Marketing2008 Programme
5 December 2008
Contents
Marketing your public benefit: Carl Swift
Welcome to the new Europe: Rudolf Eliott Lockhart
Farewell Patsy and Eddie: Alexandra Caish
Integrating marketing and development: Ian McLean
To give or not to give: Rosie Keeling
Gazing into the crystal ball: Adam Sweeney
Marketing your public benefit
Charitable independent schools have never been more in the spotlight, and the statutory changes to the way they must report on their public benefit activities can be turned to a marketing advantage, writes Carl Swift
The changes wrought by the Charities Act 2006 have led to intense debate on what such schools do in terms of the services they provide and the facilities that they offer. The thirst for such information presents a golden opportunity for schools to shape the debate, and to promote themselves whilst doing so. The climate is not as hostile as might appear from some of the wilder comments reported in the media.
The reporting regulations
As of next financial year, all charities will have to report1 on their public benefit activities in their trustees' annual report . Much of the information required will already be collected by schools and submitted to the Commission, but there are some new requirements with an explicit focus on public benefit. These include:
- "a review of the significant activities undertaken by the charity... to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit"
- "details of the aims and objectives... the strategies adopted and of significant activities undertaken in order to achieve those aims and objectives".
Some practical questions remain over how the regulations will be applied in practice. Notably, the online system used to submit information to the Commission is rather restrictive and may need to be redesigned to accommodate fuller detail of school activities. In spite of that, there is clearly scope for schools to seize the opportunities available to promote themselves through their charitable activities.
Schools will be accustomed to collecting and disseminating information on their activities, but for the first time there is an explicit statutory duty on them to tie those activities back to their educational mission. The promotional potential of this is obvious, and the reporting regulations can be seized by schools as a framework to be used for presenting those activities in an explicitly beneficial way. For instance, the fact that schools educate their pupils is not always mentioned in promotional material.
despite the fact that this is what defines them as charities. As simple a sentence as "In 2007/08 we advanced the education of 200 pupils for the public benefit" not only goes towards fulfilling the statutory reporting requirements but also serves the promotional purpose of instantly identifying the school's central purpose.
School websites
Websites are schools' public faces: prospective parents are as likely to consult them as they are to use more traditional advertising methods such as the school prospectus or open days. A school's charitable status and charity number should be placed prominently on the first page that parents see, and be threaded throughout the website. When assessing public benefit, the Commission will undoubtedly check a school's website, as was very much the case with the Scottish charity regulator's assessment of the High School of Dundee. They should be left in no doubt that charitable status is central to how the school sees itself. Moreover, it will help parents to readily identify that the school is a charity and not a profitgenerating body.
At the ISC Public Benefit seminars in June, schools had mixed views on how much detail they would be comfortable placing on their website. This is understandable while the Commission is still finalising guidance, when there is a natural unwillingness to act precipitately in unchartered territory. As a good rule of thumb though, schools should place as much as they possibly can on their websites. Given that any documentation that they submit to the Commission is a public document for Freedom of Information request purposes, they might even wish to consider placing the public benefit sections of the trustees' annual report directly onto their websites.
What is charitable status worth?
Education as a charitable purpose can be traced back to at least 1601, and independent schools are among the longest-established charities in the charitable estate. As charities, charitable independent schools are dedicated wholly and forever to the education of children. Their income and assets must always be used for that purpose. This is their raison d'etre, and bringing it to the attention of prospective parents will undoubtedly provide that extra element of reassurance in their child's future education. It adds a veneer of heritage, experience and expertise that could not easily be imported in by other providers, and one with obvious marketing potential.
This is also a useful context in which schools can promote their alumni networks and emphasise the mutual benefits of the Gift Aid scheme to themselves and their former pupils. The creation and maintenance of a school ethos based on a charitable heritage can be used to help foster a life-long relationship with the school. Beyond the pool of former pupils, charitable status can also be used to help build relationships with other sources of revenue, be they grant-making organisations, companies or other charities. The guarantee on the use of any monies donated afforded to donors by the strictures of charitable status could encourage them to give financial support to the school, whether generally or for specific projects.
How far should we push it?
Another source of discussion at the ISC Public Benefit seminars was the degree to which schools should balance their central activity of educating children with their undertaking of what they identified as "charitable" or "community" activities. The debate addressed the valid concern that some parents might look unfavourably on a school if they believed that time and resources (which, let us not forget, would be drawn from their fees) were being committed to such activities to a degree which impacted negatively on the education of their child.
