Montessori 2010 - Brand Communications and Successful Marketing

2009 Corey McPherson Nash | Proprietary Content | For more information, email info@corey.com

March 27, 2010
Brand Communications
and Successful Marketing
American Montessori Society 2010 Annual Conference

Agenda
· About You
· About Us
· About Marketing and Branding
· Case Studies
· Exercise and Handouts
· Wrap Up

ABOUT COREY

Corey McPherson Nash
THOUGHTFUL BRANDING AND DESIGN
We help organizations connect better with their audiences
through brand, print and new media communications
• Education
• Healthcare
• Culture and entertainment
• Emerging business

Who We Are

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

What is Communication vs. Marketing?
COMMUNICATION MARKETING
VS. WANTS
PROSPECTS TO
ACT
WANTS
AUDIENCES TO
LISTEN

The Marketing Challenge
What has changed?
· Audiences are smarter and more skeptical.
· Social networking is far more powerful than
communications.
· Authenticity is essential.
· The Web has enabled the “stealth applicant”
to learn about you without your knowledge.
· The higher tuition cost means families are
looking for clear ROI.

What’s changed about communications?
· Branding is not a dirty word.
· The Internet has supplanted print as the
primary channel of communications, both with
prospects and with the community.
· The role of print has changed from
communicating information to communicating
value.

The role of the Web:
· Make it easy for visitors to find what they are
looking for.
· Don’t let marketing get in the way of performing
tasks. The visitor’s experience of your Web site
is often their first experience of your school.
Don’t make it their last.

The role of print:
· The Web removes from print the burden of
carrying lots of information.
· Use print to communicate value: What do you
stand for and why should I care?
· Print is a great vehicle for communicating
emotion – more tactile, richer and easier to read.
· Print should point the audience to the Web site.

The role of integrated identity:
· Creates continuity of creative expression across
print and Web
· Uses visual and verbal language to reinforce key
themes and messages
· Streamlines communications – not constantly
reinventing the wheel
· Forces discipline internally, makes a good
impression externally

Identity Diagram

But the channel doesn’t
matter if the message isn’t
clear.

Who are you? (identity)
What do you offer? (features)
Why should I care? (benefits)

Message Architecture
The role of message architecture:
· Own a Big Idea – credibly and authentically – that
differentiates you from your peer schools.
· Create visual and verbal language to communicate that
idea to each of your audiences.

The goal of focusing the message:
· Don’t leave all the messaging in the hands of your
audiences.
· Word-of-mouth is your most credible marketing channel –
for better or for worse.
· Parents of current students and the students themselves
are your best ambassadors. Use new media to empower
them.

CMN Process
New Media Print
Brand Strategy
Messaging
Creative Strategy

ABOUT BRANDING

?

“Your brand is what people say about you
when you leave the room.”
– Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, Amazon

Your brand is not what you say it is.
It is what your constituents say it is.

What is a Brand?
Your brand is NOT your logo.
(Although your logo is an important component
of your brand expression.)

What is a Brand?
Your brand IS your reputation.
It’s what people think when they hear your
name.

The Way CMN Thinks About Brand
Brand = Physical + Mental
· Physical =
name + tagline + logo + color
· Mental =
benefit + values + personality

The Way Corey Thinks About Brand
The Physical +
The Mental +
=
B R A N D

Brand Strategy
Strategic Plan
• Growth Objectives
• Target Audiences
• Market Landscape
• Competitive Landscape
Brand Strategy
• Brand Perception
• Brand Architecture
• Brand Position
• Messaging Strategy
Execution
• Visual Style
• Community Outreach
• Social Media
• Public Relations
• Online/Off-line
• Communication Pieces

· Position
· The benefit that sets your brand apart. It is what you want to
exist in the minds of the consumers.
· Promise
· The pledge to customers about the experience.
· Permission
· The scope of the brand – the do’s and don'ts.
· Personality
· The voice and attitude.
· Permanence
· The enduring qualities of the brand.

