martech@imageseven.com.au, Author at imageseven

233: Closing the gap between insight and action – Part 2

In this follow up to episode 232, Brad and Scully focus on how Heads can turn understanding into meaningful activity that changes behaviour or perception for your audience. They explore how to define success before acting, choose the right measures and build simple systems that keep teams aligned. The conversation highlights how structure prevents drift and sustains momentum through the term. The duo discusses practical steps for maintaining momentum and ensuring insights create meaningful improvement for families and staff.

The secret to a connected alumni network? Engage before they graduate.

When students graduate, their relationship with the school is far from over. In fact, the key to building an engaged and connected alumni network starts long before graduation.

232: Closing the gap between insight and action – Part 1

Despite having more data and reports than ever, many schools still struggle to turn insight into meaningful change. Brad and Scully explore why execution often stalls through vague direction, thin ownership and weak inspection, and outline how Heads can close the ‘strategy-execution gap’. They share practical examples across enrolment, communication and brand delivery, demonstrating how clarity, cadence and single-point ownership can transform insight into visible, day-to-day behaviour change.

The art of personalisation

In today’s competitive education landscape, personalisation is no longer just a marketing trend — it’s an expectation. Prospective families are looking for connection, care and confidence when making their decision and every interaction with your school contributes to this perception.

231: The enrolment journey – Interview with Anthony McCausland

Parents are becoming far more sensitive to how schools communicate fees, and fee transparency is now one of the top factors shaping enrolment decisions. In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Anthony McCausland, Founder and CEO of Feesable, to discuss new national insights from the School Fees in Australia: 2025 Report. They explore how Gen Z parents are reshaping expectations, why clarity and simplicity build trust and retention, and the practical steps Heads can take to modernise fee communication and strengthen every stage of the enrolment journey.

Beyond titles: Building an effective school marketing team

A job title doesn’t define the most crucial marketing role at your school; it’s defined by the impact it has. Many school Heads of school believe they’ve checked the marketing box by hiring a Director of Communications, but the reality is more complex.

230: How heads build marketing maturity

Heads feel like they’re constantly firefighting. In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss how to replace that reactive cycle with calm and confident leadership through marketing maturity. They explore how disciplined systems create clarity, resilience and trust across your school and outline five practical steps to embed structure, align marketing with strategy and lead with confidence – building stability that lasts beyond any single person or change.

235: Stop chasing clicks: how brand building drives long-term school growth

In this episode of SMC, Charlie and Rita are joined by Senior Account Manager James Tindall to chat about why it’s time for school marketers to stop chasing clicks and start building brands that last. In Making News, the team first discuss fresh data showing CMOs shifting their focus from performance marketing to brand awareness and what schools marketers can take from this. In the Deep Dive, they explore why authentic, experience-led content cuts through digital fatigue, and how live events can spark a real connection with your community. In Rants & Raves, they celebrate Nike’s Chicago Marathon campaign — a masterclass in smart, human, context-driven storytelling.

Why we might have got school marketing all wrong

Parents often choose a school in the same way they choose a laptop – by weighing value, selecting a familiar system and choosing features which fit their child’s needs. This challenges schools to rethink how families decide on a school, by focusing on perceived value and loyalty to build trust that endures.

229: Attracting staff – Interview with Sue Ellson

Brad speaks to Sue Ellson, independent LinkedIn Specialist and career development author, to discuss how schools can attract and retain quality staff in a competitive employment landscape. Sue shares practical ways to build a stronger professional presence online, position your school as an employer of choice, and use LinkedIn to reach candidates. Together, they explore how Heads can shape staff attraction strategies that align with a school’s values, strengthen culture and enhance reputation.

Not all stories are stories

We talk a lot about storytelling in school marketing – and rightly so. But not all stories are created equal. In fact, many aren’t stories at all. True storytelling isn’t about what’s said – it’s about what’s experienced, felt and remembered.

228: The Head’s guide to managing message drift

Even the strongest school brands can lose clarity through slow and silent erosion. Brad and Scully explore the hidden danger of message drift: how small, well-intentioned changes can blur your voice and weaken your impact. They discuss why drift is a leadership issue, how to spot it before it spreads, and share a five-step guide to re-anchor your school’s story so it stays clear, consistent and trusted.