smj: school marketing journal: Recent Episodes

Imageseven

The School Marketing Journal podcast is for school Heads, covering the latest in school marketing and communications.

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully continue examining two principles: differentiation or invisibility, and the market defines value. They explain why distinctiveness should create clarity without becoming rigid, and why differentiation communicates particular value rather than superiority. Parent language and enrolment feedback become leadership intelligence, testing whether the school is understood as leaders intend. They challenge Heads to decide what their school must be known for, sharpen that signal consistently and ensure the promise made to families aligns with their experience. Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Differentiation or invisibility, and the market defines value

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au.

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Tim Watson

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Tim Watson, Principal of Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS), to explore how schools can replace assumed understanding with shared clarity. Tim explains how the school's Compass document illustrates NBCS's founding principles, beliefs, values and educational commitments, helping leaders distinguish what must remain fixed from what can change. He discusses how this concise reference point guides Board recruitment and decision-making, preserves continuity through generational change and gives the school freedom to face the future without losing the intent that shaped it.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine two connected principles: differentiation or invisibility, and the market defines value. They explain why a school's strengths only influence choice when parents can recognise, understand and use them when comparing schools. They explore how presenting every program and proof point can obscure what matters most, why purpose must be translated into meaning for families, and why Heads must establish a clear hierarchy of strengths. The discussion challenges Heads to make the school clearer, not broader, without diluting its purpose. Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Differentiation or invisibility, and the market defines value

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Graham Catt

In this interview episode, Brad is joined once again by Graham Catt, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Australia, to discuss what School Choice Counts has achieved and what now matters for school leaders. Graham explains why the campaign's strongest stories were not about sectors, buildings or funding, but families, students and communities. He argues that Heads need to move beyond election-time advocacy by building ongoing relationships with local MPs, helping parents understand how policy affects fees and affordability, and equipping families and school communities to engage confidently in conversations about school choice. Episode link:

Independent Schools Australia – School Choice Counts: The Great Education Shift

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine why strong school communication begins before the wording stage. Combining the principles of strategy drives story and meaning before message, they explain why schools can sound articulate while still leaving parents unsure about what matters most. The trio discuss how weak strategy turns communication into a list, why more content rarely builds confidence, and how clearer intent gives story direction and message weight. They challenge heads to settle purpose and meaning before asking marketing teams to write. Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Strategy drives story and meaning before message

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Tracey Cain

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Tracey Cain, Chief Executive Officer at H/Advisors, to unpack reputation risk in independent schools. Tracey explains why what matters to a school community must matter to the school, and why that community now extends beyond staff, parents and students to alumni, neighbours and local influencers. She explains how Heads and boards can prepare before risk eventuates by listening early, testing likely scenarios and building the trust, policies, processes and culture needed to manage risk as part of day-to-day school operations. Episode links:

H/Advisors - Homepage

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore the sixth principle in the series: experience beats message. They discuss why messaging can open the door, but parent confidence is shaped by what families repeatedly experience through tours, follow-up, responsiveness and prospective parent touchpoints. The trio examines how mixed signals weaken trust, why the enrolment journey is the brand made visible, and why Heads must lead the standards, systems and behaviours that give the school's message something true to stand on. Episode links:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Experience beats message

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Shane Hogan

In this deep dive episode, Brad is joined by Shane Hogan to explore what school leadership requires when communities need stability and confidence. Drawing on a career across Catholic and independent schools, boys' and girls' education, and interim roles in schools under pressure, Shane discusses why visibility, relationships and discernment matter as much as structure. He explains why marketing must reflect the school's lived experience, how staff, parents and alumni influence enrolment confidence, and why school Boards need to understand the long-term work behind positioning and enrolment growth.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and David Woodgate

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by David Woodgate, Chief Executive of the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA) in the UK, to examine how millennial parents are reshaping school choice. David explains why reputation, tradition and results are no longer enough to create confidence, as parents look for clearer evidence of value, individual care and alignment between a school's promise and lived experience. Together, they discuss what this shift means for Heads, admissions and marketing teams, and why every interaction must build trust in the school's value in a competitive market. Episode link:

Independent Schools' Bursars Association

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why external confidence depends on internal coherence. They discuss why staff goodwill is not the same as shared understanding, how parents sense mixed signals across tours, conversations and follow-up communication, and why alignment is built through repeated leadership decisions, not announcements. The trio examines the risk of a school sounding clearer than it feels, and why Heads must ensure the school's story is understood and reinforced by their own staff before it can be trusted by prospective families. Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Staff understanding comes first

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Pauline Shuttleworth and Chris Lang

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Pauline Shuttleworth, imageseven Advancement Specialist, and Chris Lang, co-founder and Head of Sales for Asia Pacific at Digistorm, to examine the changing enrolment landscape for independent schools. Using the findings from Digistorm's 2025/26 State of K–12 School Admissions Report, they discuss how softening demand and growing enrolment pressure are shifting admissions from reactive management to data-informed planning. This requires Heads to sharpen their positioning and take a more intentional approach to the parent journey. Episode link:

State of Admissions 2025/26 - Digistorm Insights

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why school brands are not personal platforms for leaders to reshape They explore the difference between ownership and stewardship, explain why a school's brand is inherited rather than invented, and discuss how leaders can renew and clarify its message without distorting what families already trust. The trio also examines how pressure can tempt schools to broaden or soften their story, and why steadiness, coherence and conviction give parents confidence when enrolment decisions feel uncertain. Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Marketers and leaders are custodians of a legacy brand

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss a confronting principle for school Heads: leadership is communication. Every decision, silence, delay and repeated phrase signals what matters most, and families read into those signals long before they read a strategy document. The trio explores why enrolment confidence is shaped by coherence, not volume, how pressure reveals a school's true priorities and why clarity cannot be delegated.

Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Leadership is communication

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Jack Stevens

In this interview episode, Brad speaks with Jack Stevens, CEO of Edstart, about what findings from Edstart's 2026 School Fees Report mean for school Heads. The discussion explores why fee increases have remained steady, yet continue to outpace inflation, how staffing costs and government funding pressures are reshaping school budgets and why parent perceptions of value matter more than ever. Brad and Jack reveal how flexible payment options can reduce friction, improve parent experience and support both enrolment and retention.

Episode link:

Edstart
Edstart 2026 School Fees Report

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

A school's brand is not owned by marketing. It is shaped by leadership clarity, consistency and decision-making over time. In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss why brand is a leadership responsibility, how mixed signals create uncertainty for families, and why enrolment confidence is built through coherence rather than volume. The trio explore the danger of reactive branding, the role of tone and direction, and why every major strategic decision becomes a brand decision, whether leaders intend it or not.

Episode link:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Leadership owns the brand

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin When your mission is clear, it does more than guide strategy; it prevents misalignment before it starts.

In part two, Brad and Bel explain why mission clarity should narrow your messaging, your promises, and the families who naturally feel called to your school. They discuss why broadening language can feel rational under enrolment pressure, but often creates confusion, hesitation and superficial comparison. The duo explore how mission-fit enrolment conversations reduce friction later and share a practical test for leaders to audit what parents would conclude from the last month of your communications.

Episode Links:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Mission Alignment

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Dr Mark Merry In this special Deep Dive, Brad sits down with Dr Mark Merry, long-serving Principal of Yarra Valley Grammar and former National Chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA), for a conversation about leading a school through scrutiny, crisis, criticism and change. The duo explore why authority is earned through relationships and how culture is shaped in the small everyday moments. Mark also shares a grounded approach to media and reputational pressure including why staying silent can backfire, how to front issues without becoming defensive, and what it looks like to hold the narrative when emotions are high and information is moving fast.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin

Most schools have a mission statement. Some use it as a reference point for decisions and others treat it as a familiar phrase that sits in the background.

In this episode, Brad and Bel explore what happens when a mission becomes a practical leadership tool and the importance of having a directional mission. The duo discusses how direction shapes priorities, messages and resourcing. If it's decorative, it tends to appear in documents but rarely changes behaviour or drives decision-making. Part 1 sets up the key tests you can use to assess whether your mission is genuinely guiding strategy across your school.

Episode Links:

Reflection and Leadership Guide: Mission Alignment

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

Many school leaders feel they are doing 'all the right things' in marketing – posting consistently, investing in digital, telling their story – yet their school is still not being chosen by prospective parents. In this interview, Brad speaks with digital marketing practitioner Brendan Schneider about the real issue behind underperforming marketing – relevance. They discuss why differentiation is leadership work, how digital marketing simply amplifies unclear positioning, and a simple leadership exercise to uncover whether your team can clearly answer the question parents ask: 'Why your school?'

Episode Links:

SchneiderB Media

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin

The first episode for 2026 sees Belinda 'Bel' McCubbin welcomed as a regular voice, sharing what's changing in schools this year. The trio introduce two new formats: a termly deep dive interview with experienced school Heads and a 92-second mini stories capturing testimonials of common problems faced by Heads and how to move forward. The main conversation centres on first principles, and why they matter when teams are busy, yet outcomes remain unimproved.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this follow up to episode 232, Brad and Scully focus on how Heads can turn understanding into meaningful activity that changes behaviour or perception for your audience. They explore how to define success before acting, choose the right measures and build simple systems that keep teams aligned. The conversation highlights how structure prevents drift and sustains momentum through the term. The duo discusses practical steps for maintaining momentum and ensuring insights create meaningful improvement for families and staff.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Despite having more data and reports than ever, many schools still struggle to turn insight into meaningful change. Brad and Scully explore why execution often stalls through vague direction, thin ownership and weak inspection, and outline how Heads can close the 'strategy-execution gap'. They share practical examples across enrolment, communication and brand delivery, demonstrating how clarity, cadence and single-point ownership can transform insight into visible, day-to-day behaviour change.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Parents are becoming far more sensitive to how schools communicate fees, and fee transparency is now one of the top factors shaping enrolment decisions. In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Anthony McCausland, Founder and CEO of Feesable, to discuss new national insights from the School Fees in Australia: 2025 Report. They explore how Gen Z parents are reshaping expectations, why clarity and simplicity build trust and retention, and the practical steps Heads can take to modernise fee communication and strengthen every stage of the enrolment journey.

