of-the-art facilities
• GCSEs,A & A/S Levels
• Re-takes
• Easter Revision
• Exams to external candidates
• Medical Programme
• UKCAT and BMAT Courses
• Support for international students
• Small class sizes
• Personal tutors
• Wide range of subjects
• Excellent teaching and support
• Support and guidance for UCAS
• Additional subject tuition

34. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity
What do your competitors look like?

35. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Colour Analysis
Dominant Blue Colour Palette Dominant Red Colour Palette

36. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Typographic Analysis
Serif Typefaces Sans Serif Typefaces

37. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Semiotic Analysis
More Traditional Elements of Both More Modern

38. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Analysis
How is your college different
from other schools? What
makes your college unique?

39. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Analysis
Does your current brand
identity represent the
values and personality you
want to portray?

40. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Elements
Your typeface is your tone
of voice. It can emphasis or
undermine the meaning of your
message or create suggestions
and associations for your words

41. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Typeface Examples
PRIVATE COLLEGE
Private College
Gotham Rounded
Modern
Interstate
Open
Private College Clan Pro
Technical
Private College Baskerville
Formal

42. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Typeface Examples
Private College
PRIVATE COLLEGE
Private College
Avant Garde
Bold
Museo
Friendly
Gill Sans
British
Private College Edwardian Script
Traditional

43. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Elements
Your colour palette will influence the
feel of your brand identity. Colour
elicits an emotional response, colour
schemes are usually more memorable
and recognisable than other visual
elements. They can also be used for
colour coding and navigation

44. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Colour Palette Examples
• Nautical
• Traditional
• Urban
• Industrial
• Young
• Fresh

45. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Colour Palette Examples
• Soft
• Feminine
• Bold
• Masculine
• Cool
• Understated

46. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Elements
Graphic devices are shapes or
symbols that can be used alone
or repeated to create patterns or
textures. They can form part of a
logo or be used alongside it as part
of a visual identity system

47. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Elements
Your logo is a graphical representation
of your organisation. It should be
unique and recognisable. A logotype
is where the name of the organisation
is used as the logo either alone or in
conjunction with a symbol

48. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Logo Examples
Classic Designs Contemporary Logos

49. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Academic Logo Examples

50. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Brand Identity – Brand Application
Bournemouth University

51. Developing a
Marketing Strategy

52. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Marketing Strategy
What do you want to achieve?
• Expand pupil numbers
• Attract better quality candidates
• Develop a franchise
• Raise the profile of the college
• Break into new/international markets
• Compete in a changing UK education market
• All of the above
• Something else entirely

53. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Who are your audiences?
External
• Prospective students
• Prospective parents
• Educational agents
• Feeder schools
Internal
• Current Students
• Parents
• Teaching Staff
• Management

54. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Marketing Tools and Activities:
Offline/Printed media:
• Prospectus
• Brochures
• Leaflets
• Posters
• Banners
• Newsletters
• Printed adverts
• Press releases
• Printed articles
Online/Digital media:
• Website
• SEO
• Links on other sites
• Email newsletters
• Email signatures
• Online advertising
• Blog pages
• Social media pages
• Videos/animations
• Screen presentations
• Screen savers
• Online articles
Physical/Experiential media:
• Exhibition stands
• Promotional items
• Talks/speeches
• Open days
• Events
• Word of mouth

55. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Your marketing output should
communicate a consistent
message in line with your brand
values, brand personality, brand
positioning and brand promise

56. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Marketing Strategy
To reinforce your message
and generate recognition your
brand identity should be applied
consistently across all of your
marketing output

57. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Your brand identity should
be designed and developed
so that it is flexible enough
to adapt to the different
requirements of offline and
online media

58. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Offline/Printed media considerations:
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Prospectus/Brochures/
Leaflets/Posters/Banners/
Newsletters/Printed
adverts/Press releases/
Printed articles
• Legibility,
• Accessibility
• Audience
• Purpose
• Size
• Format
• Binding
• Print method
• Print run
• Budget
• Time constraints
• Organisation of
Content
• Text
• Hierarchy
• Tone of voice
• Image types
• Image quality
• Colour reproduction
• Paper stock

59. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Online/digital media considerations:
• Legibility,
• Accessibility
• Audience
• Purpose
• Budget
• Image types
• File formats
• File sizes
• Text on screen
• Tone of voice
• Web fonts
• SEO
• Device Compatibility
• Time constraints
• Type of content
• Content management
• Screen resolution
• Download speed
• Colour rendering
• Conversion rate
• Image quality
• Browser compatibility
• Online security
• Interactivity
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Website/SEO/Inbound links/
Email newsletters/Email
signatures/Online advertising/
Blog pages/Social media pages/
Videos/Animations/Screen
presentations/Screen savers/
Online articles

60. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Physical/Experiential media considerations:
• Accessibility
• Audience
• Purpose
• Budget
• Size
• Scale
• Relevance
• Content
• Tone of voice
• Time constraints
• Production methods
• Interactive elements
• Overall experience
• Overall presentation
• Application of graphics
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Exhibition stands/
Promotional items/
Talks/Speeches/Open
days/Events

61. Brand Strategy for a Private College
Web Specific Marketing Strategies:
• Website design
• SEO
• Adwords
• Interactive content
• Conversion rate
• Blogging
• Writing articles
• Twitter presence
• Facebook page
• Linkedin Profile
• Photo sharing (Flickr, Instagram)
Developing a Marketing Strategy
• Video sharing (YouTube, Vimeo)
• Document sharing (Issuu, Scribd)
• Link sharing (StumbleUpon, Digg,
Delicious, Google Bookmarks)
• Presence on school search and
review directories
• Analytics
• Inbound links
• Pay per click
• News feeds

62. Branding for Education
A strategic view of communications for a private 6th form college
– the development of an educational brand
Eleanor Maclure