Marketing Planning

The Marketing MIX

applied To the

Catholic School

The Four P’s of Marketing:

Through the Prospect’s Eyes

It’s Not About You!

Marketing 101 states that product + price + place + promotion = profits. The “four p’s” are commonly referred to the marketing mix.

As you will learn in the next few pages, Catholic schools do not manufacture a “product” but rather provide a “service.” As such, marketing involves creating relationships.

While the Institution Markets: The Prospect Searches For:

Product Solutions

Price Value

Place Convenience

Promotion Communication

1. While the school is interested in marketing itself,…The prospect is interested in buying a solution to their problem.

2. While the school is concerned with price,…The prospect is concerned with value.

3. While the school desires to dole out information only when requested,…The prospect desires convenience.

4. While the school is intent on promoting itself,…The prospect is intent on two-way communication.

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Setting the Stage

Assessment and Mission

First Things First

Most schools begin their “marketing” by jumping directly into creating strategies. They’re fun, hands-on, and produce instant feedback, especially important in this immediate gratification world we live in. Doing it this way, schools don’t have to wait long for results. Except, they’re not always the results schools are looking for.

We find that, most often, this leads to a scattered approach to marketing. There is no clear, consistent, and communicable message across all strategies. Individually, the strategies were great. Collectively, they didn’t produce. Every event, publication, press release, ad, letter, web site, and social media release screamed a different message.

In order to determine your marketing strategies, you must first determine who you are, what you do, and for what are you known. Combine that with a clear understanding of what people want from you and you have the foundation you’ll need to develop a message that will become an integral part of your marketing strategies.

Forming the Foundation

One, investigate your core competencies.

What are your school’s strengths and weaknesses? What are the community’s perceptions of your school? Your academic reputation? Your Catholic identity and your ability to provide faith formation opportunities for staff, students and families? Safety, structure, and discipline? Extra-curricular and co-curricular opportunities? Geographic location? Look at it from inside (staff, students, and families) and outside (alumni, parishioners, local businesses, religious education participants, etc.) Are there any external opportunities that your school may use to move forward or external threats that may jeopardize the very existence of your school? Ways of gathering information include focus groups, surveys, and narratives.

Two, look at your school’s mission statement.

How old is your current mission statement? When was it last revisited? I mean really revisited. Not just reviewed and discussed for fifteen minutes and accepted as is. We’re talking about tearing it apart and building it back up. Maybe you end with the same statement. Maybe not. Your mission statement is a valuable tool in marketing your school. It is critical in terms of driving strategic and operational planning. Your mission statement should contain the following elements: Why does the school exists? Whom does the school serves? It should make reference to the academic nature of your school. It should contain the values held most precious to your school community on a day-to-day basis.

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Once you know what you’re working with (assessment) and what you are called to do (mission), you’re ready to begin.

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The Four P’s of Marketing: ProductCreate Your School’s Message

First Things First

Schools, by their very nature, do not create a product. They do not manufacture, package, and place an item on a shelf for consumption. Products appeal to the five senses. They may be viewed, touched, and in some cases tasted, heard, and smelled. They are used or consumed.

Schools provide a service. Therefore, they belong, not to the manufacturing industry, but to the service industry. Examples of other service industry giants are hospitals, lawyers, hotels, and restaurants. The five senses do not play as important a role. Emotion does.

Before we begin it is important to remember that you may market your school for only three things; image, enrollment, and financial resources. Applying a math analogy of dependent and independent variables to the three items, it becomes evident that only image may be likened to an independent variable. Certainly, enrollment is dependent on image and dependent on resources. Resources (financial and human) are dependent on image and dependent on enrollment. Therefore, the only item you have control over is your image. What is your school’s image?

Forming the Foundation

Features Versus Benefits

Why would someone want to purchase your service? Or, more succinctly, why would someone go to your school?

Now, look at it from the customer’s view. When looking for a school for their child, what problems are they looking to solve?

Next, are you able to solve their problems? How and to what extent?

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Product

Create Your School’s Message

Now that you have started with a foundation, you need to build your structure. How well you perform this exercise will go a long way in determining whether your structure will be a small cottage or a palatial castle. We will begin by creating two elements: core positioning and a total value proposition.