Episode Links

School Fees in Australia: 2025 Report – Feesable

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Heads feel like they're constantly firefighting. In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss how to replace that reactive cycle with calm and confident leadership through marketing maturity. They explore how disciplined systems create clarity, resilience and trust across your school and outline five practical steps to embed structure, align marketing with strategy and lead with confidence – building stability that lasts beyond any single person or change.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad speaks to Sue Ellson, independent LinkedIn Specialist and career development author, to discuss how schools can attract and retain quality staff in a competitive employment landscape. Sue shares practical ways to build a stronger professional presence online, position your school as an employer of choice, and use LinkedIn to reach candidates. Together, they explore how Heads can shape staff attraction strategies that align with a school's values, strengthen culture and enhance reputation.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Even the strongest school brands can lose clarity through slow and silent erosion. Brad and Scully explore the hidden danger of message drift: how small, well-intentioned changes can blur your voice and weaken your impact. They discuss why drift is a leadership issue, how to spot it before it spreads, and share a five-step guide to re-anchor your school's story so it stays clear, consistent and trusted.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by US education marketing strategist and Founder of Caylor Solutions, Bart Caylor, to explore how rapid AI advances are reshaping school communication and leadership. With tools like OpenAI's Sora 2 creating lifelike videos in seconds, the discussion dives into what this means for authenticity, brand risk and crisis readiness. Brad and Bart explore the dangers of 'work slop', how AI-generated noise dilutes brand trust, and explain why Heads must become AI-literate, lead with human purpose and set guardrails to protect their school's brand in a synthetic world.

Episode links:

Caylor Solutions
OpenAI's Sora 2: AI Video Magic Meets Copyright Chaos – Mike Kaput – Marketing AI Institute
Sora 2 System Card – OpenAI
Sora 2 Blog – Sam Altman
OpenAI launch of video app Sora plagued by violent and racist images: 'The guardrails are not real' – The Guardian
AI-Generated "Workslop" Is Destroying Productivity – Harvard Business Review

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, Brad and Scully explain why consistency is the foundation of every strong school brand, and why it’s so difficult to achieve. They explain how inconsistency erodes trust, why chasing the ‘new and different’ isn’t always better, and how brand confusion impacts both parents and staff outlook and communication. To help school Heads lead with clarity, the duo introduces a practical seven-step framework for building strategic, visual and verbal consistency across every touchpoint.

A seven-step school brand consistency framework:

Define brand intent: Clarify your school’s core values and mission to guide all branding efforts.
Customer journey audit: Review touchpoints to identify brand inconsistencies and areas needing alignment.
Strategic, visual, verbal lenses: Assess branding through strategy, visuals and communication to find improvement areas.
Maintain discipline: Ensure all actions and communications consistently reflect your brand values over time.
Foster creativity: Refresh your brand with innovative strategies to keep it engaging and relevant.
Generate enthusiasm: Engage your community with exciting content to maintain interest and prevent disengagement.
Use the right tools: Use tools for consistency but rely on experts for strategic, creative brand execution.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by strategy expert Graham Kenny and behavioural data scientist Professor Ganna Pogrebna to explore how school Heads can harness AI to shape strategy with confidence. They examine the creative and practical potential of large language models, from amplifying alumni stories and sharpening communication, to ideating fresh approaches for enrolment and open days. Together, they highlight the opportunities and risks of AI, how to avoid disenfranchising staff in the process, and why the most powerful uses of AI are often intensely practical.

Link to Workshop:

Boost Your Strategy with the Power of AI – Strategic Factors

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Hiring a marketing professional isn’t like hiring a teacher, it requires a different approach. Brad and Scully outline 10 key questions every Head should ask before making a decision. They explain why defining success first matters, how to spot true experience and why strong marketers acknowledge their limits. The duo also reveals how facing failure, the ability to explain and planning systematic approaches to tasks are signs of true expertise.

Link to Article:

Hiring with confidence: Ten questions for spotting expertise – Term 3, 2024

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Jill Goodman to explore how school Heads can turn conversations into powerful sources of insight on the school experience. Together they unpack how intentional, qualitative conversations reveal the ‘why’ behind parent and staff behaviour, why starting with open-ended and positive questions builds trust, and how repeating themes highlight patterns worth acting on. Jill also explains how leaders can capture insights from everyday chats, avoid bias and use external perspectives to see blind spots more clearly.

Episode Links:

Jill Goodman Consulting

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the final part of their series on consistency and creativity, Brad and Scully explore the Head’s role as the ultimate brand custodian. They explain why brand leadership cannot be delegated, how micro-moments influence perception and why modelling behaviours is essential to embedding culture and identity. The duo also discuss how every staff member, student and alumni contributes to the brand and share practical ways for Heads to empower their teams, close alignment gaps and ensure the school’s values are lived out every day. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by Dr Adrian Camm, Principal of Westbourne Grammar School in Victoria, to explore the school’s innovation in not only the classroom, but also how they communicate with prospective parents. Adrian shares Westbourne’s three-year digital strategy, from AI-driven data analysis to multilingual ‘knowledge concierge’ avatars that respond 24/7 and provide personalised enrolment touchpoints to enhance the connection with families. Ultimately, they unpack how using technology to handle transactional and administrative tasks leaves staff free to handle the relational.

Episode Links:

Westbourne Grammar School - Homepage

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In part two of their conversation on consistency and creativity, Brad and Scully explain why campaigns alone can't build brand trust. They unpack the critical differences between brand and campaign thinking, highlighting the risks that short-term tactics, like fee discounts, pose to a school’s image and current parent relationships. Emphasising the importance of consistency between promotional peaks, they explore how Heads can adopt a brand first mindset and ensure every campaign reinforces long-term messaging and strengthens the school’s reputation.

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Phillip Heath, Head of Barker College, to discuss the potential risks of parent WhatsApp groups. Phillip explains why trust and culture must be the centrepiece, why schools should monitor group chats and avoid “swinging at every pitch”. Phillip outlines a 3R test (Repeated, Reasoned, Relevant) to help Heads decide when intervention is the best course of action and explain how clear boundaries protect staff while allowing for constructive responses that don’t add fuel.

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Brad and Scully explore how Heads can hold creativity and consistency in productive tension. From staffroom culture to prospectuses, they unpack why brand consistency isn’t about sameness but brand alignment. The duo explore how inconsistency can quietly erode trust, how internal alignment reinforces external perception, and why brand governance is essential for enabling creativity. Learn the importance of brand guidelines to improve process and message consistency and that true brand strength comes from internal alignment. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, Brad is joined by Nick Jensen from ACTS Education to explore an innovation in school marketing – AI avatar simulations. These simulations offer school staff a space to practice and develop skills whilst simulating difficult scenarios. AI avatars can be used as virtual registrars for enrolment interactions to help prospective parents find information about your school. Nick also shares early demos that simulate a prospective parent’s enrolment interaction and discusses how Heads can shape this innovative technology to reduce workload and improve efficiency.

Episode Links:

ACTS Education
ACTS Education YouTube Channel
Sample of avatar conversational training for teacher-parent interviews - LinkedIn

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this episode, Brad and Scully are joined by Pauline Shuttleworth, imageseven Advancement Specialist, to ask whether the traditional enrolment funnel has reached its expiry date. Together, they explore how parent behaviour has changed with stealth applicants and silent dropouts. The trio introduce the ideas of ‘evaporation’ and the ‘dark funnel’ and share a seven-step plan to help school Heads shift from a linear enrolment model to one that reflects today’s complex parent journey.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this practical follow-up to episode 213, Brad and Scully take Heads from mindset to action as they reveal how to build a true ‘lighthouse’ strategy for your school. They dismantle common strategic myths, discuss how to uncover the unique value your school delivers and introduce a three-layer strategic hierarchy. Then, they share five daily habits all designed to help your school shine consistently.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this special interview episode, Brad sits down with Dr Brian Harris, veteran Christian educator and former Principal of Vose Seminary, now leading the Avenir Leadership Institute. They discuss the unique tension Christian schools face between upholding their faith-based mission and meeting enrolment goals. Dr Harris explores why many families choose religious schools for non-faith reasons, the risks of misaligned expectations and introduces the concept of theological architecture. Learn strategies for transparent governance and clear messaging that honour both mission and market reality.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, Brad and Scully introduce a metaphor that challenges the way school leaders approach problems. Many Heads of school rely on ‘lifeboat thinking’, a reactive, short-term approach focused on immediate fixes. While this approach may feel effective, it often leads to misalignment in message internally and amongst parents. Instead, the duo discuss how Heads can become lighthouses by guiding their marketing and communications team through clarity, consistency and strategic messaging. They explore the consequences of reactive leadership and offer five questions to help shift from a rescue to a strategic mindset.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by John Black, Founder and Executive Chairman of Education Geographics, to discuss the evolving enrolment demographic of Australia and how schools can proactively respond. John outlines the critical trend changes impacting enrolments, including slowing population growth, evolving migration patterns and family dynamics. Together, they explore how schools can use data to align their messaging, values and strategy with Australia’s changing population.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this episode, we continue our deep dive into why campaign thinking falls short in school marketing and how Bold School Brand thinking offers a more effective path forward. Brad and Scully explore why personal connection, long-term positioning and internal alignment matter more than short-term campaigns. Discover how the Bold School Brand approach helps schools build clarity, trust and consistency across every parent touchpoint to create stronger engagement and lasting impressions.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Enrolment begins inside your school. In this special interview episode, Brad sits down with Mike Connor, Founder and President of Connor Associates, to explore why alignment is a leadership responsibility. Mike unpacks how internal culture shapes external perception, and why every teacher plays a critical role in marketing. Together, they dive into how teacher interactions influence parent decisions, how Heads can lead by modelling marketing, and why retention depends on continually reinforcing the reasons families chose your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Episode Links:

Pulling in the same direction - imageseven
Connor Associates

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Campaign thinking was originally designed for commercial marketing, but it often misfires when applied to school marketing. In this episode, we dive into six key reasons why school marketing demands a different approach, from the importance of internal alignment and emotion driven storytelling to understanding long purchasing cycles and narrow target audiences. Brad and Scully explore how campaign thinking can dilute a school’s identity and confuse prospective parents.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Independent schools in Australia are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape, facing rising operational costs, shifting parent expectations, and growing competition. In this interview episode, Brad sits down with Mike Connor, Founder and President of Connor Associates, a leading expert in aligning school culture and strategy to drive enrolment. Together, they explore the critical role of interdependence within schools and why aligned, school-wide communication is essential to effectively convey a school’s mission to prospective parents.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Episode links:

Pulling in the same direction - imageseven
Connor Associates

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Focus groups were designed to complement data, not replace it. Yet in many schools, focus groups are being misused as decision-making tools. In this episode, we unpack the history of focus groups, highlight common pitfalls like selection bias and moderator influence, and explore how these missteps can lead schools off course. We share examples of where it’s gone wrong and offer a practical checklist for running focus groups that deliver insight, not false certainty.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Parents are overwhelmed. Attention spans are shrinking. Yet schools keep sending newsletters and emails that are long, complex and unclear. At imageseven, we’ve seen communication cut-through deteriorate across the board. If they don’t adapt, schools risk becoming irrelevant to the very families they’re trying to engage. This episode, we explore a communication framework that helps Heads lead with clarity.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Episode links:

Smart Brevity – Book
Axios newsletters
Jim VandeHei at TEDxOshkosh

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, Brad and Scully continue the theme from last week by speaking on all things rebrands. The pair delve deeper into what a school’s rebrand entails, from visual identity to brand personality and promise. They then go on to discuss the different categories of a rebrand to help school Heads establish whether it’s right for your school and how to approach such an endeavour while ensuring your school’s health remains the priority.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When enrolments are slipping, pressure is mounting and the Board starts asking tough questions, the temptation to undertake a rebrand can seem appealing. A well undertaken rebrand can transform your school for the better, but it’s not always necessary. This episode, we discuss why sometimes a rebrand can be a costly mistake for schools, how to know if a rebrand is right for your school and what alternatives school Heads can consider instead.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Your enrolment success is a result of all the work that's gone into your marketing and your brand building efforts, but having full admissions and long waitlists should never mean halting your marketing efforts completely. This episode, we make the case for continuous marketing – which isn’t just about getting new students but reinforcing your school's brand and building brand longevity.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Every school wants to be seen as the perfect choice for families, but perfection is impossible. This episode, Brad and Scully discuss how every school’s brand will falter at some point, but that doesn’t have to mean instant failure. There’s a lesson in every misstep that can help your school become more trustworthy, authentic and turn your brand’s weaknesses into your greatest strength.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, Brad is joined by Graham Catt, CEO of Independent Schools Australia, to discuss the School Choice Counts campaign which was launched ahead of the federal election. Together they discuss why it matters, how you can support the campaign and, most importantly, how the campaign can support your school community.

