Page 49 - Strategic Marketing Complete

CAREERS
Pembury Lifestyle Group’s schools, media platforms mean the scope for Allen names a long list of tasks
must employ more aggressive and reaching your target market is that that a marketer must juggle,
innovative marketing strategies to much broader and thus, a far bigger including the almost daily updating
establish themselves. job.” of websites and the management
of social media platforms, which
Each new brand offers a bespoke “We live in a time where parents must be populated with relevant,
educational model and curriculum expect instant gratification and current and engaging content.
that needs to be communicated to need to be able to access important “Branding, organising open days
prospective consumers. Teachers’ information at the click of a and assessment days all fall under
tasks have become ever more button,” continues Allen. “Platforms the marketing function,” she says.
complex and the addition of digital like Facebook and Instagram
communication, websites and social enable schools to promote their In attempting to attract enrolments,
media to the marketing mix make programmes and curriculums, Allen explains that one of the
it almost impossible for teachers as well as ensure efficient biggest challenges for independent
to have the expertise to manage a communication with their existing school marketers is “tradition”,
school marketing strategy. parent/student body.” where parents lean towards placing

no two children are the same and no
two schools are the same; different curriculums,

and different values and beliefs all mean navigating

the independent school landscape is
much more complicated.

Marketing a school should be a Marketers are also frequently their children in schools similar to
strategic and structured process, responsible for communicating with those they themselves attended.
buttressed by market research alumni for fundraising purposes,
and clear outcomes. For school interaction with sponsors and finding “Sometimes generations of a family
marketing to be effective, it should strategic partners that share the all attend the same school. Our
follow the same principles as any school’s vision. role is to provide parents with the
other campaign; identifying target information and tools to be able to
audiences, creating brand messages Developing marketing materials make an informed decision for their
and maintaining communication that communicate the school’s child.
with key stakeholders. unique selling point is paramount
in recruiting learners who will feel “No two children are the same
Marketers are expected to handle all at home in the school. Tracking and no two schools are the
brand management activities, from trends and monitoring competition, same; different curriculums, and
ensuring that the school corporate improving sales processes and different values and beliefs all
identity is correctly deployed, to listening to customer needs are as mean navigating the independent
stakeholder relations and reputation valid in the school setting as in any school landscape is much
management, as well as supporting corporate environment. more complicated. At Hout Bay
other marketing initiatives like
securing PR and local media
relations.

The role of the school marketer
has grown
“The role of a school marketer has
grown exponentially over the last
few years,” says Gemma Allen,
who manages all the marketing for
the Hout Bay International School.
“Developments in technology
including website design, and the
online presence on various social