Core Positioning:

Your school should center on a core idea or benefit. Some institutions limit it to one idea while others will use two or three. Do not develop more than three core-positioning elements. Look at benefits like best quality, best performance, most reliable, safest, best value for the money, least expensive, most prestigious, centrally located, etc. The selected feature(s) should meet the following criteria: important, distinctive, superior, and communicable. Examples of core positions include: Volvo centers its offerings on safety, McDonald’s centers its offerings on convenience and predictability, L’Escada centers its offerings on quality clothing and superior service, and Southwest Airlines centers it offerings on price and punctuality.

Total Value Proposition:

Your school’s total value proposition should be a persuasive answer to the prospect’s question: “Why should I choose you?” It should describe the core benefit(s) as well as other benefits, and why, given the fact that you charge tuition, your offerings provide superior total value to the customer.

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Price

Showing Good Business Management

We will not spend much time on price. That’s best left to the finance office or business administrator at your school.

The Value Proposition: Am I receiving at least as much in return for what I am paying?

Suffice it to say that you need to show consumers that you have good business management practices and provide a value for the stated tuition. Reporting out through an Annual Report issue of a quarterly newsletter would be a god place to start. Including information in a State of the School document or message is also desirable.

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The Four P’s of Marketing: PlaceDetermine To Whom You Will Deliver Your Message

First Things First

For our purposes, place will refer to distribution or more specifically to whom will you distribute your message?

Forming the Foundation

Target Markets

Let’s look at people to whom you would like to image. First, and most obvious, are to prospective families and students. However, we know that although they are the “decision makers,” there are groups of people that are “influencers.” You do not want to leave them out. Grandparents, day care providers (elementary school), feeder school principals and faculty, and local clergy are examples of influencers. So are your faculty and Board members. Don’t forget local businesses and benefactors. It is as important to image your school to both internal and external publics, as it will be to persuade prospective families of your excellence.

Consideration: Before Moving To Promotion

Before concluding this exercise, consider this: Is it the prospects’ responsibility to gather pertinent information from you? Or, is it your responsibility to provide the prospects (and influencers) with pertinent information?

Who are your external publics? What are their preferred methods of communicating?

Who are your internal publics? What are their preferred methods of communicating?

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Create Goals and Objectives

First Things First

Before determining how you will deliver your message to your targets, let’s look at setting some goals. If we believe in the saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there,” then the opposite must be true – “If you know where you are going, there are a limited number of ways to get there.”

Goals will keep you on target. They form the foundation for the blueprint or map that contains the directions for how you will make progress toward what you are looking for.

Goals Your DestinationObjectives Your Way Points Strategies Your Day-To-Day Actions Aimed at Achieving Your Objectives

and, Hence, Your Goals

Forming the Foundation

Goals

Goals are general. They are inspiring. They are challenging and a call to action.

Goal: St. Mary School will increase enrollment to capacity (650 students) by 2016.

Objectives

Objectives are specific, usually measurable and time-oriented. They are realistic and usually attainable in one-year. Making progress towards your objectives means you are that much closer to your goal.

Objective 1: To image St. Mary School as the premier academic elementary schoolin the county.

Objective 2: To increase 2013-20014 new family registrations by 10%.Objective 3: To increase retention of current students for the 2013-2014 school year by 3%.

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Create Goals and Objectives

Strategies

Strategies are the grass roots, daily actions necessary to achieve objectives. Strategies are detailed, time-specific, place an individual or group in charge, and include a means to evaluate its progress. We’ll look at this again in the next section. However, it might be advantageous to present it now as part of the overall picture of goals, objectives, and action plans.