Visit School Choice Counts at: schoolchoicecounts.isa.edu.au

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this milestone 200th episode, Brad and Scully reflect on the history of the School Marketing Journal Podcast, whilst hearing from a selection of previous guests and listeners. As they look back on the biggest shifts in school marketing across the years, they consolidate the lessons they’ve learned from a range of experts across numerous topics to ultimately help school Heads feel confident in making strategic marketing decisions.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss why school Heads must take ownership of their school marketing. They investigate the three main roles of marketing in schools, highlight where leadership is essential and examine the leadership mindset required to balance strategy and promotion with the goal of helping Heads recognise their influence and maximise their marketing impact.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, Brad is joined by Graham Kenny, an expert in strategy and performance measurement, who has helped leaders across business, government and education navigate complex challenges, as well as being Australia’s only regular author to the Harvard Business Review. This episode, Graham reveals some lessons he has learnt about strategy and discusses his research into how AI can help school Heads with strategy going forward.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Choosing a school is an emotional decision for families. Whether it’s about finding the right academic fit, culture or values, each family has unique criteria. Your school competes with dozens of other schools, all vying for a place on prospective families’ shortlists. To truly stand out and secure your spot, you don’t need to be the biggest or the best. You just need to be their favourite.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, we are joined by Ashley Fell, the Director of Advisory at McCrindle, to discuss the tool they have developed, the Thriving Schools Index. This tool delves into understanding the school experience from a range of stakeholder perspectives, to give a score across a number of areas. She also shares how school Heads can use communication as a tool to move the needle on these indicators, to ensure your school is perceived as positively as possible.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, we are joined by Peter Baron, who served as the Chief Member Relations Officer for the US Enrollment Management Association, directing their marketing and communications, member recruitment and retention, leadership training programs, and research. He introduces us to his new business, MoonshotOS, which is designed to help education leaders to reimagine the independent school business model. We also discuss the findings of a survey Peter conducted on school leaders, including eight business competencies that directly affect school leaders.

You can find the book referenced in the Podcast, Traction by Gino Wickman, here.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Managing enrolments is about more than just filling seats. It’s about building a secure and sustainable future for your school, and that takes an approach that goes beyond surface level fixes. Introducing imageseven’s newest offering: the Enrolments Practice. In this episode, we are joined by imageseven’s Belinda McCubbin and Pauline Shuttleworth, to take you through the rationale behind the Enrolments Practice, why now is the right time for this service, and how it can help Heads confidently move from challenge to clarity.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, we discuss the importance of delivering on your brand promise. Prompted by a case study of a school in America, we explore how moving away from your brand promise as a school, risks losing its distinctiveness in this increasingly competitive market. We also share some tips to help you get on the front foot to ensure that what you are communicating as your promise, matches your school's offering.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview, we dive into a case study of how one school has successfully differentiated itself from the competition. Clayton Johnston, Director of Admissions at Brentwood College in British Columbia, Canada, shares the College’s journey of developing 11 differentiators which align with the College’s values, enabling Brentwood to clearly define who they are and what they stand for.

You can find out more in Clayton's new book Dare To Be Different: Practical Tips for Developing a Unique and Sustainable Admissions Strategy for Your Boarding School.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

A brand video is more than just a promotional piece – it's a powerful tool to tell your school's story, showcase its values and connect with the community. In this episode, we dive into the importance of brand videos for schools and introduce award-winning producer and director Gavin Carroll to unveil our exciting new video service offering, imaginate for Education. We discuss how brand videos can communicate a school's identity, attract prospective families and staff, and build a strong alumni community.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Heads of independent schools confront a conundrum: how do you introduce change and innovation while preserving the traditional values that resonate with their community? How can you strike a perfect communications balance between progress and maintaining a reassuring sense of stability? In this episode, we discuss the MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) principle and how it applies to school communications, offering a framework to help Heads craft communications that cut through day-to-day school life.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

School communication and marketing is changing, and whether you like it or not, this means your school marketing will need to change. However, the most significant barrier to your school’s adaptation to this new landscape is not the customers nor the technology, it’s managing the change required. This episode, we discuss how we believe you can lead your school through change effectively, and share some common reasons why school marketing change initiatives falter.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

To do great school communication and marketing, some of the most impactful levers you can pull don’t depend on the size of your budget. This episode, we discuss six things you can do that won’t put any strain on your school financially. But we warn you, it’s not going to be easy. Through our experience of working with hundreds of school Heads, we know these ideas can be difficult to action ... but not impossible.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

There is a problem that is deeply ingrained into the structural fabric of Australia’s independent school sector. Schools need high-level marketing support, but only a few of the largest schools can access this type of talent. A concept borrowed from the commercial world might be the answer. This episode, we discuss the role of the 'Fractional' Director of Marketing, how they operate and why this role might be right for your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

For generations, we've been told that logic dictates our decision making. However, a growing body of research suggests that it's our emotions that drive our decisions, especially when it comes to complex purchase decisions. This episode, we discuss how you can lead your communication and marketing team to limit the logical and elevate the emotional in your quest for increased enrolment enquiries.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, we dive into the topic of AI and how it can be used in your school marketing. We discuss a Hubspot article surveying over 1,000 marketing professionals to discover trends in AI usage. We also share our thoughts on how your school marketing team can use this technology to become more efficient by freeing up their time to focus on the parts of the job they love.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, we are joined by Tom Olverson, a veteran school Head of 27 years across the United States who is now a specialist search consultant, as well as a mentor to Heads. He is also the author of Leading Through Strategy – How Business Principles Can Help Independent Schools Thrive. He talks us through what ‘winning’ looks like for schools, as well as sharing some of the principles from the for-profit world that Heads often overlook.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the world of independent schools, clear communication isn't just beneficial — it's pivotal. The pitfalls of misinterpretations, ambiguous roles and inconsistent messages can profoundly inhibit a school's growth on all fronts. Schools, like all organisations, face challenges in achieving effective communication. And it’s holding them back. This episode we discuss the significance of communication in school marketing and provide tips on paving a way forward for your school communications.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this special interview episode, we are joined by Dan Oshinsky, owner of Inbox Collective, an email consultancy that helps brands grow audiences, build relationships and gets results through email. We discuss the future of email marketing and the differences and similarities between brand email marketing and school email marketing. Dan shares how to make your marketing emails feel more personal to establish a connection with your target. Finally, we discuss which metrics are the best for you and how to interpret those metrics.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s only partially true. Brad and Scully discuss this further in this episode, delving into how – within the school marketing context – your second chance is to iterate and improve before your next opportunity for another first impression. In today's interconnected world, the battle for enrolment begins online. As prospective parents commence their intricate journey of selecting the best school, their first stop is usually your school’s website.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, we are joined by psychologist Dr Matt Pfeiffer to discuss his model TXcel Education, which aims to enhance the educational effectiveness of teachers. TXcel is a professional development model which uses surveys to allow teachers to receive a range of feedback and help them enhance their teaching effectiveness. Matt talks us through the development of the model, as well as how TXcel is used in practice in schools. Finally, we discuss the connection between marketing and communications and quality of teaching and what this means for school Heads.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

After presenting at the 2024 International Boys’ School (IBSC) Annual Conference held in London, United Kingdom, Andrew Sculthorpe (Scully) shares his learnings from picking the minds of school Heads from 145 countries around the world. Focusing on the Conference’s theme ‘Tradition, leadership and innovation’, he shares some of the knowledge he picked up, such as the challenges facing boys’ schools, the similarities and differences in marketing efforts between single-sex and co-ed schools and the prospective parent journey.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, we are joined by Brendan Schneider, an expert in digital marketing for schools and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution. We discuss the growth in AI and break down some of its accompanying terms and jargon. Brendan tells us how he believes AI is going to (and has already) change the world of school marketing.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, we pick up where we left off from SMJ175, continuing with our list of marketing jargon that school Heads might encounter in order to help you interpret what you are hearing from your school’s marketing team. We discuss all the terms you might often hear, from ‘social media marketing’ to ‘CTAs’ and we try our best to explain them in simple terms and give you practical examples in a school-based context.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

There comes a time in the life of every school when the time is right to make a permanent record of the school’s history. This episode, we are joined by Associate Professor David Hastie to understand the pitfalls and the benefits of writing your school history. David takes us through the steps of approaching such a project, and shares his advice and his takeaways from his vast experience of writing histories for independent schools.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

This episode, we discuss some of the jargon in the marketing industry to help school Heads interpret what they are hearing from marketers and understand the process behind what is going on in their schools marketing programs. We discuss all the terms you might often hear, from ‘brand awareness’ to ‘CX’ and try our best to explain in simple terms for your understanding and then give you practical examples in schools.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, we are joined by Tom Olverson, a veteran school Head of 27 years who is now a specialist search consultant with RG175 and a mentor to current school leaders. We discuss his book, Leading Through Strategy, How Business Principles Can Help Independent Schools Thrive, which explores his personal journey leading schools across the USA, the lessons he learnt and how to use strategy to find your school identity.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the education sector the various functions of communication often get blurred, especially when it comes to branding and marketing. While related and interdependent, these are entirely different stages of communication that require different approaches. This episode, we discuss an article by Deroy Peraza that we came across, and we approached him to investigate how his article, Branding is expecting. Marketing is parenting applied to school marketing.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

There is a lot happening in the modern school marketing landscape. It seems that every time you open a new browser tab there is a new tool or app that is going to ‘make your life easier’ and solve your enrolment problems. Of course, it’s not real. School communications and marketing are getting more complex, not easier. This episode, Brad and Scully provide a four-pillar framework on how to unlock your school’s value to prospective parents.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

