If someone asks you whether you want a Coke or Pepsi, you immediately know you're being asked about a carbonated cola beverage — with distinct yet subtle differences between the two. Both these major cola bottlers spend millions of dollars trying to coerce you into having a definite opinion about which one you prefer.
How do we accomplish this same brand recognition? We need to identify and then boldly promote our organization's uniqueness, the qualities that help us stand out, bring people to us, and lead them to stay.
Every organization has a value proposition that defines why people should do business with that organization. Whether or not you have a clear understanding of of your school's value proposition, it exists nonetheless. One school may be known for the lowest tuition, another the widest selection of programs. Some schools have unique offerings or instructional approaches not available anywhere else. A school may offer a package of services, for students and/or the whole family, that help people in a special way. Another school might simply offer the best customer care and service in the community.
So what is it we do best? What is our Lutheran school known for? Why do our families stay, as well as tell others about us? Perhaps it's that you care for students and families deeply and genuinely, with unconditional love. But what does that have to do with education? Everything. As Lutheran school ministries, we believe a student learns best in a loving environment where they know they are supported and safe, and don't have to be afraid to take chances with their learning. Such care for the whole child, and for their families, is a staple of our mission as a Christian school, where we care about so much more than higher test scores. And that's the brand that we are most successful in sharing with the community, because there isn't another school system in our nation that has the same feel as Lutheran schools.
Are there other private schools in your community? Quite possibly. Other Christian schools? Maybe. Another that has the palpable feeling of warmth and family that people experience in your Lutheran school? I doubt it. That's your niche, our niche as Lutheran schools. It reflects our greatest shared values.
That's your brand.
How do we accomplish this same brand recognition? We need to identify and then boldly promote our organization's uniqueness, the qualities that help us stand out, bring people to us, and lead them to stay.
Every organization has a value proposition that defines why people should do business with that organization. Whether or not you have a clear understanding of of your school's value proposition, it exists nonetheless. One school may be known for the lowest tuition, another the widest selection of programs. Some schools have unique offerings or instructional approaches not available anywhere else. A school may offer a package of services, for students and/or the whole family, that help people in a special way. Another school might simply offer the best customer care and service in the community.
So what is it we do best? What is our Lutheran school known for? Why do our families stay, as well as tell others about us? Perhaps it's that you care for students and families deeply and genuinely, with unconditional love. But what does that have to do with education? Everything. As Lutheran school ministries, we believe a student learns best in a loving environment where they know they are supported and safe, and don't have to be afraid to take chances with their learning. Such care for the whole child, and for their families, is a staple of our mission as a Christian school, where we care about so much more than higher test scores. And that's the brand that we are most successful in sharing with the community, because there isn't another school system in our nation that has the same feel as Lutheran schools.
Are there other private schools in your community? Quite possibly. Other Christian schools? Maybe. Another that has the palpable feeling of warmth and family that people experience in your Lutheran school? I doubt it. That's your niche, our niche as Lutheran schools. It reflects our greatest shared values.
That's your brand.