Strategy: When: Who: Evaluate:Academic Twice Monthly Joan Smith Keep binder of releases distributedPress releases

Enter students in January 2014 Sister Mary Promote results in newsletter,Academic Bowl parish bulletin, school sign,On Channel Six press releases

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Create Strategies/Action Plans

First Things First

Delivery of your message entails a number of efforts directed at both internal and external publics. Marketing, as we now know, involves more than advertising. A short acronym may help with creating strategies:

WE PLANT GAIN…

Web: Web Site, Social Media, EmailEvents: Open House, Info Evenings, Presentations, Tours,

Teas, Community Fairs, Parades, Chamber of Commerce

Publications: Recruitment Materials, Newsletters, Posters, State of the School,Flyers, Video, Slide Show, Calendars, Banners, CD-Roms

Letters/Correspondence: Correspondence, Notes, “Gotcha’s” or “Proud Of’s”Advertising: Newspaper, Radio, TV, Magazine, BillboardNews: Press Releases, Parish Bulletins, Bulletin BoardsTelephone: Inquiry Follow Up, Teacher Phone Calls

Good Works: Gifts, Flowers, LuncheonsAsk/Feedback: Feedback: Surveys, Questionnaires, Focus GroupsImage & Logo: Attractive Grounds, Clean Facilities, Letterhead, Business Cards,

Note Cards, Signage, Bumper Stickers, Pens, Coffee Cups,Mouse Pads, Bibs

Notes/Evaluate: Monitor, Report, and Evaluate

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Deliver Your Message

Forming the Foundation: The Message is the Medium

Take all of your promotional materials (see above) and place them on a large table. Do they look like they are from the same institution? Does your logo appear on every piece? Does your school name have a consistent typeface and look? When using color, is the color the same on each piece? What image are you projecting with these items? Have people view the items on the table and use adjectives to describe what they see.

As good service marketers know – when you’re selling a service, you’re selling a relationship. Above all else, show the human side of your school during your presentations, in correspondence and in advertising and displays. It’s relatively easy to be personal when your prospect is in your presence. What separates good marketers is the ability to communicate that personal touch when your prospect is not in your presence.

Considerations: Advertising

Advertising involves making decisions on the five M’s:

● Mission (the ad’s mission and your mission)o Are you trying to create awareness, interest, desire, or action (AIDA)?o Does it speak to the mission of your school?

● Messageo Will be shaped by your earlier work on message

● Mediao Newspaper, TV, Radio, Billboards, CD-Rom, etc.

● Moneyo What are your objectives?o How many people do you want to reach within your target markets?o With what frequency?o With what impact?

● Measuremento Easiest is to quantify with numbers – enrolled, called, etc.o More difficult is to measure persuasion or an increase in positive image

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Deliver Your Message

Considerations: Website

“Let’s face it.” Face-to-face marketing is the best. Having a frank, one-on-one conversation generally yields positive results. However, we know that each and every one of us – you and me - immediately go to the internet to find information – NOW! Your future families are no different. Therefore, a visually attractive website that is compelling, informative, user-friendly, and interactive is a must in today’s educational marketplace. And, let’s not forget: responsive. Google just recently (April 2015) revised their algorithms so websites that are responsive get moved up the list for user searches.

First – and this is both important and imperative - begin by laying out your site’s navigation. Think organization chart. Make sure that what the consumer wants is readily available. Use the “three-clicks” rule: if a user can’t find what they want in three clicks they get frustrated and many give up. Consider the main menu to include Future Families, Current Families, Current Students, Alumni, and Donors rather than Academics, Lunch Menu, Athletics, or Calendar. Let the user immediately know you are about people and not things. After all they come to the site as an individual and expect to find information about their needs. Place all the “things” they expect on the pages behind their main menu navigation link.

Follow by choosing a visually attractive website design.

Next, lay out your pages beginning with informative headings and attractive, relevant photos. People – yes, you and me – skim. If a heading or photo grabs our attention we’ll stop and read. Maybe. Get them to stop. Research suggests you have about 3 seconds. Plan wisely.

Finally, work on the text. Be informative. Be descriptive. Be brief. “__________ Catholic High School’s academically distinguished program of study combined with an experienced faculty possessing superb academic credentials will inspire you to achieve your maximum potential.” is better than “The teachers, who deeply care about the students, guide and prepare them through scholarship, stewardship, and discipleship.” Also, notice the use of the word “you” in the first example. When an individual uses your website they are interested in themselves – not you. Their radio station call letters are WIFM or What’s In this for Me? Use you and your frequently. Speak to them.

Unfortunately, many schools create or revise their websites in the reverse order. Don’t be them!

