Enrolments are full…now what?

Hi Bianca

We’re in the fortunate position at our school where enrolments are full. However, this has led to some members of leadership thinking that spending on marketing is no longer necessary. What do I tell them?

Concerned School Marketer

Hi there, Concerned School Marketer.

It’s great that your school is in a strong enrolments position. I know many school marketers who would be envious!

If I were you, I’d be concerned too – this kind of short-term thinking is not only misguided, it’s dangerous.

But I get it…to some, it must seem wasteful to invest all that time and money into marketing when times are so good.

Here’s my advice on what to share with your leadership team on why it's so important to continue marketing during the good times.

1. School Marketing is a long-term game

We know from the research* that families are in the consideration phase for schools from two to five years.

This means that although enrolments may be strong now and perhaps even for the next few years, you still need to continue marketing for those families who are entering the consideration phase now or in the near future.

Consider also that marketing doesn’t stop once they’ve signed the contract.

We need to continue marketing to our families to constantly reinforce that they’ve made the right decision all throughout the customer journey, which can be two decades or more for some families.

It is an enormous source of pride for current families when they see their school being promoted in the local community, which brings me to my next point…

2. You need to shift your focus

Every school needs a two-speed brand plan.

What’s that? I’m glad you asked.

Your marketing needs to have both short-term activations (think Open Day, Scholarships and Principal's Tour campaigns) and long-term brand building.

The long-term brand building isn’t for making direct calls-to-action – it’s about telling your school’s story, building brand awareness and making sure your school is top of mind when people look for a school in your area.

Introducing your two-speed brand plan

This reputational brand building takes time, strategy and patience.

The pay-off isn’t immediate (that’s ok in your situation) but, like any long-term investment, it will pay dividends in the future.

Different organisations need a different ratio of long versus short-term marketing strategies.

When enrolments are in great shape, you need to increase your focus on long-term brand building and pull back (but not cease altogether) on the short-term activations.

This is how you address any concerns of “wastage” with your advertising spend – the work you are doing now is for long-term enrolment success.

3. A non-school example

Concerned School Marketer, have ever heard of a little brand called McDonalds?

They have this product called the Big Mac.

Oh, you’ve heard of it? So has everyone else.

The reason why we all know (and, speaking for myself, love) the Big Mac is because McDonalds won’t let us forget about it.

The Big Mac...heard of it?

The Big Mac is famous.

It has the kind of brand awareness and equity that few other products or brands enjoy in the entire world.

And yet, McDonalds still promotes the Big Mac to us.

Why?

Because the moment you take the foot off the gas with advertising and promotions, you will start to lose market share.

How Brands Grow is a must-read for anyone who wants evidence-based data on how marketing works.

Like all of us, McDonalds has competitors, and those competitors will very happily take any little bit of McDonalds' market share if they decide to rest on their laurels and stop marketing.

Likewise, if your school decides to pull back on marketing, I bet there’s a school up the road who’s going to capitalise on your absence from the market.

Trust me: if McDonalds needs to keep advertising the Big Mac, then you need to keep marketing your school.

Final Word

I liken school marketing to a cruise ship – you can’t turn things around quickly when things start to go wrong.

If your enrolments start to decline down the track, nobody will notice until it’s too late.

Speaking from experience, it takes a considerable amount of time, effort and money to get things back on track.

Saving a few bucks now could very well result in catastrophic outcomes three, five or ten years into the future.

It's also important to note that you have to spend a lot more to regain your market share once you've lost it than it does to maintain it in the first place.

Don’t let short-sighted penny-pinching risk what’s been built at your school – focus on maintaining your market share and setting your school up for long-term success by continuing to market strongly.

Cheers
Bianca

*Independent Schools Queensland What Parents Want Survey, 2022