Let’s face it, the world as we know it can still be divided into two types of people: Mac versus PC. At the heart of this ongoing debate, is a series of conversations around five key elements: speed, security, reliability, cost and user experience.
The more I speak to parents directly about their experience of choosing a school, the more I am convinced that their decision-making process is the same as the method we use to buy a laptop.
Step 1: Scanning for value
If you walk into a media store, there are likely to be three types of laptops on show: high end, medium priced and budget offerings. We can’t help but assume that, generally speaking, the most expensive will be the best and, conversely, the cheapest will be the worst. We will also be curious about those items that are out of stock because of high demand or part of a limited edition range.
The point is, we typically find value in things that are either expensive or exclusive.
And the same is true of schools. Parents will often explicitly say to us that they chose a particular school precisely because they wanted their child to attend the most expensive school. Equally, if a school provides barriers to entry through either an extensive waiting list or tough admission criteria, this will often increase the perceived value of its offering. The harder it is to attain, the more they want to attain it.
Step 2: Selecting the operating system
The fact is, for 90 percent of laptop users, the requirements are pretty much the same: browse the internet, use email, play music, watch films, store photographs and create useful documents.
All this is to say that, despite all of our messaging around the need for schools to articulate what makes them different, it is perhaps challenging to consider the possibility that a) 90 percent of schools do pretty much the same thing; and b) for many parents, it is simply a matter of choosing what they perceive to be the right educational operating system.
Step 3: Adding additional features
Of course, the essentials of a laptop are one thing, but we know from experience that additional features also influence customer loyalty. There may be specific tasks that we need the computer to do (such as high-powered video editing) or nice-to-haves that we never knew we needed (such as seamless integration with our phone and headphones).
The same is true of schools. Once a parent has scanned for value and selected the educational operating system, they will then look to add more features to the overall experience: learning support, a swimming pool, after school activities, community events and so on.
So what’s up with the title and suggestion that we might have got school marketing all wrong?
There are three questions we might want to start asking ourselves.
1. Even if I once argued that some parents these days are looking for low cost solutions, this does not mean that we should not take seriously the idea that value is generally perceived when the price is high. As long as there are sufficient people in the market who can afford it, why wouldn’t we desire to be the most expensive school in town?
2. Whenever we purchase anything, we simplify the range of available options by creating patterns. In the case of schools, these patterns are characterised by educational operating systems that tend to have specific and tangible features associated with them. Rather than ignoring this pattern-seeking tendency, why are we not focused primarily on those who are keen to be our most loyal customers? Surely, we risk a lot if we try to be all things to all people.
3. Why don’t we spend more time helping parents to understand that choosing a school is really as easy as 1-2-3? You certainly wouldn’t know that from many of the school websites out there. And then, of course, once they have made their decision, the real work begins: continually reminding them that this was the right choice and turning them into lifelong brand ambassadors.