It has long been known that video is a powerful way to connect with your audience. But, as production becomes cheaper and tools get easier to use, how can schools cut through the clutter? This episode we are joined by filmmaker, speaker and educator Ryan Koral. Ryan specialises in documentary creation and we delve into why this visual medium gives viewers an emotional experience and leads them to take action. Most importantly, we learn how you, as a school Head, can leverage the format to yield great results for your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

How does your school’s newsletter compare to the benchmarks of the industry, and do they really make a difference to what you are trying to do? Recently, imageseven’s Digital Marketing Specialist, Harrison Shearn undertook a comprehensive project to analyse the performance of over a quarter of a million school email newsletters. For the first time in Australia, Harrison’s findings have revealed some benchmarks for school email newsletters, which we discuss in depth to learn all there is to know.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Is it possible for your school to stand out in a sea of sameness? This episode, Brad and Scully discuss the idea that to be effective with any content marketing strategy, you have to develop a distinctive – as opposed to distinct – point of view for the story you’re telling or the value you are delivering at your school. We investigate how being only distinct limits our ability to stand out and how by being distinctive, your school can be the ‘purple duck in a room of brown mallards’.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

This episode Brad and Scully discuss the case for school magazines and why it is important not to dismiss the idea of print publications. We discuss how the long form content of Prospectus’ and other school publications work differently from the ‘bite-sized’ content that is so often associated with digital communications, and how school Heads can use these hand-in-hand to get the best communications results for their schools.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the final part of this four-part series with Maria Kadison, President and CEO of EdwardsCo, we discuss how to execute and align all the brand initiatives to form your school's public presence and form one strong, cohesive brand strategy. We investigate how to streamline your messaging and narrow down your marketing to your key messages to reduce confusion amongst your potential customers.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode we pick up where we left off from Episode 164, as we discuss navigating issue management. We walk you through a flowchart about issue management and the types of decisions you will be faced with. As we explore a number of fictitious case studies, we assess the four key questions that every school Head needs to ask themselves before communicating with the community when an issue arises, and then follow our flow chart to give you practical advice on how to respond respectfully, efficiently and effectively.

Episode links:

Navigating Issue Management - A Guide for School Heads

School Issue Management Response Flowchart

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the third part of this four-part series with Maria Kadison, President and CEO of EdwardsCo, we discuss the idea of EDGE; Expressing Differentiation and Generating Engagement. Discover how EDGE can distinguish your message and intrigue prospective families about your offering. We'll cover how you can use message architecture tactics, including key messaging, brand stories, archetypes, and personality, to set your school apart from competitors. Finally we delve into practical ways to discover themes that can define your differentiation and subsequently generate interest from prospective parents.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

The way that a school Head responds to issues can have a significant impact on the school’s reputation, trust and most importantly, the wellbeing of their students and staff. This episode, Brad and Scully discuss how the key lies not just in appropriately reacting to issues, but proactively managing situations with a strategic approach to communication. We share our framework which details on how to assess the impact, develop a clear response plan and how to decide what to say, when to say it and to whom.

Navigating Issue Management - A Guide for School Heads

School Issue Management Response Flowchart

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the second part of this four-part series with Maria Kadison, President and CEO of EdwardsCo, we discuss some of the things successful schools are doing to uncover valuable data and how to identify the sources of this data. We analyse the different groups relevant to schools and dive into how each demographic can be useful in gaining information to improve the enrolments process and retention. Maria then gives us seven questions that schools can ask prospective families in order to gain a clearer picture about their school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Deepfakes are where Artificial Intelligence is used to create or alter video and audio recordings with remarkable realism. In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss the rise of deepfakes and how, for schools, the advent of deepfake technology brings a host of communication, reputation and safety concerns with a range of opportunities for misuse. We present a multifaceted approach for schools to mitigate the risks associated with deepfakes, including key actions for school Heads to prepare for deepfake challenges.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

This episode, Brad is joined by Maria Kadison, President and CEO of EdwardsCo, a branding, marketing, strategy and design agency for independent schools across the United States. In the first episode of a special four-part series, they discuss how school marketers can deeply understand their school’s mission and how to turn that into the school’s brand. They explore how creating a meaningful brand creates trust for the community and prospective parents and eventually leads to school growth.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Looking into the future, Brad and Scully discuss the ‘Martec Revolution’ and the implications and challenges that schools will face adapting to rapid technological changes. They provide an action plan for school Heads to implement to ensure their schools are embracing change, aligning technology with their overall strategies and adapting to the dynamic marketing environment. To conclude, they discuss the role of the school Head in all of this and how to balance expectations and practices within your team.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

This episode we talk to multi-award-winning speaker, change strategist and bestselling author of ten books, Michael McQueen. Michael discusses how to master the art of changing people’s minds and persuading stubborn people, and how to apply this in the context of a school Head. We investigate a number of education industry examples, including how faith-based schools can effectively target a wider audience, strategies Michael finds particularly effective for schools, and the common mistakes people make when trying to persuade others.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

This episode we talk to Anthony McCausland from Feesable, who has been analysing nearly 31,000 fee estimates from July 2022 to June 2023. Anthony shares his insights on all things school fees, from how schools are fine-tuning levies and early payment discounts to meet their financial objectives, to what strategies schools can use to ensure they are meeting market demand, and importantly, how school Heads can communicate fee changes effectively to maintain trust and retention.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

As Heads start to think strategically about their 2024 marketing and communication plans, we take this opportunity to share what we see as some of the key pitfalls and challenges likely to affect school Heads in the next 12 months. We have an in depth discussion on how a lack of differentiation, ineffective communication, neglect of storytelling and oversight across the digital landscape are some of the major challenges facing your School in 2024.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Today we chat with Bart Caylor, President of Caylor Solutions, about the incredibly rapid rise of AI, what it means and some of the incredible things it allows us to do. Fresh off recently hosting the HigherEd Marketing AI Summit, Bart shares his knowledge with us on how to leverage AI in school marketing, emerging AI trends and everything Heads need to know to navigate this fast-evolving landscape.

Check out the resources that Bart, Brad and Andrew discussed this episode by clicking the links below:

chat.openai.com
claude.ai
perplexity.ai

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

This episode we are joined by Stuart Meade. Reflecting on his career – which included 21 years as a school Head at Hale School, Perth and Mathew Flinders Anglican College, Sunshine Coast – we discuss how marketing and communications in schools has evolved over the years. He shares priceless advice for school Heads, as well as what he wishes he had known when he started his career.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

At the very essence of every decision you make as a school Head is your school community. As a Head, your ability to listen to the community’s voice goes a long way to contributing to the success of a project. This episode, we discuss why it is important to listen, relate to and understand your community so that you can speak on their behalf and make decisions in their best interests.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

To understand what your school brand is, you need to first understand what a ‘brand’ is. In this episode we discuss some of the misconceptions on what a brand is, and how these misunderstandings can affect the way school Heads manage their brand. We also discuss how your school’s success is influenced by the level of trust customers have in your brand, and how to create trust with your brand design.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Having recently returned from the AHISA Biannual Convention, we recap some of the conversations we had with school Heads while there. We go through the some of the recurring themes we encountered, from the difficulty of hiring and professional development of staff, to mental health, community engagement, how to differentiate in the competitive landscape of education, and how schools can effectively communicate fee increases.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

How can you improve (or start) the alumni program at your school? We talk to Alastair Lee, Managing Director of AlumGrow Consultancy, to find out the benefits of building strong alumni relations and how to acquire the most value out of your school’s alumni program to achieve your long-term strategic goals.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Is print relevant anymore? Is digital really the ruler of the communication world? We debate the positives and negatives of both print, digital publications and a combination of both, to help you decide how you should best produce your school’s publications.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

The advertising market is evolving all the time and as a school Head you can often be left in the dark about the evolving landscape of media buying. This episode, we are joined by the founder of Mentor Marketing, Amanda Reid, as she shares her strategic insight into what school Heads need to know about the biggest changes in advertising in the education sector.

Five major advertising and media buying changes that school Heads need to know about:

The fragmentation of media landscape across channels and devices
Media consumption habits based on the above and digital transformation
Media buying best practice methodologies (including data, technology and AI)
Schools having access to ‘new’ channels, potentially not accessible to them before
Data, measurements that matter and ROI metrics

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

School’s marketing efforts often struggle to close the strategy-execution gap. Why do so many implementation efforts fail? In this episode, we discuss strategies among school leaders and explore ways to create effective strategies. We also explore ways to encourage buy-in from all staff to a school Head’s strategic direction in order to enhance your chance of success.

The AHISA Biennial Conference 2023

Location: Gold Coast, QLD
imageseven presents: Bold School Brand: Masterclass
Date: 24 September 2023, 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Cost: $250 ... and it includes a nice lunch at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast!

Bold School Brand is a framework any school can adopt to position themselves and build a compelling school brand. Based on imageseven’s book, Bold School Brand, this masterclass will guide you step-by-step through the process. After three hours you will leave equipped with a framework to develop and implement a marketing strategy that will set your school apart.

Together with relevant Australian case studies and simple to follow processes, the imageseven team will cut through the corporate marketing jargon to model a practical approach to modern school marketing and communications.

This is pre-registered.

· If you are an AHISA member, resister on the AHISA conference registration page.

· If you are not an AHISA member but would like to attend, just drop us an email at smj@imageseven.com.au and we’ll register you just for the Masterclass.

Hope to see you there ... there is limited seats, so jump in quick!

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When it comes to making decisions, we all feel like we can never have enough data. In this episode, we speak to Peter Buckingham, co-founder and Managing Director of Spectrum Analysis, about the data types that are most useful for school Heads. We talk through some examples of how we can use data to make better decisions and to guide our operations, enrolments, marketing and business planning.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

One of the issues we frequently run into when working with schools looking to craft their messaging is clarity, or rather a lack of it. We discuss how you can become clear and authentic in your voice and leadership by delving into a few of the leadership theories researched in The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. We also investigate how clarity of personal values can improve commitment, engagement and job satisfaction within your organisation.

The Leadership Challenge: https://www.leadershipchallenge.com/

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

What lessons can K-12 school Heads draw from trends in the higher education market? We’re joined by Bart Caylor, president of Caylor Solutions; a company with a mission of “advancing brands that advance education”. Caylor first explains what makes an effective brand and then delves into the five examples in his article Effective Higher Education Brands and Why They Work, sharing what he’s learnt working with universities across the United States.

