Marketing may be a scary term to educators. Have no fear! When we discuss marketing in the context of schools, think of it in terms of demonstrating accountability.

What it means is showing what happens to students inside the building and what parents can expect their children to gain by going there.

Let's take a closer look at why parents choose a school, according to SchoolMatch--an independent, nation-wide service which helps corporate employees find schools that match the needs of their children.

Incidentally, SchoolMatch recently recognized SBISD for being among ten percent of the school districts in the nation to receive the "What Parents Want" award.

So what characteristics do parents want in a school?

• academically solid, but not so rigorous as to intimidate their children
  
• accredited
  
• competitive in academic test scores
  
• recognized for excellence
  
• above-average expenditures on pupil instruction
  
• above average teacher salaries
  
• above average library and media services
  
• small class sizes
  
• high expectations of students
  
• results-oriented
  
• special programs offered to meet students' needs
  
• good curriculum for their students
  
• open, warm atmosphere
  
• accessible staff
  
• positive communication
  
• academic and athletic achievement
  
• involved parents
  
• safe neighborhood
  
• location convenient for parents
  
• alumni speak well about the school

The National School Public Relations Association--an organization which has been providing communication assistance to school leaders in North America since 1935 lists the following benchmarks for a school of choice:

• High expectations for all students
  
• Realtors sell the most homes
  
• Businesses decide to locate and the tax base increases
  
• Bureaucracy is minimal and decision-making is local and flexible
  
• Accountability is communicated
  
• Access to staff is easy
  
• Communication is responsive and two-way
  
• Community and parent involvement is the norm
  
• Recognition for both adults and children is a priority
  
• Alumni programs flourish
  
• Parents want their children to go to the school
  
• Students want to go to the school
  
• Teachers want to teach at the school

Remember, successful marketing is always results-driven. The most successful schools have a plan--a blueprint--for how their school will function during a designated period of time.

In Spring Branch, our "blueprint" is the Campus Improvement Plans and the District Improvement Plan.

If your plan includes a focus on marketing--as it should--remember the most effective marketing plans are developed through the following steps:

• identifying your target audiences
  
• listing the desirable characteristics that appeal to each target market
  
• creating messages that link the characteristics to the markets. (You may need more than one message to appeal to different markets)
  
• determining the mix of communication strategies that you will use to carry those messages
  
• developing a plan

Who are YOUR targeted audiences? Well, the most obvious one is parents. But remember, we said our surveys tell us that more than 80 percent of the registered voters in Spring Branch don't have children in school. In other words, they have little or no direct contact with the schools.

We also know they are likely to vote--on bond issues and in school board elections.

Dr. Bill Banach has developed a framework for creating what he calls the "market-driven school." He has also identified sub-groups of those taxpayers who don't have children presently in school.

They include:

• the OINKS (One Income No Kids)
  
• the DINKS (Double Income, No Kids)
  
• the POOKS (Parents of Older Kids)
  
• the WOOFS (Well-Off Older Folks)
  
• the FISTS ( Fixed Income Senior Taxpayers)

Our community surveys tell us that Spring Branch has a significant number of POOKS, WOOFS and FISTS.

We need their support, and they need to know that we are providing a very good educational value for the tax dollars they spend. They also need to know that a quality school district enhances their property values.

Who are some of our other publics? Here are a few identified by the National School Public Relations Association:

• parents
  
• students
  
• taxpayers
  
• employees
  
• media
  
• service organizations
  
• business leaders
  
• business/school partners
  
• realtors
  
• developers
  
• homebuyers
  
• parent support groups
  
• volunteers
  
• ex-students
  
• advisory committees
  
• dropouts
  
• special interest groups such as churches, homeowner associations, and MUD districts
  
• non-parents like preschool parents, young adults, and senior citizens
  
• government leaders or agencies, which includes city, county, state, or nation
  
• education leaders or agencies such as other school districs, regional service centers, the Texas Education Agency, the State Board of Education, the Board of Trustees, and the Superintendent.

These are just examples. There are many sub-groups, which may have been identified when you conducted research into the types of clients who may be attracted to your school under the right conditions. Some examples might be:

• young families with their first child entering school
• -single parent families who need before- or after-school care
• families who have two working parents and who need before- or after-school care
• transient families
• families who have several children
• families who want strict discipline
• families who are interested in bolstering their child's self-esteem
• families who want a strong "basics" approach
• families with special needs children
• older parents, or
• low-income families with health and nutritional needs.

