In this special interview episode, Brad is joined by Graham Catt, CEO of Independent Schools Australia, to discuss the School Choice Counts campaign which was launched ahead of the federal election. Together they discuss why it matters, how you can support the campaign and, most importantly, how the campaign can support your school community.
In this milestone 200th episode, Brad and Scully reflect on the history of the School Marketing Journal Podcast, whilst hearing from a selection of previous guests and listeners. As they look back on the biggest shifts in school marketing across the years, they consolidate the lessons they’ve learned from a range of experts across numerous topics to ultimately help school Heads feel confident in making strategic marketing decisions.
In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss why school Heads must take ownership of their school marketing. They investigate the three main roles of marketing in schools, highlight where leadership is essential and examine the leadership mindset required to balance strategy and promotion with the goal of helping Heads recognise their influence and maximise their marketing impact.
In this special interview episode, Brad is joined by Graham Kenny, an expert in strategy and performance measurement, who has helped leaders across business, government and education navigate complex challenges, as well as being Australia’s only regular author to the Harvard Business Review. This episode, Graham reveals some lessons he has learnt about strategy and discusses his research into how AI can help school Heads with strategy going forward.
Choosing a school is an emotional decision for families. Whether it’s about finding the right academic fit, culture or values, each family has unique criteria. Your school competes with dozens of other schools, all vying for a place on prospective families’ shortlists. To truly stand out and secure your spot, you don’t need to be the biggest or the best. You just need to be their favourite.
In this special interview episode, we are joined by Ashley Fell, the Director of Advisory at McCrindle, to discuss the tool they have developed, the Thriving Schools Index. This tool delves into understanding the school experience from a range of stakeholder perspectives, to give a score across a number of areas. She also shares how school Heads can use communication as a tool to move the needle on these indicators, to ensure your school is perceived as positively as possible.
In this special interview episode, we are joined by Peter Barron, who served as the Chief Member Relations Officer for the US Enrollment Management Association, directing their marketing and communications, member recruitment and retention, leadership training programs, and research. He introduces us to his new business, MoonshotOS, which is designed to help education leaders to reimagine the independent school business model. We also discuss the findings of a survey Peter conducted on school leaders, including eight business competencies that directly affect school leaders.
Managing enrolments is about more than just filling seats. It’s about building a secure and sustainable future for your school, and that takes an approach that goes beyond surface level fixes. Introducing imageseven’s newest offering: the Enrolments Practice. In this episode, we are joined by imageseven’s Belinda McCubbin and Pauline Shuttleworth, to take you through the rationale behind the Enrolments Practice, why now is the right time for this service, and how it can help Heads confidently move from challenge to clarity.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of delivering on your brand promise. Prompted by a case study of a school in America, we explore how moving away from your brand promise as a school, risks losing its distinctiveness in this increasingly competitive market. We also share some tips to help you get on the front foot to ensure that what you are communicating as your promise, matches your school’s offering.
In this special interview, we dive into a case study of how one school has successfully differentiated itself from the competition. Clayton Johnston, Director of Admissions at Brentwood College in British Columbia, Canada, shares the College’s journey of developing 11 differentiators which align with the College’s values, enabling Brentwood to clearly define who they are and what they stand for.
A brand video is more than just a promotional piece – it’s a powerful tool to tell your school’s story, showcase its values and connect with the community. In this episode, we dive into the importance of brand videos for schools and introduce award-winning producer and director Gavin Carroll to unveil our exciting new video service offering, imaginate for Education. We discuss how brand videos can communicate a school’s identity, attract prospective families and staff, and build a strong alumni community.
Heads of independent schools confront a conundrum: how do you introduce change and innovation while preserving the traditional values that resonate with their community? How can you strike a perfect communications balance between progress and maintaining a reassuring sense of stability? In this episode, we discuss the MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) principle and how it applies to school communications, offering a framework to help Heads craft communications that cut through day-to-day school life.