Episode links:

Western Governors University - https://www.wgu.edu/

Wabash - https://www.wabash.edu/

High Point University - https://www.highpoint.edu/

University of Wyoming - https://www.uwyo.edu/

Saybrook University - https://www.saybrook.edu/

Caylor Solutions - https://www.caylor-solutions.com/

Bart Caylor’s podcast, The Higher Ed Marketer - https://www.higheredmarketerpodcast.com/

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

What does it mean to have a strategy in place? On a broad level, a strategy is a plan to outperform your competitors (every school has them) and succeed in an area they may not. In this episode, we discuss how and why you should assert your school’s unique strengths in the marketplace.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

How do you, as a Head, create distinction to attract and retain customers while standing out in a competitive marketplace? Globally recognised marketing authority and author Scott McKain joins us share key advice from his latest book The Ultimate Customer Experience: 5 Steps Everyone Must Know to Excite Your Customers, Engage Your Colleagues, and Enjoy Your Work. The key takeaways? Don’t Make It Right … GET It Right! Make a Great Impression, Serve with Empathy, Connect with Emotion and Take Personal Responsibility.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

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School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Every school is looking for a competitive advantage … and if you aren’t, then you should be!
There are many sources of competitive advantage, yet Heads often fall short of using their expertise to stand out. In this episode, we discuss how you can distinguish yourself as a visible expert.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Suzanne Willcock, our Senior Consultant at imageseven, joins us to breakdown the who, what and why of parent, student and alumni personas, revealing the purpose and intensive quantitative and qualitative data used in the creation of these semi-fictional characters.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Every aspect of a school tour – from the confirmation email to the inside of the classroom – is an opportunity to build trust with parents, as well as exemplify how much you care about families. Brad and Andrew are joined by imageseven team members Mikayla Coombes and Cassandra Kirkpatrick who share their tips and tricks for leading a successful school tour and Open Day.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Sue Ellson, an independent LinkedIn Specialist and author who helps businesses and individuals maximise their presence on LinkedIn, reveals why you should have a separate LinkedIn page for yourself, as a school Head, and for your school. She also touches on how LinkedIn can be utilised to increase your digital presence and how to recruit staff on LinkedIn.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Every Head has fallen into the trap of biting off more than they can chew at one point or another. The reality is, Heads are faced with endless marketing and communication options in today’s landscape. But with limited budgets, how can you lead your school towards meeting marketing aspirations and effectively marketing your school brand? In this episode, we discuss some tactics and strategies that you can use to align your aspirations with your capabilities.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

To provide the best experience for families at your school, you first need to understand the experiences they have with you. In this interview with David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet, from [YELLOW CAR], we discuss the questions they have developed to best measure families’ experiences within your school at every stage of their school lifecycle.

Find the blog mentioned by David in the episode here https://www.yellowcar.io/post/introducing-the-future-of-parent-feedback-to-schools

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

For an opportunity to be involved in [YELLOW CAR]'s research, get in touch at hello@yellowcar.io

In part 2 of the ‘You’re writing, but is anyone reading?’ episode, we challenge you to inject your brand personality into your writing, as we discuss the difference between voice and tone and why they are important for your writing. We also focus on the need to provoke a response from your readers and how best to implement a Call to Action (CTA) into your work.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

If you missed part 1 of this episode, watch it here: https://www.imageseven.com.au/school-marketing-journal-podcast/

Unlearn everything you’ve learnt about writing. That’s the key message we elaborate on as we explore how school Heads can effectively write to capture and maintain their audience’s attention. In this episode, we provide some tips and advice on how to best come across as your authentic self in your writing and communicate genuinely to your audience.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Social researcher, trends analyst and Managing Director at McCrindle Research, Sophie Renton joins us to discuss her recent research push to understand the seven disruptors impacting the future of education and unveil what this means for the future of school Heads and school marketers.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

If you want to be part of McCrindle’s virtual event on 11 May, sign up here: https://mccrindle.com.au/resource/event/2023-education-insights-event/

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Is the perception of your school’s brand far too important to be left solely to school marketers? How exactly has our digital world shifted the role of school staff in marketing? In this episode, we discuss who really is responsible and how your school, as a whole, can become best equipped to operate like a media company.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The following key aspects should be considered when your school operates like a media company:

Develop a content strategy: Just like media companies, your school needs to have a clear and well-defined content strategy. This includes setting marketing objectives, identifying the target audience, determining the type of content to create (blogs, videos, podcasts, etc.), and establishing a content distribution plan.
Create compelling content: Your school should create engaging and valuable content that resonates with your target audience, whether it's prospective students, parents, or alumni. This content should showcase the school's unique offerings, culture, and successes, and also provide insights into the educational experience and outcomes.
Utilise multiple platforms: Schools, like media companies, should use a variety of platforms to distribute their content, such as websites, social media, email campaigns, and print materials. This will help to increase the reach and effectiveness of your school’s marketing efforts.
Measure success and adjust strategy: Media companies monitor the success of their content through various metrics, such as views, shares, comments, and conversions. Your school should also track the performance of your marketing efforts and adjust your strategies accordingly to optimise results.
Build a strong brand identity: Like media companies, your school needs to develop a cohesive and recognisable brand identity that reflects your core values and mission. This involves creating a consistent visual identity and tone of voice across all content and marketing materials.

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe “The greatest delivery system for any idea is a story.” Seems simple, right? Yet, before you can craft an effective narrative you must ask yourself three questions: Who is your story for? What is it for? How will you know if it’s working? We cover the six types of stories – from personal anecdotes to the sceptics’ story – that will clearly articulate your school’s brand. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe What is the best way to think of strategy for non-strategists? Is it possible to clearly distinguish strategy from tactical execution? In this episode, we’re joined by CEO of Strategic Factors and Harvard Business Review author, Dr Graham Kenny, who knows what yields results and what doesn’t when it comes to executing a strategy. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

As you’re aware – as a school Head – switching hats from managing teachers to managing your marketing team can be quite the juggling act. So how can you adjust your management style to reflect this? In this episode, we go over our seven-step guide so you can effectively communicate with (and inspire) your team to achieve your school’s objectives.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe McCrindle’s Director of Advisory Ashley Fell summarises some surprising (and unsurprising) trends school Heads must be aware of leading into the year ahead, spanning from the virtuous needs of consumers (in this case, parents) to a shift in intergenerational connections in the workplace. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe How do prospective parents determine value? And most importantly, how do you increase your school’s perceived value? In this episode, we discuss what the perceived value theory is and how you can apply this theory to prospective parents as a Chief Value Proposition Officer. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Dr Christopher Duncan has 20 years’ experience leading independent schools across Australia and is now the CEO of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA). He spoke with SMJ about the observed parallels between leadership, decisions made by the Board and marketing strategies – leading to his mission to improve school governance. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe How do you create enticing content to get your prospective parent to know, like, and then, ultimately, trust you? And most importantly, how do you leverage that trust into an opportunity? In this episode, we discuss how you can reach the seven key stages of the life cycle of your prospective parent’s journey, resulting in the prospective parent becoming an advocate for your school. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Despite staggering inflation costs, many schools have increased their fees well below the current inflation rate in recognition of the cost-of-living pressures on families. In this interview, Edstart founder and CEO, Jack Stevens dives into Edstart’s School Fees Report 2023 to summarise the surprising tuition trends across the country and the financial implications this has had on schools.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe The future of artificial intelligence (AI) is here and with it comes the need for an answer to the big question: What does this mean for the future of school marketing? In this episode, we take a look at ChatGPT, the AI software stirring controversy, and reveal how you can utilise this powerful technology to augment and enhance your marketing and communication strategy. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe As a leader of school marketing, there are two simple questions you should be answering: Who are you as a school and why do you matter? In this second half of two parts, we continue analysing the complexities of your positioning and reveal how you can unravel what your school does at its core. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When thinking about your school experience strategy, you must consider all the moments families will have as they journey through the lifecycle of your school experience – from the first time they ever connect with the school – all the way through to becoming members of the alumni community. In this episode, we speak with David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet from [YELLOW CAR] who have been on a whirlwind trip the last few months bringing their signature expertise in Customer Experience for Schools to Heads and marketers across the world.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

As a leader of school marketing, there are two simple questions you should be answering: Who are you as a school and why do you matter? In this episode, we analyse the complexities of your positioning and reveal how you can unravel what your school does at its core.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Subtitle: School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

From the ongoing repercussions of COVID-19 to extended waitlists, prospective parents face uncertainty in many areas of their child’s education. In this interview, CEO of Knuckleball Consulting, Mike Vachow joins us to discuss what he’s learnt after serving in five independent schools, sharing his eight tips for eliminating this uncertainty in parents.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

It’s easy to lose focus of your external audience – prospective and current parents – when internally marketing your school. We explore where you should place your focus in a world of endless distractions and growing demands as the end of Term 4 approaches.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Often, school Heads find it difficult to prioritise the workload of their development team to maximize the dollars raised with the number of staff they have. In this interview, Jill Goodman shares the seven-step framework you can follow to meet your development and fundraising targets regardless of the size of your team.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Everything your customers know about your brand comes from what they see, hear, watch, and read … so all of your content advertising needs to adequately represent your brand. In this episode, we continue discussing why consistency is the key factor in building customer trust and how this consistency can be translated through a writing style guide.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When it comes to fundraising for schools, it seems everyone has an opinion, a favourite campaign format, or rules that should always be followed. These opinions are usually based on past success, but what works in one school won’t necessarily work as well in another. We interview Dr Wendy Scaife, the Associate Professor and the Director of the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at Queensland University of Technology to get a helicopter view of philanthropy in Australia and help you to navigate your way to success in this space.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When it comes to fundraising for schools, it seems everyone has an opinion, a favourite campaign format, or rules that should always be followed. These opinions are usually based on past success, but what works in one school won’t necessarily work as well in another. We interview Dr Wendy Scaife, the Associate Professor and the Director of the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at Queensland University of Technology to get a helicopter view of philanthropy in Australia and help you to navigate your way to success in this space.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Your brand can only remain consistent if every team member is following the same decision-making process when creating content. We talk you through everything you need to know about writing and style guides, what a comprehensive branding guide looks like and how to avoid inconsistent messaging creeping into your content.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Your brand can only remain consistent if every team member is following the same decision-making process when creating content. We talk you through everything you need to know about writing and style guides, what a comprehensive branding guide looks like and how to avoid inconsistent messaging creeping into your content.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Every school has a brand. However, perceptions and expectations of your school brand are constantly evolving. We interview the Director of Solutions at McCrindle, Geoff Brailey, to learn a thing or two about brand tracking and discover the brand-related questions school Heads should be asking.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Every school has a brand. However, perceptions and expectations of your school brand are constantly evolving. We interview the Director of Solutions at McCrindle, Geoff Brailey, to learn a thing or two about brand tracking and discover the brand-related questions school Heads should be asking.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

As a school Head, you have a vision for your school. Persuading your school community that your vision is worth pursuing is the most important challenge you will face in your career. While trying to sell this vision, it can often feel like no-one is listening, which can be equally as frustrating as it is disheartening. This week, we look at why your message often fails to capture your audience’s attention and the six principles that will get your message to well and truly stick.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