Much of the debate is semantic, and can be addressed in large part by the fact that the education of a school's pupils is a charitable activity. Indeed, it is ordinarily its central one. In other instances, where a school has sufficient resources to engage in activities with a wider constituency than its own pupils, these can usually be framed in ways which contribute to promoting the school. On the general level, such activities can be used to illustrate the school's commitment to providing children with a high quality, all-round education, encompassing all aspects of a child's personal development. On a more practical and quantifiable level, wider links can provide an excellent way of showcasing a school's prowess in these areas, as well as the facilities made available for the education of their pupils.
Commitment to education
It can be seen that for little extra effort beyond what will soon be required by statute, charitable independent schools are presented with many opportunities for self-promotion arising out of recent changes to charity law. Charitable status is a kite mark of commitment to education, refined and validated across the centuries. It signifies an existential commitment to precisely those qualities which prospective parents will be looking for in the education of their children, and schools should not shy away from constantly and vocally pointing that out. Carl Swift is a barrister who was formerly Public Benefit Researcher at ISC.
Footnotes
1 The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (2008/629)
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Welcome to the new Europe
While the Far East market for independent education appears to have peaked, there are several new and quickly developing economies worth exploring further, writes Rudolf Eliott Lockhart
Overseas students are big business for independent schools. Around 4% of pupils at ISC schools are from overseas contributing in the order of £450 million in school fees each year. This is a valuable market for the sector, but it is one which requires careful attention as there is quite a high turnover of overseas pupils. Of the 20,545 overseas pupils recorded in ISC's 2008 Annual Census, 43.2% were new pupils this year. This means that schools must work hard to recruit new overseas pupils every year.
In recent years the Far East has provided the largest single share of overseas pupils. In 2008 46.4% of the overseas contingent at ISC schools were from Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan combined. Hong Kong alone provided more than a quarter of ISC's overseas pupils.
However, while the Far East is a crucial market, its significance appears to be waning. There was a 8.9% decline in the number of pupils from Hong Kong at ISC schools compared to 2007 and a 14.9% fall in those from South Korea.
The figures for overseas pupils who are new to their schools in 2008 are still dominated by the Far East; 39.0% of new overseas pupils come from Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan combined, but this is a domination that can't be taken for granted in the future.
Using figures for the past eight years it is possible to see in more detail what the trends in new pupil numbers have been. The number of new overseas pupils from the Far East peaked in 2004 with 4,156 new pupils that year, with an average fall of 3.9% each year since then. Closer examination reveals a difference in the trends among pupils from the constituent parts of the Far East. The number of new pupils from China has grown from just 525 in 2001 to 1,281 in 2008. This rise in the numbers of Chinese pupils arriving at ISC schools each year thus masks an even more dramatic fall in numbers from the rest of the Far East. If the figures for Chinese pupils are excluded, the numbers of new pupils from the Far East declined from a peak of 3,106 in 2003 to 2,183 in 2008, an average fall of 5.3% each year. While this decline has been taking place over the past six years, it has accelerated recently: over the past two years the average annual decline of numbers of new pupils from the Far East (excluding China) has stood at 11.2%.
Despite the decline in numbers from the Far East the overall figures for overseas pupils at ISC schools remain buoyant. Between 2001 and 2008 the number of new overseas pupils each year rose from 7,803 to 8,882. While the numbers are down from the Far East, other markets have clearly been expanding fast enough to make up the shortfall. In particular, the numbers of pupils from continental Europe have been booming. In 2008, 29.7% of the overseas contingent at ISC schools was made up of pupils from continental Europe, and this share is growing. Between 2007 and 2008 the number of pupils from continental Europe (including Russia) rose by 9.2% in like-for-like terms.
The growth of continental Europe as a market for ISC schools is also apparent from the yearly figures for new overseas pupils: between 2005 and 2008 the number of new pupils from Europe rose by a remarkable 16.4% each year.
The ISC Annual Census provides a breakdown of the figures for new pupils from Europe. The two areas that had an average annual increase greater than the European average during the period of growth were Russia, with 24.5% each year and the umbrella category ‘the remainder of Europe', with 18.7% each year.
The waxing European market has almost eclipsed the waning market of the Far East. Schools would therefore benefit from a better understanding of what is driving this expanding European market and how best to take advantage of it, particularly if the rich pickings from the Far East are likely to become less plentiful.
The Begin group has provided a market report for interest in parts of Europe and the former Soviet Union. The information that this provides is pertinent as these are some of the markets that have been growing the fastest over recent years. The Begin Group focuses on Bulgaria, Germany, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia and Ukraine, providing an analysis of their markets for international boarding schools.
