School Branding

The perception of a school is increasingly becoming the decisive “success factor” of a school. Similar to other companies, schools should therefore see themselves as a brand. It’s essential because the anchoring of image and public relations in the mission statement is decisive for the success of a brand.

Implementing an independent school atmosphere, presenting a profound and clear image, and showing strengths are significant when positioning a school. A school has to differentiate itself from the competition. Because besides differentiation, the presentation of an institution is also responsible for direct conclusions about its professionalism, atmosphere and expected performance. A brand design for schools can convey not only information and emotions but also guide decision-making processes.

Over the past year, Hi-TiDE™ has been taking a deeper look at the challenges faced by educational institutions. In the process, the perception and self-presentation of these have come into focus for us.

For schools, in particular, meaningful self-presentation is becoming increasingly important. Companies invest a lot of time and money in marketing to approach their target audience as effectively as possible in business and higher education. In contrast, marketing is a low priority in many schools. The reason is that courting new students hasn’t played a significant role in the past.

Today, things are different: Due to economic and political realities, educational institutions must do more than “do a good job in the classroom” to be successful. They must compete for students. More and more schools are having to close because of a lack of students and the need for local governments to save money. On a per-pupil income basis, recruiting one additional student could keep a school from going out of business.

Therefore, the competition for students is also a competition for the votes of parents who want to give their children the best possible educational opportunities. Good teaching and academic quality are no longer enough. Because that’s what students and parents expect; instead, it is about values, structure and processes in daily school life. The constant change in educational ideals, restructuring and expectations place significant demands on the adaptability of schools.

The increasing demand shows that school brand design will play an ever more significant role in the future, as educational institutions set the course for their pupils and students. It is no longer just commercial enterprises affected by increasing competition, higher demands and rising expectations. The educational landscape is also in a permanent state of flux. Educational institutions should therefore know how to position themselves clearly to strengthen performance and quality and their personality profile. The thought-out brand design for schools can be simple because every school has its unique features and strengths. At Hi-TiDE™, we have made it our task to recognize these and bring them into focus through design, and we have had a lot of fun doing it.