As a school Head, you have a vision for your school. Persuading your school community that your vision is worth pursuing is the most important challenge you will face in your career. While trying to sell this vision, it can often feel like no-one is listening, which can be equally as frustrating as it is disheartening. This week, we look at why your message often fails to capture your audience’s attention and the six principles that will get your message to well and truly stick.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When choosing a school, one of the first questions a prospective parent asks is, “Can I afford the fees?” Having designed a fee calculator which delivers a transparent fee experience to parents while generating valuable enrolment enquires, Founder of Feesable, Anthony McCausland, joins us to discuss the standout insights this data reveals.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

When choosing a school, one of the first questions a prospective parent asks is, “Can I afford the fees?” Having designed a fee calculator which delivers a transparent fee experience to parents while generating valuable enrolment enquires, Founder of Feesable, Anthony McCausland, joins us to discuss the standout insights this data reveals.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Leaders have an obligation to be looking around corners and seeing what is ahead, even if it’s not fully in focus yet. In this second half of two parts, we continue to look at some of the trends to watch in marketing and discuss why you and your team need to be thinking about them now.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

We sit down with expert in all matters of school financial management and Partner at Resolve Consulting, David Bartlett, who guides us through school fees increases. We look at the economic factors that you must communicate to the school community as the school Head in order to give parents greater financial confidence.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

We sit down with expert in all matters of school financial management and Partner at Resolve Consulting, David Bartlett, who guides us through school fees increases. We look at the economic factors that you must communicate to the school community as the school Head in order to give parents greater financial confidence.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

This week, we try to predict the future! Well, not quite. Leaders have an obligation to be looking around corners and seeing what is ahead, even if it’s not fully in focus yet. In this first of two parts, we look at some of the trends to watch in marketing and discuss why you and your team need to be thinking about them now.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Experiences lead to enrolments. It’s that simple. And also that complex! In this interview with Dr David Willows of [YELLOW CAR], we look at why that’s the case, what the barriers are to designing good customer experiences and how you can overcome them.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“I don’t need marketing or a marketing plan.” If you’ve said (or even thought) this, you aren’t alone. But is it true? As a school Head, it would be unthinkable to begin a school year without a plan for how you will educate your students. Yet when it comes to attracting, enrolling and retaining students, many school Heads face the year without a plan, or think that they don’t need one. We dig into what it means and what it might look like for your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Where you set your school fees is one of your clearest positioning signals to prospective parents. With annual data obtained from over 500 independent Australian schools, CEO of EdStart, Jack Stevens, joins us to discuss the ins and outs (and ups and downs) of school fees, sharing his top tips for how to communicate them well.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Having a vision and a strategy for your school — and your school marketing — is not enough. The long-term key to success is execution. Relentless consistency. Every day. Every term. Every year. Without a system for getting things done, your strategy will forever remain an unrealised dream. We discuss what it takes to make that dream a reality.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

There are things you can and can’t control when it comes to managing your school’s online reputation. Brendan Schneider, specialist in inbound marketing for schools, joins us to discuss what your school can and should be doing, along with what questions to ask your marketing team. We also share real-life examples of search engine optimisation done well … and really badly!

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

When we at imageseven look at a school through the lens of a prospective parent, we often discover a confusing maze of competing market positions. But you cannot win the positioning war with a positioning strategy that is constructed like a Swiss army knife. You need to be something ... for someone. In this episode, we show you how.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Conducted by Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), What Parents Want is the longest running survey in the country exploring why parents choose independent schools. CEO of ISQ, Chris Mountford, helps us dig into the goldmine of insight gathered in their 2021 research, highlighting the factors that matter to school Heads.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Through our experience working with schools, we have identified three foundational building blocks of a robust school marketing system. In this episode, we chat with Claire Jones, our own Head of Strategy and Programs, to walk you through building a communications and marketing operation that’s built on a solid foundation and minimises the ‘trip hazards’.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Welcome to the 100th episode of the SMJ podcast! To celebrate this milestone, we talk to Dr Alec O’Connell, Headmaster of Perth’s Scotch College, where they’re about to mark the College’s 125th anniversary. We discuss what it looks like for schools to celebrate and capitalise on significant events, to enhance both your fundraising and your brand.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do parents choose schools? What motivates them to ‘buy’ your school experience? Dr David Willows, Director of Advancement at The International School of Brussels and Co-Founder of [YELLOW CAR], joins us to discuss his article, ‘Dual-Factor Theory’. He highlights the important questions you should be asking in the wake of a pandemic and gives you the tools to answer them.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Historically speaking, marketing activity for schools can be summed up in one word: relationships. However, market changes mean this is no longer enough. Despite this, many schools are resisting new ways of building their brands and marketing themselves. We explore why that is and discuss how your school can join the marketing revolution.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What do school Heads need to know about the intersection of schools, marketing and the law? With over 30 years’ experience advising Australian educational institutions, David Ford, a Partner of Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers, is known for his expertise in education law. In this interview, we pick up on some of the topics addressed in his contributions to the School Marketing Journal, discussing enrolment contracts, sending emails to prospective parents and how to handle online reviews.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“We’re not rebuilding, we’re building.” Schools have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build fit-for-purpose communications and marketing, rather than rebuilding from a pre-pandemic plan. We dive into Real Insurance’s Real Education Report to find out what parents are thinking and how you can build your messaging to speak directly to their concerns.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

A quiet revolution has been happening in marketing technology, particularly in the world of digital advertising. In this interview with Unify’s Josh Krueger, we pull back the curtain on some of this wizardry and look at how your school can benefit from it.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School web projects generally require a sizeable investment of time and resources. By asking the right questions in advance, your team can work efficiently and you can be confident your new website will meet your school’s requirements. We discuss seven questions you should ask to ask to keep your website project heading in the right direction.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“What is one skill you wish you had been taught while you were at school?” This is just one of the questions asked by Student Edge in their recent survey of Australian students. In this interview with co-founder Jeremy Chetty, we dig deep into the results to reveal some of the gems you can use in your school marketing and even in designing your school’s offering. You can find more student insights by visiting Student Edge Youth Insights.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Do you find yourself declaring that “parents just aren’t paying attention anymore”? Attention has become one of the most valuable resources of the digital age. It is not given automatically; it must be earned. We discuss how you can overcome the barriers to effective parent communication and give you seven ways to earn their attention.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

When faced with a choice, how do prospective parents determine the value of your school? Is their perception different from the reality? Your answers to these questions can make or break your enrolments. We highlight the importance of your value proposition and give you the tools to influence and manage your perceived value, leading to greater enrolment success.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Should school Heads look to have all their communication and marketing needs serviced by their own in-house team, external providers or a combination of both? In this episode, we draw on imageseven’s methodology to assist you in making the best decision for your school’s unique circumstances.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

After a(nother) year unlike any other, it’s important for leaders to have foresight; to be able to see things not just as they are, but as they will be. In this interview, Ashley Fell discusses the top trends identified by the McCrindle team that will shape 2022, along with how these should inform the decisions school Heads make this year.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Over one million more Australians became active on social media in 2021, according to a new report released by Hootsuite and We Are Social. We analyse the findings to reveal what matters in school marketing, and discuss the whether, why and how of TikTok for schools.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

In 2012, two independent schools in Western Australia merged to become one, with Mark Ashby appointed as Principal of the new Kennedy Baptist College. Ten years later, Mark discusses where the College is now, sharing the why, what and how of the merger and rebrand, along with lessons learnt.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The competition is getting tough, enrolment enquiries are stalling or your school doesn’t stand out anymore ... it’s time to rebrand, right? Wrong. In this episode, we discuss the damage a misguided attempt can do, along with what you need to consider before embarking on a rebrand.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

It’s not in the formal job description, but inspiring your communications and marketing team is vital to your success. How do you go about such a task when you are not a professional marketer yourself? Spoiler alert: the key is to be inspired yourself. We discuss how to do that and give you tools to be both inspired and inspiring.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you are not in the room,” Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has been quoted as saying. But how do you know what that is? In this interview, Meltwater’s Client Strategy Manager, Rhianna Busler, discusses how they collect and analyse online news and social media to find out what others are saying about you, along with what you can do about it.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What does sending a man to the moon have to do with independent school marketing? How can Heads lead their school’s customer experience initiatives with few established reference points? We look at five reasons why NASA’s moonshot was successful and why the efforts of school Heads to create and sustain meaningful improvements in their customer experience often fail.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Phil Cook has 28 years’ experience in the tertiary education sector, most recently as Vice President for Enrolment at Lee University in Tennessee. In this interview, the newly appointed Executive Director of the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals shares his considerable wisdom on the trends emerging in education marketing, communication and enrolments, and what they mean for Australian school Heads.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

When your Board suggests you solve your school’s enrolment challenges by “just getting us out there,” you know it is not that simple. In this episode, we discuss why and give you a step-by-step framework for explaining it.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you react when you hear ‘the media’ is on the phone? For many Heads, panic immediately sets in and they can be inclined to hide under their desk. So, how do you spot the difference between a simple enquiry and a potential crisis? PR and media expert John Le Cras joins us to discuss his five red flashing lights that will help you determine which is which.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

It’s been said that ‘communications and marketing are the same thing’ and that ‘marketing communications have not fundamentally changed.’ Are these two statements myths or facts? We delve into the whys and wherefores of both, unpacking what you need to know about them as the school Head.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

In this interview, Steve Cuno — author, copywriter and self-professed ‘marketing know-it-all’ — discusses whether he’s a marketing sceptic and why you should take intuition out of your marketing decisions. He provides tips for school Heads in how to embrace scientific marketing, unpacking insights from Prove It Before You Promote It.

Steve’s recommended reading:

Ogilvy on Advertising – David Ogilvy
Tested Advertising Methods – John Caples
Direct Marketing Rules of Thumb – Nat G Bodian
Scientific Advertising – Claude Hopkins
Or Your Money Back – Alvin Eicoff
Prove It Before You Promote It – Steve Cuno
Of Marketing and Emasculated Goats – Steve Cuno

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Scientific Advertising: Complete and Unabridged

Of Marketing and Emasculated Goats: Marketing Insights from the Oddest Places

Direct Marketing Rules of Thumb: 1,000 Practical and Profitable Ideas to Help You Improve Response, Save Money, and Increase Efficiency in Your Direct Program

Or Your Money Back

Ogilvy on Advertising

Prove It before You Promote It: How to Take the Guesswork Out of Marketing

What are the differences between visual identity, brand and logo? Why would a school want to consider its visual identity and maybe even change it? In this episode, we talk you through the what, why and how. You can delve even deeper by grabbing a copy of Bold School Brand via your favourite online bookseller.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the pandemic rolls on, are you, like many Heads, at the end of your rope and struggling to hold it together? Consulting psychologist Dr Steve Bagi shares insights from his PhD in educational leadership and suggests some ways you can combat emotional fatigue.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

In this second of our two-part look at defining and articulating your school’s key messages, we discuss the next steps you can take to maximise your communication and marketing impact. If you haven’t yet listened to part 1, head to SMJ073.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

With experience leading large independent schools, Dr Paul Teys now helps schools leverage their strengths by mentoring leadership teams and managing executive recruitment. In this interview, Paul discusses what it means for Heads to perform as CEOs, focusing on the intersection of leading the school and leading school marketing.