· Sincerity
· Down-to-Earth, Honest, Welcome, Cheerful
· Excitement
· Daring, Spirited, Imaginative, Up-to-date
· Competence
· Reliable, Intelligent, Successful
· Sophistication
· Upper class, charming
· Ruggedness
· Outdoorsy, Tough
· Source: Dr. David Aaker, Building Strong Brands

Criteria for a Great Brand
RELEVANT
SUSTAINABLE
DIFFERENTIATED
Why should I care?
How are you
different or better?
Is the value worth
the cost?

Brand Map
Individual aspects of your
product or service
What do your customers get
out of using it
How does it make them feel
to use it
What does it say about them
to use it
The manner in which you do it
What is permanent

Messaging Architecture
A promise is the pledge companies make to their customers about
what they will experience when they do business with you.
A position of a brand is the benefit that sets your brand apart; it is
what you want to exist in the minds of consumers (e.g., Volvo =
safe). This position provides a competitive advantage.
A value proposition is a clear statement of the tangible results a
customer gets from using your products or services. The more
specific your value proposition is, the better.
FIRST EXTERNAL SECOND EXTERNAL INTERNAL
PROMISE
POSITION
VALUE PROPOSITION
PRIMARY MESSAGES

Time +
Consistent Delivery +
Consistent Communication
=
B R A N D E Q U I T Y

Summary
Brand is a verb. It’s an activity, not an object.
Creating a brand requires discipline and vigilance.
What you say should be carefully considered,
strategic and consistent.
Your internal audience, not just external audience, is
your brand advocate. You must socialize your brand.
Adapt your messages for each audience, but be true
to your core.

Why Invest in
Branding Now?

Why Invest in Branding Now?
Enrollment challenges:
After decades of growth, school-age populations in the
Northeast are projected to decline. Independent
school populations decreased 1% between 1993 and
2006 and are expected to decline an additional 2%
between 2006 and 2018.
– “Projections of Education Statistics to 2018,” Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Statistics

Fundraising challenges:
Due to recent economic conditions,
philanthropic donations are projected to
decline 9% in 2009, compared with a 6.5%
increase in 2008.
– The Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 26, 2009

In this environment, you need
to make the strongest
possible case for your school.

That means: knowing what your
audiences think, knowing what
you want them to think, and then
developing a system of behaviors
and communications to close
that gap.

If you don’t manage your brand,
your audience will.
That may work out if you are really good –
and really lucky.

If you do manage your brand,
you will build brand equity.
Brand equity = consistent delivery +
consistent communications + time

SOCIAL MEDIA

Brand Strategy
What is Branding?
Strategic Plan
• Growth Objectives
• Target Markets
• Market Landscape
• Competitive Landscape
Brand Strategy
• Brand Perception
• Brand Architecture
• Position
• Messaging Strategy
Execution
• Overall Look & Feel
• Community Outreach
• Social Media
• Public Relations
• Online/Off-line
Communication Pieces

What is Social Media
Social media are primarily Internet-based
tools for sharing and discussing information
among human beings. This interaction, and
the manner in which information is
presented, depends on the varied
perspectives and “building” shared meaning
among communities, as people share their
stories and experiences. - Wikipedia
shared meaning among
communities, as people share
their stories and experiences.
Creating a shared meaning is about creating a
distinct, compelling and meaningful BRAND

Telling Statistics:
Have you ever “friended” a brand on Facebook or
MySpace?
FEED Survey by Razorfish, http://feed.razorfish.com/feed09/the-data/ (2009)
41%
YES
59%
NO

Telling Statistics:
Has an experience you have had online ever changed
your opinion (either positively or negatively) about a
brand or the products and services it offers?
65.3%
YES
34.7%
NO

Telling Statistics:
Has that experience influenced whether or not you
purchased a product or service from the brand?
97.1%
YES
2.9%
NO

