By Maggie Twaroski, Truth Tree Contributor
Families searching for schools have more options than ever before. In such a saturated market, schools with a strong brand experience are more likely to stand out and attract students. Beyond color palettes and mascots, successful school branding builds trust with families at every touchpoint through consistent, powerful messaging and design.
Madison Carr, Creative Director at Creative Chameleon had this to say about the importance of holistic branding in 2025:
“As the market becomes more and more competitive in 2025, schools will be able to find an edge by giving care and thought to their entire brand. Families are facing more choices when it comes to where and how their children receive an education. The school that can talk about the pain points and solutions in a compelling way is the school that will emerge ahead. In 2025, I believe we’ll see an increased value for schools that give thought to their brand. Consistency in messaging and appearance will be vital. You need more than a snappy tagline or a punchy headline. Prospective families are doing deeper research and weighing more options. Having a consistent and winsome brand, from corner to corner, will be a key factor in winning over families.”
So, what does a “consistent and winsome brand” look like? How do you know if your brand needs a refresh? If it does, where do you start? Let’s dive into each of these questions.
What does a strong school brand look like?
Your school brand is more than the visual elements in your brand kit, like colors, logos, typography, and taglines. Though these are key assets, they’re not everything your school needs to differentiate from its competitors. Your brand encompasses the factual and emotional thoughts families have when they see or hear your school’s name. It expresses what people should experience at your school–your character and values.
Consistent
Maintaining your brand identity–how people perceive and experience your school–requires ongoing work to stay aligned across internal and external touchpoints. Brand consistency is an important part of this process that involves delivering the same brand image across every platform, whether it’s your website, social media, or communication channels. Wherever families go to engage with your school, they should find the same style and messaging that represents your school identity. This familiarity increases trust with your brand, which can give your school a significant edge come enrollment season.
Distinct
In a sea of school brands, parents are looking for differentiators to help them decide which school is the best fit. The more you can tap into your school’s unique characteristics and express those in your brand images and messaging, the more likely you’ll stay locked into parents’ minds. These differentiators can be as big or small as you want them to be. You don’t have to be “known” for a specific academic program or have a top-performing sports team to stand out from other brands. Simply promote the characteristics parents appreciate most about your school, especially those things your competitors aren’t promoting. Things like:
- Strong community
- Experiential learning
- Historic roots
- Impressive facilities
- Rigorous curriculum
- Student-led learning
- Innovative technology
- Character development in students
Emotional
Anyone who’s ever toured schools for their children knows the feeling of finding “the one.”
Envisioning your child in the seats of the classroom and out on the field evokes confidence and excitement. A school brand can help spark these emotions by telling a story about its values and culture and showcasing real student experiences. Consider your ideal students and their families–what emotions drive their decision to commit to your school? The more you know your audience, the more effective your emotional marketing will be.
Consider a brand refresh
An effective school brand should be consistent, distinct, and emotional. Ask yourself:
- Is branding consistent across all platforms?
- Do your brand images appear stale or outdated?
- Does your brand effectively differentiate itself from its competitors?
- Are your brand images and messages evoking the emotions you want?
If your brand is lacking in one or all of these areas, you may want to consider a brand refresh. This process involves tweaking your visual brand assets and reassessing your branding strategy to align more closely with your marketing goals. To get started, you’ll want to conduct a brand audit in-house, or you can outsource to an auditing tool or brand strategist. A brand audit will involve a deep dive into your website and social analytics, as well as enrollment trends and parent feedback.
If your brand needs more than a refresh, consider a rebrand.
A rebrand is a bigger, more expensive undertaking, but in many cases it’s worth it. Giving your school a new look can go a long way with a visually driven audience.
Of course, a rebrand involves more than changing your logo–you’re also changing the way you tell your school’s story and the types of messages you convey to your audience. If you decide a rebrand is the best path forward for your school, consider working with a design firm that specializes in school brand work. Once you’ve created your new brand, create anticipation by introducing it to your audience in an engaging way, like Archer School for Girls did on social media.
Continue to cultivate your brand
Keeping your school brand at the forefront of families’ minds is an ongoing commitment. Your colors, logos, fonts, messages, tone, and style all tell a powerful story of what your school is all about, and why families should stay committed. Cultivating your brand is ultimately how you can differentiate yourself from competitors and encourage a deeper connection to your school.
Are you wondering how to align your brand identity across platforms?
Effective enrollment marketing takes a multi-channel approach, but maintaining your brand identity across them takes finesse. Our team has partnered with 100+ schools to elevate their digital visibility with prospective families.
What would it look like to have digital marketing experts on your team?