Considerations: Promotion Including Social Media

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Most advertising does not deliver results quickly. Advertising works mostly on the mind, not on behavior. It is promotion that works on behavior. Your school’s primary promotion tool is the presentation. This includes presentations to individuals, presentations at Open Houses, presentations in classrooms, or presentations at school fairs.

Human beings are not creatures of logic. They are creatures of emotion. When you give a presentation, do you talk about your school or about how your school will solve your prospect’s problems?

When giving presentations, don’t use adjectives …use stories. Give your school a human face.

Don’t sell your service …sell your prospect.

Be professional …but more important, be personal. Remember, everyone, adults and students alike, are tuning in to one and one station only during your presentations – WIFM (What’s In It For Me).

Does your presentation reflect your core positioning element(s)? Does your message reflect your total value proposition? If you have a display, does it reflect each of previous items?

Considerations: Public Relations

Good public relations should enhance marketing efforts, not replace it. Marketing implies making a connection with the prospect. In order for public relations to work, it must do the same. Remember, you’re attempting to solve the prospect’s problems …not yours.

Want prospective families to take notice? Mail correspondence that includes the name of their child and includes the words “son” or “daughter” and uses the correct pronouns – “his” or “her,” “he” or “she,” rather than the generic “your child” or worse yet “your son/daughter.” Most schools have software already on their computers (translation: you do not need to expend additional funds – you only need a mindset to do it) that will allow personnel to not only personalize correspondence but to tailor each mailing with particulars important to that prospect – all with the touch of a button. It may be a bit more effort. But, isn’t that what prospective families expect when they pay tuition? When you tell them you are a community? A family?

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Deliver Your Message

Considerations: Direct Marketing

Direct mail marketing generally involves renting a list of names and addresses from a mailing house using parameters you define. For example, you may want a list of all families in certain zip codes, having children of specified ages, and above a particular income. Enclosing or attaching a return form allows you to track responses. A good return is between 1% - 2% of your original mailing. It may not sound like much. However, do the math. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.In addition, please take note – when using a direct marketing approach it’s not only the initial mailing that requires your attention, it’s the follow up after they respond to the mailing. Many schools do a terrific job on the initial piece and destroy their image by not being prepared with an equally terrific follow up.

If you choose to employ direct phone marketing, it is wise to train and provide scripts to the students or parents who have volunteered to make calls. The scripts provide a standard that all volunteers can follow. It should be set-up with paths to follow depending upon the response from the prospect being called.

Direct email marketing may be employed. It allows you to contact prospects, in some cases many at a time, to provide information that may be of interest to them. For example, if you have a drama production approaching you may want to email all prospects who have a music or drama interest and let them know dates and times of the production and invite them to attend. It may also provide a means to electronically send a prospect newsletter periodically during the interest phase.

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The Four P’s of Marketing: Promotion

Deliver Your Message

Considerations: Your “Look”

Examine your symbol or logo. Does it speak to your core positioning element(s)? Does it reflect your total proposition message? We’re not talking about your school seal or crest. They are important, but should be considered for more formal situations; graduation, academic awards, honor society. The logo should be clean, clear, and recognizable.

It helps if you have a consistent set of colors. Not that you have to use color all the time and everywhere. Nevertheless, when you do use color it should be consistent. The same blue. Not navy blue one time. Royal blue another. Sky blue another. To avoid this, printers operate on a standard color scheme known as the Pantone Color Matching System. Choose a blue (or your school color(s)) and, when printing with a color, use that number blue on all publications. Even use that color’s rendition (turns out printer colors (additive) and monitor colors (subtractive) are different – who knew?) on your web site.

Develop a slogan or tag line that speaks to your message and core element(s). Some examples include “Mind, Body, Spirit”, “Delivering on the Promise”, “Because There Are Only Four Years of High School”, “Capture the Spirit”, “We Take Your Education Personally”, “Where Students Love To Learn… And Learn To Love”, “Weaving Values Into Life”, and “Where Learning and Life Meet”. Work with a group and form your own tag line. One that speaks to your school’s culture, mission, and message.

The effects of using the same logo, same color, same tag line time, after time, after time, after time is almost hypnotic. When used in conjunction with your message it creates a connection. People begin to recognize your message simply by reading the tag line or seeing the logo.

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