Grebot Donnelly Associates - The Leading Education PR & Marketing Specialists

Grebot Donnelly has been asked to develop a marketing and communications strategy that will make clear the Sponsor’s vision for the school and ensure genuine two-way communications, engaging prospective parents and the community in the project. Our work also includes devising a pupil recruitment strategy, developing a new logo and identity and rolling it out across a range of marketing materials, including prospectus and website.

The magazines for Hampton, Twickenham and Ipswich Academies will promote the individual vision and aspirations of each Academy to their local communities.

Using eye catching photography and compelling copy, these publications celebrate and promote the strengths and successes of each Academy whilst also promoting an understanding among stakeholders of the philosophy that underpins LST.

As part of the brand development Grebot Donnelly will work with the School Council to carry out whole school engagement to ensure that students and staff have a say and are engaged in the development of the Academy’s visual identity.

Market intelligence and competitive research, both quantitative and qualitative, will inform the basis of bespoke marketing and PR plans for each school, whilst a series of workshops will empower school staff to deliver high quality events, media relations, and nursery/pre-school liaison in the future. Branded materials specific to the needs of each school will also be delivered, including photography, websites, prospectuses and calendars.

Vanessa Rogers, Account Director for the Frank Barnes account said: “We are delighted that we are now working with Frank Barnes on the next stage of their journey and supporting them in attaining their vision of becoming a centre of excellence for deaf education locally, nationally and internationally.”

Why on earth would I choose to put my child through a system that so consistently and publicly denigrates the staff and the 93% or so of the nation’s families educated within it.

Nevertheless, the article was right in its judgement that so many schools do branding badly, due in no small part to a fundamental lack of understanding about what it is.  In brief, brand is a reputation – don’t be under any illusion, every school has a reputation.  Unfortunately, in too many cases that reputation (and brand) is based on its history and managed by the school gate network.

Brand is a set of values and a way to differentiate one school from another. When parents choose a school, they are making a decision about their children’s future and buying into the school’s promise, or its brand. So, it is absolutely within the school’s grasp to develop a brand that parents and students want to buy into or hang on to one that demoralises everyone connected with it.

So, yes, the brand is more than a fuzzy logo created by a Year 10 work experience student and a gag-inducing strapline; it is about every aspect of the way a school presents itself and establishing and maintaining it is a longer term commitment.

Successful brands, whether in education or any other sector, are built on experience, perception and reputation and an approach which is proactive and ongoing. So, those schools that understand this and grasp the mettle, thrive, improve and develop, while those that passively accept historic perceptions and continue to disparage their communities rather than celebrate them, will continue to see themselves as victims of an unfair system.

Link to the article here.

This was the winning quote chosen by the Grebot Donnelly team in response to our email campaign “Working with Grebot Donnelly has made a difference because....”

“We have been delighted at the many responses we received,” said Isabella Donnelly, Director.  “The team here at Grebot Donnelly are committed to providing the very best support to all our clients and it has been truly uplifting to read some of the feedback.”

The team considered all the responses. “In the end there has to be just one winner and we felt that David captured the essence of Grebot Donnelly and what we bring to all our projects,” said Isabella.  “We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part.”

The training will equip school with skills and tools to lay the foundations for a Marketing and PR strategy, giving staff access to techniques that will promote and position schools as the first choice for its local community.

Having proven to be a successful training programme with local authorities and schools across the country, we hope all the schools will find this a rewarding interesting and informative session.