Education Brand Management

Over at Leader Talk, Matt Hillmann wrote about the need for personally creating good public relations for your school by speaking to civic groups such as the Rotary, Kiwanis, or the Lions Club.

“This was public relations at its finest. School personnel talking directly with community leaders who are influential and will spread the good news that was shared with them. This personal contact is immeasurable.”

I agree with this view and advice, but I go further, believing we are in an era of educational brand management which I discussed in my posts The Groundswell and Your Educational Brand Management and Protect Your Rep!--Teacher Brand Management. I believe education is entering an era where teachers, schools, and districts will become brands. Each teacher, school or district will have to be aware off and take steps to actively manage their brand. Brand management will become a leadership skill of administrators and teachers. It will, of course, include public relations like the kind that Matt is advocating.

Seth Godin in his book Meatball Sundae writes about the 14 trends of  “new marketing.” I previously posted about trends 1-7 and their intersection with education.

Trend 3: Need For An Authentic Story As The Number Of Sources Increases
Stories spread, not facts. So what stories are being told about your school and your teachers? A story is a symbol of who you are. Do you know your symbol? Do you care? Why would anyone want to go to your school? What makes your teachers so great?

Technology is allowing for students and parents to share their stories about you. Are you sharing your own stories? Do you have an educational brand that you trying to spread? What kind of message is your school trying to spread? There is a story about your school, the question is, is it your story or somebody else’s version?

Matt offers some great advice. I have thought about joining my local Rotary. Good public relations are an important aspect of educational leadership, but it is not enough to stop there. We must embrace the reality of era in which we live and work. Technology has made the communication and sharing of information, viewpoints, stories, and opinions nearly ubiquitous. We must begin to develop our educational brand and understand that we must actively manage our educational brands. If we don’t manage our brands, someone will do it for us. Can you take that chance?

Comments

[suzzane donald]

Thank you for all your help and time. Keep up the great work as well as the great site!! :)
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