Telling Statistics:
Are you more likely to buy/recommed a brand since
becoming a friend/follower?
Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies, http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007568 (2010)
67%
YES
51%
YES

Traditional Brand Communications
Traditional ways of communicating your brand:
One-to-many:
Advertising
Print
Radio
TV
Web site
Blast email

Pros:
· Cost-effective
· Edited, filtered
· Uniform
· Consistent
Cons:
· Inauthentic, rehearsed
· Bland, generic
· Talking, not listening
· Shallow, superficial
· Slow to respond
One-to-many

Traditional ways of communicating your brand:
One-to-one:
Phone calls
Meetings
Personal emails
Written correspondence
Parties
Events
SMS
IM

Pros:
· Responsive
· Engaging
· Authentic
· Personal
· Deep
Cons:
· Limited reach
· High cost per transaction
· High risk
One-to-one

What are Social Media?
SHOUTING! conversation
gap

What are Social Media?
Why now?
· People want to connect with people
· Technology enables connections
· Economics encourages activity online
Source: Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, Groundswell

Why schools should invest in social media:
· Admissions
· Alumni/ae relations
· Fundraising

Admissions: the perspective of your audience
· Anxiety about making the right decision for
their child
· Complexity of options and factors
· Suspicious of “marketing”
· Lack of trusted sources for information

Trusted Sources of Information
Word of mouth succeeds because:
· It’s believable
· It’s self-reinforcing
· It’s self-spreading
Source: Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, Groundswell

Widening Your Reach
Social media reveals the weak links that often have
the most value.
“Brave New World of Digital Intimacy”, The New York Times, September 9, 2008

Relationships are Everything
Alumni/ae Relations
· A social network you “own” – alumni/ae want
to connect with each other and with your
school (in that order)
· Alumni/ae also own your brand – for better or
for worse
· Identify and leverage your “champions”
· Every one-on-one interaction on a social
media platform is shared with the larger
community

Social networks provide participants:
· Anticipated reciprocity (I post, you respond)
· Increased recognition (I blog, you comment)
· Sense of efficacy
· Source of referrals (anticipated reciprocity)
Peter Kollack, The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace (1998)

Corey’s Top Six Rules of Social Media:
1. Be authentic.
2. Fortify.
Strengthen your current audience and engage new ones.
3. Connect.
Publish content that invites your audience to participate. (Don’t sell, sell,
sell.)
4. Be remarkable.
Give your audience things to remark on.
5. Get outside (your site).
Participate in other discussions, not just your own.
6. Embrace organic planning.
Establish a plan, but be ready to adjust.

Summary
1. WHO do you want to reach?
- Who are they listening to?
2. WHAT are your goals?
- How do you want to shift the discussion?
3. HOW will you engage in relationships?
- What are your messages? How will you nurture them?
4. WHICH channels will you use?
- Select your channels
- Identify your resources.

CHALLENGES

Challenges
· Time
· Resources
· Budget
· Economy
· Brand Confusion

· WHO IS MARIA MONTESSORI?

What Does Montessori Mean?
What Does Montessori Mean?
Waldorf School?
Self-directed
learning
I don’t know
Is it some kind of
cult or religion?
My friends' kids go
to one
One-to-one interaction
I know it’s not a public
school but that’s all I know
Learning the child’s way
Open, progressive, alternative
A child's pace

CASE STUDIES

Case Studies
· An Established School, Buckingham, Browne & Nichols
· A Mission Driven Business School, Mendoza College of
Business
· A Start-Up Museum, The Boston Museum
· An Elementary School’s Brand Revitalization, The Pike School

Case Study: BB&N
Objectives
· Rebrand and reposition the school with new messaging,
identity, print and Web presence grounded in research
· Capture the energy and vitality of learning at BB&N
· Leverage what is unique about BB&N. Avoid making it look
like just another New England prep school.
· Communicate the compassionate and supportive nature of
BB&N, but in ways that don’t compromise the high standards
of performance.