Email smj@imageseven.com.au for your copy of 'Bringing marketing to the school boardroom'.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What are your school’s key messages and why is it important to define and articulate them? We walk you through our framework and give you the tools to apply it in your own context, so that you can maximise your communication and marketing impact.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The University of Newcastle’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tracy Chalk, has deep experience across higher education and government in both marketing and brand management. In this interview, Tracy discusses why storytelling is so important for today’s education marketing, what her own storytelling ecosystem looks like and how school Heads can start the necessary conversation with their marketers.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you stand out from the crowd? What does it mean to be remarkable? In this episode, we delve into the highlights of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow, discussing those things that can make all the difference to your school marketing and, ultimately, your enrolments.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

Even the most experienced of performers can be caught out when dealing with the media. In this interview, media and crisis communication expert John Le Cras discusses why even smooth operators would benefit from some training. Remember, “everything you say may be taken down and used in evidence against you.”

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Is your school distinctive? Do you, your staff and your prospective parents know what sets you apart? In this episode we discuss the ‘3Rs’ criteria, a tool to help you evaluate whether what differentiates your school from your competitors is strategically meaningful.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the main driver of enquiries and enrolments, the importance of school marketing cannot be overemphasised. However, we’ve found that school Heads struggle to find great school marketers. In this interview, Brendan Schneider highlights 18 traits of successful school marketers, providing an invaluable resource as you search for marcom team talent.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“Do you understand me? Can I trust you with my child? Will you keep your promise?” Articulating the answers to these questions is a strategic task that is your responsibility as the school Head. In this podcast, we discuss how you can give clarity and confidence to prospective parents.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

No two school brand narratives are exactly the same. Following on from podcast SMJ064, we continue the discussion of the various frameworks you can use to successfully tell your school’s story. Which one best reflects your school? Do your leadership and marketing teams share your clarity?

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

With Generation Alpha starting to enter secondary education, McCrindle’s Ashley Fell joins us to discuss what makes them different to Generation Z and what that means for school Heads. Focusing on insights of direct relevance to you, she shares some of the findings of Generation Alpha; Understanding Our Children and Helping Them Thrive, a new book just released by Mark McCrindle and Ashley with Sam Buckerfield.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

No two school brand narratives are exactly the same but almost all of them fall within a handful of frameworks. In this first of two parts, we discuss what these look like and how you can get it right for your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Jay Goulart, founder of Big Philanthropy, speaks to us about how to solicit major gifts for your school by following a specific formula and the importance of getting comfortable with having these conversations as a Head. He takes us through “the art of the ask” and the three important components that every Head should know. Jay enlightens us with his model of not only creating a donor, but retaining a donor.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The world has been upended by the rise of social media and with it so has communication and marketing at your school. In this episode, we discuss ways in which you can empower your school marketing team to wrangle it well, including how to ensure accountability without smothering creativity.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“We serve our School by understanding what it is today and imagining what it might be tomorrow.” So states the communication for change manifesto penned by Dr David Willows and his team at The International School of Brussels. David joins us to talk about the why and how of ‘unlearning advancement’ and what place it has for your school.

Listen to our previous interview, SMJ podcast 056, to hear how David reimagined the School’s advancement team resulting in reduced costs, increased conversion rates and improved parent satisfaction.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Your current and prospective parents are not only changing how they research, review and buy a school for their children, but they are also changing what they value most. It is no longer just the ‘product’ … it is the experience. In this episode, we discuss what the experience economy is and why you can’t ignore it.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Why do intelligent people make irrational leaps in marketing and how can you lead your school towards rational marketing? In this interview, Steve Cuno — author, copywriter and self-professed ‘marketing know-it-all’ — highlights six irrational leaps you might be making and discusses how to avoid them.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

It’s been said that enrolling new families is a numbers game, but the most successful schools would vigorously disagree. In this discussion, we look at how to focus your marketing efforts in areas where you have a clear advantage and pass on everything else.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Frustration. That’s the most common emotion imageseven sees when Heads try to describe the status of their marketing efforts. But you don’t have to stay frustrated. We discuss the five most common mistakes our analysis has revealed and give you the know-how to fix them.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What is a ‘Manager of Experience Design’ and what does it have to do with your school? Is it possible to reduce costs, increase conversion rates and improve parent satisfaction? Dr David Willows is the Director of Advancement at the International School of Brussels. In this interview with Brad, he discusses how he led his team in challenging the status quo to create a more productive, efficient and impactful model.

In our work with school marketers, we get to see and hear what they wish their school Head knew about communication and marketing at their school. In this episode, we discuss their top ten questions to help you understand where your team is looking to you for marketing leadership.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What exactly is content marketing and why does it matter to school Heads? Brendan Schneider, Director of Advancement at Pittsburgh’s Sewickley Academy, digital marketing specialist and founder of SchneiderB Media, breaks it down, discussing the strategies you need and what you should be doing next.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“Do not build your digital house on rented land.” So says Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute. When Facebook blocked Australian news sites, a lesson in school marketing strategy was played out on a grand scale. With some independent schools nearly becoming roadkill, we take a look at the social media landscape and what you can do to manage your digital currency.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

It’s important for leaders to have foresight and be able to see things not just as they are, but as they will be. With an eye on some of the societal impacts of the pandemic, Ashley Fell, Director of Advisory at McCrindle, discusses the top ten trends for 2021 that independent school Heads should be aware of.

Additional resources from McCrindle

2020 year in review

Strategic Insights 2021 webinar

Education blog

Education Future

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

A common problem imageseven encounters is that of schools’ regular communication channels becoming ineffectual, off brand and off message. How does that happen and what can you do about it? In this episode, we help you diagnose the problem and prescribe a solution, looking at what editorial mission statements are, why they matter and how you can use them to increase engagement, trust and loyalty.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As Executive Director of CASE Asia-Pacific (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education), Heather Hamilton has a wealth of knowledge about the operation of school advancement teams. In this interview, she and Brad discuss the difference between fundraising and advancement, how to make a meaningful start to the year in building engagement with alumni, and what the transforming trends might be for school advancement teams in 2021.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

A question that haunts many Heads is how to fairly judge the performance of their school communication and marketing teams when they themselves do not have any domain expertise in marketing. In this episode, we discuss how you can lead your school marketers to a path of accountability for the important, as well as the urgent, tasks.

inspirED school marketers 2020 Brilliance Awards

Watch the video and listen to the podcast that won imageseven two gold awards in inspirED’s 2020 Brilliance Awards:

Fundraising Video, Outsourced

Single Podcast Episode

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

In every study imageseven has undertaken and every other study we’ve researched, word-of-mouth is shown to be the primary influence for parents when choosing a school for their child. But very few schools have a strategy for generating word-of-mouth enrolment referrals. In this episode, we talk about why that is and what you can do about it.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

All schools will at some time experience ‘the enrolment problem’, and many new Heads are hired to solve it. Tom Olverson, a veteran independent school Head of 27 years in the US and now mentor of other school Heads, discusses with Brad a better way to tackle enrolment challenges than trotting out the usual suspects.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The trust of your current and prospective parents is the cornerstone of a successful school. Trust is also the cornerstone of successful school communications and marketing. Why do so many schools miss the mark? In this episode we look at the causes of and solutions to the trust problem you might not know you have.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What is influencer marketing and what is it not? What does it have to do with education marketing (if anything)? In this interview, Neil Schaffer, author of newly released the age of influence: the power of influencers to elevate your brand, defines and discusses both digital influence and influencer marketing, explaining the whys and wherefores for your school brand.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The Age of Influence: The Power of Influencers to Elevate Your Brand

What is influencer marketing and what is it not? What does it have to do with education marketing (if anything)? In this interview, Neil Schaffer, author of newly released the age of influence: the power of influencers to elevate your brand, defines and discusses both digital influence and influencer marketing, explaining the whys and wherefores for your school brand.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The Age of Influence: The Power of Influencers to Elevate Your Brand

Are you creating, endorsing and even promoting marketing strategies that don’t have a snowball’s chance of success? As you know, a strategy is worthless unless executed … in this episode of the podcast, we give you the right tools to turn your strategy into action.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Have you ever looked at online reviews of your school and been dismayed, often disappointed and occasionally depressed? You’re not alone. Trevor Waddington, Principal of US digital marketing services firm Truth Tree Consulting, joins us to share his insights and unpack his article, The Ultimate Private School Review.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you talk with current and prospective parents about your school fees and the value you deliver? How do you and your staff overcome the (natural) reluctance to talk about money? Garth Wynne, Executive Principal of Christ’s College in Christchurch, New Zealand, shares how he was able to increase fees mid-pandemic, complete with positive media coverage.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“Teachers are not merely the pastoral point of contact or a focal point of academic review; they represent the principle means by which parents judge school quality.” Dr Rob Loe, CEO of Relationships Foundation, shares his research insights into brand and relationships in schools, explaining how and why teachers are brand managers. Listen to the extended version of the podcast to go even deeper.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

We love a good statistic at imageseven. In this podcast, we deconstruct the results of US-based InspirED’s survey of school marketing departments and extract the highlights, trends and expectations for independent schools in Australia.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you manage and lead fundraising in a school environment? Are schools any different from charities? Tom Ahern joins us again, explaining why fundraising is a noble pursuit and how you can make it part of your school culture. You can also listen to Tom’s previous interview with SMJ here.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What’s a T-shaped school marketer and what does it mean to you? In this episode, we discuss why T-shapes trump specialists in education marketing, how to recruit for what you need and how to grow the skills of the team you have. You can also download 12 reasons why school marketing is different, an excerpt from our book, Bold School Brand.

Let us know what is most useful to you at smj@imageseven.com.au

Kevin Lynch, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shanghai American School, returns to the SMJ podcast with a storytelling masterclass. He reveals the elements that make a good story, the process for editing and distilling it, and how to select the right media to gain the most effective results. If you missed his first interview, have a listen to podcast 031.

Let us know what is most useful to you at smj@imageseven.com.au

“Do you do … ?” After presenting to a recent Heads of Independent Co-Educational Schools (HICES) NSW meeting, we were inspired by the number of “do you do” questions. In this episode we take a slight detour to explain why we do what we do and the various ways we help school Heads achieve their mission, from the conceptual to the practical.