Think about who you need to reach with your message, and how you can reach them most effectively.

Now you need to match the characteristics that you developed with each of the target market groups.

For example, if one of your target markets is families in which both parents work and who need before-school and after-school child care, list the specific characteristics of your school that will address those needs.

You probably want to attract more than one type of client, but remember....you can't spread yourself too thin or you won't been seen as meeting a specific type of need.

The whole point of defining your school of choice and then marketing it is to position your schools as being responsive to the specific needs of the clients you want. Trying to be all things to all people defeats that purpose.

Think about what you want your target audiences to do for you, what you have to do to make that happen, and how you will know you made it happen.

Remember, there is a big difference between selling and marketing. When selling, you have essentially already determined the nature of your product or service that you're offering.

When marketing, you make a conscious decision to create and adapt the product to meets the needs of your consumers.

Obviously, we don't have the resources to market in the same way as major corporations. But, we can learn a lot from research and avoid some of the most common marketing mistakes:

• lack of research
• lack of planning
• emphasis on paper
• shotgun approach
• involvement of few
• lack continuous accountability features

If we understand how people make decisions, we can focus our efforts wisely and still have a significant impact on the marketplace.

What messages do your target clients need to hear? What message will motivate them to consider sending their children to your school?

From whom do they need to hear that message? In their view, who is a credible source they can trust?

What is the best way for that credible source to carry that message so the target clients will act?

If you have done effective research with your potential clients, you have already identified the message they need to hear and you have adapted your school's services to accommodate their needs.

The source of information is critical. Without a credible "cheerleader", you're fighting an uphill battle.

Research shows that the least credible sources about schools, in general, are the superintendent and members of the board.

Parents consider school building administrators to be more credible, but teachers are seen as being even more believable than administrators.

The truth is that a major decision like, "Where should I send my child to school?" will be affected most by other parents who have had personal experiences in the school.

What does that suggest?

Satisfied customers--your current parents--who speak positively about your school and its attributes, are probably the single most effective marketing tool that you possess.

How can you use them to the greatest advantage?

Begin a serious outreach effort to speak to your current parents. Get them to understand the reasons for a marketing approach, and encourage them to spread the word.

Make sure you give them the training and tools they need to do the job effectively.

A lot of research has been done about what causes people to remember--or forget--messages to which they are exposed. Repetition and reinforcement of our message is important. Simplicity is also essential.

Regardless of your message, theme or slogan, no marketing effort can be effective without internal support. We must continually promote team-building techniques and increase staff satisfaction in order to offer the highest level of service.

Remember what we discussed earlier--staff and parental attitudes play a critical role in making your school the school of choice.

Employees not only need to be competent--but responsive and customer-friendly--to thrive in a competitive school marketplace.

Remember, also, that the most effective marketing is "word of mouth."

And, as Bill Banach reminds us, one-on-one communication is more powerful and convincing than communication in a group setting.

However, communication in a group setting is more powerful than impersonal communication forms such as newsletters and other printed material.

And, although publications are important, they should be no means be the only vehicle of communication with your patrons.

The best method of communication is interaction between the public and your staff and students.And, the amount of interaction with the community that a school has will have a big effect when negative publicity occurs. If the school has interacted often and well with the community, then the bad publicity will be lessened.Why? Because you will have already established trust and credibility with your community. They know you and your staff, and, if they trust you, they will believe that this unfortunate incident is under control and being dealt with in a kind, caring and professional manner.

However, if there has been little or no interaction, the school's image will suffer.

Let's review the four-step process of making and marketing your school as a school of choice:

Step 1: Identify target markets
Step 2: List desirable characteristics
Step 3: Link characteristics to markets
Step 4: Develop your communication strategies

Even if you're not ready to move completely in the direction of creating and marketing a school of choice, I hope the information we've shared through this series will be helpful in improving communication between your school and community.

We're here to help. If you'd like more information on some of the resources available through the Communications Department, contact Bob Sharp at 464-1511, extension 2272 or e-mail.

There's never been a better time to show our community that Spring Branch public schools are their best choice.

To check out the videotaped version of this presentation e-mail or call Barbara Kissamis at ITV at 365-4640 and ask for Marketing Your School as a School of Choice Part 3, Lending Library #13510.

Part I: Why Market?

Part II: The Road to Research