BB&N Integrated Communications
Communications Issues:
· No consensus on the attributes that differentiate BB&N from
peer schools
· No coordinated effort to assure that everyone is speaking about
BB&N in the same way
· External perception that BB&N is narrowly academic and
rigorous at every level
· The value of three separate campuses and the common culture
that ties them together
· Unclear on how to talk about athletics at BB&N
· Disconnect between admissions communications and alumni/ae
communications
· Inherent challenge of communicating about pre-K through 12

Process:
· In-depth interviews with BB&N audiences: staff,
faculty, students, parents and alumni/ae
· Develop user personas of parents and alumni/ae
· Develop a brand strategy and message architecture
that aligns with the goals of the school and is
relevant, distinctive and sustainable.
· Create visual and written communications that deliver
the message in an appropriate form.

What we learned:
• While the Upper School is very academically
challenging, the Lower and Middle Schools are
“developmentally appropriate”
• The location of the schools on three separate
campuses helps to reinforce the distinctive approach
of each school
• BB&N does a great job of recruiting – and supporting
– a diverse group of families
• For students, the location near Harvard Square is a
huge plus

The pledge you make to those you serve about what they will
experience by choosing your organization.
The benefit that sets your brand apart. It is what you want to
exist in the minds of those you serve. It is your competitive
advantage.
A value proposition is a clear statement of the tangible results one
receives by taking advantage of your offer.
FIRST EXTERNAL SECOND EXTERNAL INTERNAL
PROMISE
POSITION
VALUE PROPOSITION
PRIMARY MESSAGES

Brand Promise
BB&N engages boys and girls in grades pre-K
through 12 in a rich, invigorating, and
developmentally appropriate educational experience
of the highest quality, opening their minds to new
possibilities while providing outstanding preparation
for the next steps in their lives.

Brand Position
Located near Harvard Square in Cambridge, BB&N
is a coeducational day school for grades pre-K
through 12 that engages students in an intense,
vibrant, and multifaceted education. Bright, curious
students from a broad range of backgrounds and
with a broad range of interests learn from gifted
faculty and from each other as they embrace the
challenges of a premier educational experience.

Value Proposition
In BB&N’s close-knit school community and
motivating learning environment, students develop
the intellectual skills and qualities of character that
enable them to reach their fullest potential as
learners and as people.
·

Messages for:
•Prospective Lower School Parents
•Prospective Middle School Parents
•Prospective Upper School Parents
•Prospective Upper School Students
•Alumni/ae
•Faculty and Staff
•Role of Athletics at BB&N

Primary Message to Prospective Middle School Parents
At BB&N students flourish during this crucial time of
transition. The school taps their natural spontaneity,
curiosity, and creativity through a rich and varied range
of experiences inside and outside the classroom. They
develop trust for teachers and other adult role models
who care about them and know how to bring out their
best. Students build a firm foundation for success in the
Upper School and beyond.

Primary Message about the Role of Athletics
at BB&N
Interscholastic athletics at BB&N – like all BB&N
programs – embody the core values of the school.
Athletic competition enables students to practice
integrity, to achieve personal growth, to assume
responsibility, to learn the lessons taught by victory
and defeat, and to give their very best efforts while
working together as members of a team toward a
shared goal.

The Big Idea:
BB&N = “Messy vitality”

Capture the energy and vitality of learning at BB&N
• Use a louder voice and more aggressive tone than in the
past
• Use bold documentary-style photography to show engaged
interaction – teachers and students, students and students –
to show that learning is a contact sport
• Use typography and language to communicate a smart and
spirited confidence about ideas
• Capture the Cambridge intellectual vibe – and not just
through pictures of the surroundings

Communicate the compassionate and supportive
nature of BB&N, but in ways that don’t compromise
the high standards of performance.
• The imagery and language for the Lower School convey a
warm and supportive environment without being cloyingly
sweet. (Not every child needs to be smiling.)
• Show small groups of kids studying together or socializing in
each of the campuses or at Harvard Square.
• Show the diversity of the student population in all settings.