Let us know what is most useful to you at smj@imageseven.com.au

All schools will experience enrolment challenges at some point in time. With over 38 years’ experience in independent schools (27 years as a Head), Tom Olverson of RG175 shares his framework for how to respond strategically for the long-term instead of falling back on short-term tactics.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The advertising landscape is changing more rapidly than ever, but the good news is that the timeline for measuring results has reduced. In this interview, independent media buying expert Amanda Reid, Founder of Mentor Marketing, tells you what you do (and don’t) need to know, the questions you should be asking and how to make informed decisions about advertising your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Planned giving is more than bequests and it’s not just for universities and major charities. Ruth O’Hanlon, Director of Development for Sevenoaks School Foundation in the UK, discusses its value to your school, where to start and the things you need to consider.

Additional resources

Book:
Legacy and in-memory fundraising

Paper:
The ethics of legacy fundraising during emergencies

Professional Associations:
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Institute of Development Professionals in Education
Fundraising Institute of Australia
Educate Plus

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What do you need to know about paid advertising and what should you be budgeting for your school? How is Australian marketing leadership changing and what does this mean for school Heads? We dive into the latest research to give you an inside look at the numbers and trends driving marketing in general and school marketing in particular.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What is the place of storytelling in communication and marketing for education? How do you make the most of opportunities and avoid the perception of manipulation? Kevin Lynch, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shanghai American School, shares his insights and discusses how the powerful Graduation 2020 was created.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Navigating your school through a global pandemic was probably not in your job description. What are the key survival skills you need to keep your school alive, well and with a bright future? It all starts on the inside and we give you four ways to get your community singing from the same hymn sheet.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Parents will choose your school based on what makes you different from other schools. Can you articulate what that difference is? Scott McKain, author and globally recognised authority on how organisations create distinction to attract and retain customers, reveals why playing it safe is the riskiest thing you can do. He also discusses his four cornerstones of distinction along with why and how to apply them to your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

A rebrand can create real, lasting value when it’s done for the right reasons. What are those reasons? What do you need to consider before even uttering the word ‘rebrand’? We talk through the why and when, the missteps to avoid and provide some simple tips. To find out more about the strategy behind it, grab a copy of Bold School Brand.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What is lead nurturing and why is it so important to your school’s enrolment pipeline? Is email really dying or could it be your secret weapon? In this interview, Brendan Schneider gives some practical tips while discussing how to increase your contact touchpoints and ultimately improve your conversion rate … without increasing your advertising spend or staffing.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

One of the biggest challenges for any school is figuring out how to be different. How do you stand out as a unique offering in the marketplace? How do you look and sound different from your competition? With the market already disrupted, now is the perfect time to ask the hard questions about what your school stands for and we give you the tools to answer them. To delve deeper, pick up a copy of ‘Bold School Brand’.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

In the face of physical distancing, what does your enrolment funnel look like without the previously unquestioned fixtures of open days, site visits and face-to-face interviews? Is it enough to make these experiences ‘virtual’ or is there a better way? Brad discusses these and other questions with Greg Campitelli, Director of Enquiry Tracker, who also shares his insights into how to conduct live-streaming virtual tours.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Is your school’s marketing strategy ready for the coming recession? We share five guiding principles that you can apply now to adjust your school’s marketing posture for when we emerge from the health crisis and enter the recession.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the COVID-19 health crisis turns into an economic crisis, the risk of student attrition comes to the fore. With years of research into retention, Jill Goodman intimately understands parent thinking and behaviours. She shares her insights in this interview and discusses six experiences your parents need to not just stay the course, but to become great advocates for your school.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you attract and retain donors? Is direct mail dead? How often can you ask for donations without driving donors away? According to The New York Times, Tom Ahern is one of America’s most sought-after creators of fundraising messages. Also the author of 'If Only You’d Known' ... 'You Would Have Raised So Much More', Tom answers these questions and more as he discusses with Brad the things school Heads need to know for their school to raise funds well. Find out more about Tom and his other books at https://www.aherncomm.com/books.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the impacts of COVID-19 roll on, Beth Blackwood, CEO of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), shares her insights to help arm you and your school at this pivotal time. What are other Heads doing? What are the key short and long-term communication and marketing challenges, and what’s the best way to handle them?

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, how you handle the next few months will matter. Your communication will become your reputation. In this ever-changing landscape, we discuss ways you can face some of those changes head on and answer key questions about how to continue to communicate well and strengthen your brand in the months ahead.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Leading a school requires courage. Leadership and governance consultant for RG175, Tom Olverson, discusses the need to be bold to drive your organisation. His insights carry great authority due to his 38 years in independent schools across the United States, and 27 years as a school Head. Tom explains how your school can’t become its best self, until a mutual agreement is made on what the school is supposed to be. As a school Head, you need the courage to lead.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How can we be strategic in the midst of so much change? Mark McCrindle, award-winning researcher and influential thought leader, explains how school Heads can navigate through the challenges the pandemic brings. Leaders need to look towards the future and beyond. In times of uncertainty it is vital for school Heads to communicate strategically and be the voice of calm and reason – this is what students and the school community are looking for.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad interviews Heather Hamilton, Executive Director of Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), to discuss how schools can create a virtual lifecycle of advancement by mapping out all stakeholders and their roles within the school community, and how it is placed within the wide umbrella of advancement strategies. They continue by discussing how to implement them to support your school’s goals.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

In part two of our podcast about COVID-19, expert crisis communicator John Le Cras again joins Brad and Scully to discuss why schools are powerful media organisations. Establishing trust and delivering the correct communication regarding a situation within the school community is paramount. They continue discussing the topic of having a clear narrative with a concise strategic communication plan in action, and how crucial it is for school Heads to anticipate issues, considering all scenarios and the ways it could play out.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you communicate to stakeholders about the COVID-19 virus, and more importantly how can school Heads communicate trust to parents? In this interview, former director of news and current affairs for Channel 7 Perth and expert crisis communicator, John Le Cras joined the podcast to give clear, concise tips on how to communicate effectively to concerned parents. John explains why it is crucial to stick to your key messages, and to create and have a consistent narrative for all school staff.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

How do you define defamation? When things go wrong with parents and a school Head is attacked online, is it worth suing? In this interview with Ben Tallboys, Principal of Russell Kennedy Lawyers, we answer these questions and discuss a recent ruling in the case of a Queensland Head who sued several parents for defamation. We also give you some tips for what to do if you think you’re being defamed.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Marketing strategies are often well-intended and worthy but of little practical use. While success begins with a strategy, it can only be brought to life through relentless and consistent execution. We give you a step-by-step guide to designing a marketing strategy that is succinct, accessible and practical, and also answer the question, “How do I get the best from social media without any risk?”

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

St Andrew’s Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast saw enrolments grow from 100 to 1,300 in 15 years. In this interview, Principal Reverend Chris Ivey discusses the importance of internal marketing, why a marketing strategy is critical to creating and communicating your school’s story, and why it matters that your staff know they are all marketers.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

When a crisis hits, you will ultimately be judged by how you respond. What can you control when things seem out of control? We give you a framework to enable you to come out of a crisis with more trust, a stronger community and closer to achieving your school’s mission. Crisis management — Show Notes

Crisis communication framework

Plan ahead
Open and maintain a dialogue
Talk to your team first
Eradicate uncertainty
Don’t forget the team
Involve senior management
6.5 Review

Brad’s communication awareness ‘checklist’

Get the facts straight. Your mission is to determine precisely what is known and what is opinion. Don’t get confused about opinion and fact ... and never make assumptions.
Create a narrative (write it out in a couple of hundred words) and get key internal stakeholders to ‘sign off’.
Use that narrative as the source document for all your communications.
Write out a Crisis Management Plan as soon as you get a bit of air. If you’re not getting some air, you’ll need to delegate this task or make some air ... there is no option. If you a prepared and you are responding rather than reacting, this means you’ve already prepared a generic Crisis Management Plan and you can tweak it to reflect the reality you are faced with.
Create a stakeholder matrix. Who are the stakeholders? What do they need to know? When do they need to get told? Who is going to tell them? How are you going to communicate it?
‘War game’ the likely responses from stakeholders.
Choose your words carefully and remember: when speaking a message for TV or radio, it often isn’t what you say but how you say it. Understanding community sentiment on the issue should be a factor in your planning here.
Talk to stakeholders before the issue becomes public or the media comes knocking.
A single spokesperson is key but make sure they are trained to respond in pressure situations.
Write Q&As and drill your spokesperson to respond.
Rehearse responses — just saying them in your head isn’t good enough.
Put media (and social media) monitoring in place so you can track the issue.
Remember, your internal stakeholders are critical — keep them informed and ‘in the loop’.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

“Marketing is like electricity.” Find out why in our interview with Brendan Schneider, who also discusses three things Heads can do to ‘know enough to be dangerous’ and hold their marketers accountable. Brendan is the Director of Advancement at Sewickley Academy in Pennsylvania USA and the founder of SchneiderB Media, a digital marketing agency specialising in helping schools use inbound marketing.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

The return to school has been marked by the impact of bushfires and the threat of the coronavirus. How well prepared are you to respond to issues and crises? Is there a difference between the two? In this episode, we discuss how you can be proactive and share some tactical tools for responding to the unexpected.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Is your school standing out? In this episode, we help your school become easier to find, notice and remember. Our hosts offer tools to help you craft your messages and define your point of difference more effectively.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What is the ‘customer experience’ of your prospective parents and are you delivering on your promises? Do your admissions/enrolments team see themselves as gatekeepers or salespeople? In this episode, we look at how to integrate marketing and enrolments, and discuss how much a school should spend on advertising.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully talk about the trustworthiness of data and provide a checklist of things to consider when reviewing marketing analytics. They also answer a question from a Head about whether digital marketing is better than print.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully talk about how to structure the content on a school’s local intranet, bringing in imageseven’s multimedia specialist, Jose Caceres, to discuss how to manage this information well. Later in the episode, they answer a question submitted by a Head about the story behind the name ‘imageseven’.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully discuss the case for modern school marketing, exploring the evolution of the marketing landscape, the paradigm shift that needs to take place and how schools can effectively engage prospective and current parents. They then chat about the ideal video length for different platforms.

Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully interview Simon Meyer, CEO of FutureYou, to discover how school Heads can effectively motivate and inspire their lead school marketer. Later in the episode, the hosts unpack what factors to consider when putting together a budget for a school video.

Brad and Scully talk about why school Heads should work in the value zone and the issues they should be focusing on. Later in the episode, the hosts answer a question submitted from school Heads and discuss the future of yearbooks.

Brad and Scully talk about the role of school Heads as brand custodians. They are joined by PR and marketing guru John Le Cras discussing the importance of building a brand and, later in the podcast, explaining how school Heads can be effective brand custodians without being marketing experts.

Conversations on the art of leading modern school marketing, presented by Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe. In this introductory episode, Brad and Scully talk about the purpose of this new podcast – to equip school Heads feel in control, make better decisions, save time and money, bring their vision to life and enjoy their school's success.