When is the last time something amazing happened in your
classroom? I’ll help you out…the last
time you had kids in your classroom and they were engaged in learning, it was
amazing. To think that we have people in
this world that have the skill level to engage a group of children of varying
abilities, backgrounds, races, needs, and interests is amazing. The work done in schools all across the world
is spectacular. Kids
gather…learn…leave…and make the world we live in a better place. So…amazing happens all the time.
The idea of branding schools isn’t about selling kids or
making false promises…it’s about promoting the amazing things going on for
those who don’t have the opportunity to experience it on a daily basis. The percentage of people in your community
who have kids in schools is relatively small.
When we were looking at community data for a referendum, about 20% of
our community was made up of households who had students in our building. That leaves a huge void in who has knowledge
of what goes on in our building and who does not. Telling the story of the wonderful things
happening in schools to the kids who see it all the time is simply not
enough. Students understand the experience
because they live it…we need to make connections to everyone else because the
80% can be an incredible asset to the 20% who walk through the hallways. That large percentage is the group that tells
the stories of their community and their experience with the school
system. Schools have the chance to be
the piece that communities get behind and provide an identity to those who live
within the boundaries. Some community
members will come to you…they will show up at games, concerts, school plays…and
when they do, the performances on courts, fields, and stages is only part of
the story. The feeling they have when
they leave your building is the one that gets talked about at dinner tables,
local restaurants, and work the next day.
Others will not…but if they both are speaking the same language and can
identify with a brand it helps you build a great deal of social capital and
celebrate the wonderful work of kids. Here are 3 things we discussed when building our brand in Cricket Country:
Get a Win Early
We started a Facebook and Twitter feed before the school
year was up and running a few years ago.
We had a Red Carpet Welcome Back to School for teachers where students
lined an area of the hallway and when all of our teachers walked out of a meeting
on their way to lunch the kids screamed…yelled…took pictures…asked for
autographs…made it feel like the Oscars.
They were awesome. We got some
media coverage and it ended up on CNN.com for the day. One event…and we were off. We had something to celebrate and it was fun
to see it grow.
Find something and go.
It’s really that easy.
People see the golden arches or the swoosh and know exactly what it
means. The Fall Creek Crickets put Go
Crickets on everything…everything.
Shirts, window clings, bracelets, umbrellas, stress balls, Frisbees,
lanyards…everything. We throw t-shirts out at games, give away bracelets, ask who needs window clings…whatever we can do to get the word out. The financial investment we put into "stuff" is minimal in comparison to the amount of social capital it builds.
We use the
#gocrickets hash tag all over the place.
Staff, students, and now even parents are using the hash tag…as social
media continued to grow we needed to find a presence in that space…having our
community own that through a shared voice has been an incredible feeling. Identify your brand and then promote it.
The issue is not about what is happening in schools, it’s
the perception of what is happening. The
reality is that everyone didn’t have a great school experience when they were
younger. The thoughts and feelings they
had as students often linger to a point that their perception of what it was
becomes the reality they convey to others. That perception can change…if your
voice, and their new experience, are positive. The interactions you have through social media and face to face have an incredible impact. If your focus is on the positive things happening in your building the take away for those who don't see it everyday is so powerful.
I am unbelievably fortunate to work in a school district
that has outstanding teachers, great families, and a supportive school
board. I understand that this is not the
case everywhere, but the opportunity to change the perception of what your
school district is starts with you. We
are with kids everyday…we see their smiles, growth, and accomplishments. Those are the stories that build pride and
community. As a school district you can hope that the words of your
students and parents reach the 80% of the population who are not there
everyday. Or…you can take to Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, YouTube, local media, games, and community events
to spread the amazing story of what kids do all the time. Our story is special and so is yours…TELL
IT.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and start building a brand that celebrates the great things going on in your building and district. Good luck…and Go Crickets!
One of the things a company needs for their business is branding.
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