Germany provides ISC schools with the third largest number of overseas pupils after Hong Kong and China and the number of new pupils from Germany each year has been increasing steadily since 2005. The German market for independent schools has shown stable growth for several years. Significant parts of German society perceive German education as not being of the highest quality noting indicators such as the relatively unimpressive latest PISA rankings. Independent schools in the UK are therefore attractive, although the competition is strong with other destinations, such as the USA, Australia and Canada, showing faster growth rates. While Germany is undeniably an important market, the Begin Group caution that a slow but steady decline in the birth rate, combined with the severe competition from other countries, means that the future of this market is not so promising. The demographic decline has meant that German interest in prep schools in the UK has contracted; the impact on secondary schools will be felt next.
The Russian market, though smaller than the German one, looks very promising. The number of pupils from Russia at ISC schools grew by 12.3% between 2007 and 2008 and the annual increase in the number of new Russian pupils since 2005 has been faster than for any other country. The Russian economy has seen 8 years of stable growth, with a rich elite now very keen on accessing independent schools in the UK. The demographic picture is promising: whereas between 1991 and 1999 there was a decline in the birth rate, since 2000 the birth rate has been increasing with the population growing by between 8 and 12% each year. There are therefore more children under the age of 7 than there are between the ages of 8 and 15. This means that at present it might be prep schools that are best placed to benefit from a Russian influx, but in time senior schools will be able to benefit more too.
Independent schools in the UK are very well placed to benefit from the Russian market; British education is very popular with Russians: approximately two thirds of Russian children studying overseas do so in the UK. The Begin Group identify two problems that schools face when appealing to Russian parents. First there is the problem of visas: 9% of Russian student visa applications to the UK are refused. Secondly, Russian education is co-educational, and there is thus scepticism towards single-sex independent schools. For single-sex schools in the UK to take full advantage of the Russian market they need to sell the idea of single sex education to the Russians.
Poland is potentially a valuable market. The Polish economy is one of the healthiest among the former Eastern Bloc. There has been a significant expansion of the number of Poles studying abroad (between 1998-99 and 2004-05 the number of Poles using the Erasmus scheme to study abroad increased six-fold) interest is also strong at school level. Moreover, since joining the EU in May 2004 there are no longer any visa issues for children coming to study in the UK. There is already a significant Polish community in England. Large numbers of Poles are fluent in English, around 80% of Polish children study English, in contrast, the second most studied foreign language in Polish schools is German, studied by around 35% of pupils. This means that Anglophone countries are popular destinations for Polish pupils wishing to study abroad. The UK is currently the fourth most popular foreign education destination after Germany, France and the USA, the proximity of Germany and France and the lower fees helps to explain their attractiveness. There is potential for independent schools in the UK to gain in popularity with Poles; Polish society has many conservative Catholics who are keen on private religious schools and single-sex education. This is something of which British schools can take advantage.
Bulgaria joined the EU in January 2007 and thus, as with Poland, there are no visa needs for pupils coming to UK schools. Pupils from the EU are eligible for home fees at British universities and can apply for student loans, which means that schools in the UK are more attractive as they can act as gateways to these universities. Bulgaria has had stable economic growth over the past decade and now has a large number of students who study overseas, indeed, the educational mobility rate is one of the highest in Europe. At present the number of Bulgarians studying in the UK is relatively low with Bulgarians tending to prefer Germany, the USA, France, Austria and Turkey as destinations, but careful marketing could attract them to the UK. The Begin Group identify two problems, the relatively high cost of independent education in the UK and the language barrier for Bulgarians in the UK.
Ukraine has a dynamic economy with growth rates exceeding 7% for each of the past four years. The foreign education market has been booming, with growth of up to 30% a year. Local schools are not meeting the Ukrainian demand for independent schooling, the numbers of independent schools in Ukraine are decreasing due to taxes and a lack of government support, so the resulting demand for overseas education has grown. The EU is viewed positively by many Ukrainians and the idea of studying in the UK is therefore popular, although the UK is not the top choice of destination: Germany, Russia, Poland, the USA and Hungary all take more Ukrainian pupils than the UK does at present. Two problems that make the Ukrainian market less promising are the difficulty of acquiring a visa to study in the UK and demographic issues: the population of Ukraine is in freefall, with the rate of decline being the fourth fastest in the world; this means that it will be harder to expand this market in future.
