Who Speaks For Your Brand?

Winter 2022Vol 4. No. 3

It's easy to treat school branding as a new phenomenon, ushered in by the age of school choice and vouchers. When we think about it, though, this isn't really true. Schools have always had colors and mascots. Schools have always had mottos and values. Schools have even always had what we now recognize as brand ambassadors-before, we just saw them as people with school spirit.

This issue of SchoolCEO is about two important marketing concepts-your brand and your brand ambassadors. We're showcasing school leaders like Dr. Lupita Hightower and Dr.

Jeffrey Collier, who know that a leader's vision is critical to a school's brand. We're also going to show you how to use one of the marketing world's favorite tools, the Net Promoter Score, to leverage the advocates in your community.

If you're interested in social media metrics that matter, we've got resources for that, too. Plus, we'll share ideas on how to better serve and retain a core part of your community-your classified staff—and how to build classified positions that work for everyone.

As for your brand ambassadors, we've done the research.

In the past few months, we surveyed over 1,600 school employees across the country about how comfortable they felt serving as brand ambassadors, and the results are telling.

While teachers interact with students and families, serving as everyday representatives of their schools, far too many of them lack training on how their districts want them to communicate. Additionally, we dig into how feeling valued impacts your employees' loyalty to your district and what that means for students.

Like most challenges, managing a school brand amidst another pandemic school year is a profound and timely opportunity. In a moment when the relationship between schools and their communities is more important than ever,

your advocates-your brand ambassadors—are already right in front of you. They're the teachers cheering at every game, the crossing guard who knows every name, and the secretary whose desk is plastered with graduation invita-tions. Your district's champions are waiting for you — what will you do to meet them?

Driving Insights

How to analyze and organize social media to your advantage

Essential Work

How to Best Support Your Classified Staff.

Score Big

The marketing world has long championed the Net Promoter Score—and for good reason. How can it help school leaders?

A Preview of Pre-K

How the First Class program in Alabama could serve as a model for things to come

Who Speaks For Your Brand?

Winter 2022Vol 4. No. 3

It's easy to treat school branding as a new phenomenon, ushered in by the age of school choice and vouchers. When we think about it, though, this isn't really true. Schools have always had colors and mascots. Schools have always had mottos and values. Schools have even always had what we now recognize as brand ambassadors-before, we just saw them as people with school spirit.

This issue of SchoolCEO is about two important marketing concepts-your brand and your brand ambassadors. We're showcasing school leaders like Dr. Lupita Hightower and Dr.

Jeffrey Collier, who know that a leader's vision is critical to a school's brand. We're also going to show you how to use one of the marketing world's favorite tools, the Net Promoter Score, to leverage the advocates in your community.

If you're interested in social media metrics that matter, we've got resources for that, too. Plus, we'll share ideas on how to better serve and retain a core part of your community-your classified staff—and how to build classified positions that work for everyone.

As for your brand ambassadors, we've done the research.

In the past few months, we surveyed over 1,600 school employees across the country about how comfortable they felt serving as brand ambassadors, and the results are telling.

While teachers interact with students and families, serving as everyday representatives of their schools, far too many of them lack training on how their districts want them to communicate. Additionally, we dig into how feeling valued impacts your employees' loyalty to your district and what that means for students.

Like most challenges, managing a school brand amidst another pandemic school year is a profound and timely opportunity. In a moment when the relationship between schools and their communities is more important than ever,

your advocates-your brand ambassadors—are already right in front of you. They're the teachers cheering at every game, the crossing guard who knows every name, and the secretary whose desk is plastered with graduation invita-tions. Your district's champions are waiting for you — what will you do to meet them?

Who Speaks For Your Brand?

We surveyed more than 1,600 school employees to find out who’s acting as brand ambassadors for their districts—and why that matters.

Ambassadors in Action

Four school leaders share how they empower staff members at every level to be strong brand advocates.

Dr. Lupita Hightower: No Exceptions

Always leading with hope first, Dr. Lupita Hightower is fostering a community of future-forward learners.

Driving Insights

How to analyze and organize social media to your advantage

Jay Midwood: Solving the Substitute Problem

Perspectives: Jay Midwood, Chief of Human Capital at Central Falls School District, RI.

Essential Work

How to Best Support Your Classified Staff.

Dr. Jeffrey Collier: What If & Why Not?

As Saginaw ISD’s storyteller in chief, Dr. Jeffrey Collier doesn’t shy away from authentic and enthusiastic district communications.

Score Big

The marketing world has long championed the Net Promoter Score—and for good reason. How can it help school leaders?

Off the Charts

Using data visualizations to strengthen your district storytelling

A Preview of Pre-K

How the First Class program in Alabama could serve as a model for things to come