Leverage what is unique about BB&N. Avoid making
it look like just another New England prep school.
• Showcase its distinctive characteristics, such as the
Cambridge location and “urban vibe,” the three campuses,
and the the traditions, such as Bivouac, the Senior Tiles, etc.
• Celebrate difference in people, ideas, interests – allow the
school’s eclectic, creative, at-times quirky nature to show
through.
• Address the issue of character-building subtly. (“We don’t
teach character, we model it.”) rather than explicitly. (“At XYZ
School we build strong character in all our students.”)

Mendoza School of Business

University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business
School:
· Business school serves undergraduate, MBA, executive
education, Master and non-degree programs
Target Audiences:
· Primary: Business leaders with an altruistic approach
Assignment:
· Branding, messaging and Web site
Strategy:
· Differentiate the business school by focusing on the core of
Notre Dame

Mendoza Recommendations: Message
+
Faculty leadership
(research, hosting
conferences)
Teaching problem solving
skills
Students have a love of
learning
Transforming/developing
the individual
End benefit to change the
world
Closeness to faculty
Values based problem
solving
Ethics integral to
offerings
Notre Dame network
(passionate/large)
Methodology/curriculum
=
Messaging Strategy:
Merge Parity with Positive Differentiation

Mendoza Recommendations: Message
Mendoza’s Golden Thread:
Educating people who will make
the world better through business.

Case Study: Mendoza College of Business

Case Study: Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame

Mendoza College of Business: Before

The Pike School
Goal: Reposition the Pike brand as a “traditionally progressive” place
of learning
Assignment:
· Design a visual identifier and a Web site that serves as a common
element and cornerstone for all communications
Target Audiences and Markets:
· Primary: Parents, staff/faculty, alumni/ae, students
· Secondary: Trustees, donors, media
Communications Objectives:
· Represent Pike as an educational institution
· Symbolize the blend between traditional/progressive
· Communicate accessible/inclusive
· Standardize “Pike Green”

Pike - Before

Pike - Logo Directions

Pike - New Identity

Pike - Web site

Pike - Campaign Name and Identity

The Boston Museum
· Business:
· An incipient cultural institution in the heart of the Rose
Kennedy Greenway celebrating Boston essential role in the
American narrative.
· Target Audiences and Markets:
· Primary: Individual donors, policy makers, corporate donors
· Secondary: Everybody
· Assignment:
· Branding, messaging & tagline, logo, identity, collateral and
interactive video kiosk.
Strategy:
· Create verbal and visual language to position and promote
the Museum.

The Boston Museum
· Core
· Boston, the nation and the world
· Personality
· Relevant, multi-faceted, welcoming, exciting
· Key Messages
· Bold and memorable
· Promise
· The Boston Museum is a new breed of cultural institution
that will explore the making and re-making of the American
identity through Boston’s incomparable history.

The Boston Museum Message Map

The Boston Museum

The Boston Museum Story Kiosk, Boston

Boston Museum Story Kiosk, Boston

SUMMARY

9 Things To Do Now
1. Start now. Don’t wait until numbers are down.
2. Develop Your Plan. Use old school and new school
communications.
3. Identify Your Target Audience (who, what, where, how). Find
Your North Stars.
4. Figure Out Your Brand. What’s Your Story?
5. Crystallize Your Message. Can you say in an elevator ride?
6. Create Your Verbal and Visual Dialogue. Remember to socialize
your brand.
7. Work Your Plan in Stages. You don’t need to launch all at once.
8. Evaluate Metrics to see what’s working. Look, Listen and Refine.
9. Don’t Stop Now. Keep working it.

EXERCISE and
HANDOUT

Thank you!
· http://www.corey.com
· http://twitter.com/cmntweets
· http://www.facebook.com/coreymcphersonnash
· http://www.corey.com/flickr

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