Kazakhstan's economy is one of the most dynamic in the former Soviet Union benefiting from the wealth generated by its oil reserves. The demographic picture is similar to Russia with a birth rate decline between 1991 and 1999 reversed in the period from 2000 so it is reasonable to expect the market to grow for several years. The market for education abroad has grown rapidly and is the fastest growing in the former Soviet Union. Interest in overseas study is dominated by the UK. The Begin Group suggest that up to 60% of Kazakhs want to study in the UK above other destinations. The government offers 3,000 full "Bolshak" scholarships per year for overseas study. Moreover, the President of Kazakhstan has said that he wants everyone to be trilingual in Kazakh, Russia and English meaning that education in Anglophone countries will be easier. The popularity of British education among Kazakhs can be seen from the opening of Haileybury-Almaty this year which focuses on Kazakhs rather than the children of expats. This school will, however, be a major competitor for independent schools in the UK hoping to attract Kazakhs. As with the other markets in the former Soviet Union, co- education is more popular, so work will have to be done by schools wishing to sell the idea of singlesex education.
Independent schools can bring in valuable revenues from overseas. The Far East has been the largest market for overseas pupils in recent years, although, with the exception of China, this market has been in decline. It is therefore vital to look for new and emerging markets.
Europe provides a growing number of pupils for independent schools in the UK each year, and while Germany represents the single largest share of the European market, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are the biggest growth areas. Independent schools have much to gain by developing a better understanding of these markets - they could provide a significant number of pupils in future years. In particular, independent schools can make sure they are well placed by working to sell the idea of single-sex education and by exploring the limitations of visa restrictions. The rewards of a wellinformed approach to overseas markets could be significant.Rudolf Eliott Lockhart is Policy Researcher at ISC
ISC would like to thank Begin Group for their help in allowing the use of their research for this article. t 007 495 933 1098 maryanna@begingroup.com begingroup.com Farewell, Patsy and Eddie!
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The Ab Fab days of PR as a "lunchtime discipline" are far behind us.
Effective PR in our schools is essential if we are to maintain the trust of parents and the respect of the Press, writes Alex Caish
The days of Eddie and Patsy are over. No longer does Public Relations (PR) even remotely involve champagneswigging lunches, whiling away afternoons discussing hair-brained schemes at great expense. Instead, effective PR today is highly sophisticated: driving and leading brand strategy, working alongside all other aspects of communications including advertising and digital marketing to be able to achieve exceptionally positive results. The independent sector, like any other industry, can benefit from sharing best practice and successful PR. Parents, like any other stakeholder with an interest in your school, need to be kept informed of developments and issues affecting their children. It may seem like common sense, but some of the key tenets of a modern-day PR approach can be used in liaising with parents.
Here we will examine some ways of increasing the effectiveness of your school's communications with parents and using PR to best effect. Whether you have a full-time PR expert at school, or are lucky enough to have a trusty member of staff to handle such issues, hopefully some of these hints and tips will be useful in maximising the effect of your communications.
It's good to talk
Parents are, understandably, keen to know how you are responding to issues affecting your school, so it is crucial you communicate effectively on what you are doing. There are many ways of communicating your news and messages to parents, be they current or prospective.
Be yourself
Your school is a wonderful place and you have every right to shout about the achievements of pupils, staff and others involved with its success. Don't be afraid to celebrate what your school does and stands for.
But don't shout too loud!
Equally, a bit of humility can't hurt. Although it's good to talk about your schools' achievements, this has to be balanced with any bad news or challenges on the horizon. Parents need the full picture, not just a rosy version of what's happening at school. The risk is that if something negative (be it true or otherwise) reaches the press, you don't want parents reading about it in the local paper before they've heard about it straight from the school.
Parents will want to know about issues affecting their children. Keeping them in the loop is vital. They won't necessarily want a point-by-point report on the most recent staff meeting but they will, for instance, want to know if the school is adopting a new literacy programme which will affect their children's education. Respect that parents have their own views which are sometimes going to conflict with decisions taken by the school, but ultimately keeping everyone informed and briefed in advance will avoid miscommunication later.
Digital communications
Schools are encouraged to make digital communications (including websites, online forums and e-newsletters) work harder for them. The number of internet users is increasing everyday. Today's children are growing up with the world wide web at their fingertips and this is now the norm. Using the internet to your schools' advantage makes real sense, both in communicating messages to current parents and informing prospective parents of what you have to offer. A clear, attractive and easy-to-use website will pay dividends in adding value to both your schools' image andreputation.
PR, press releases and newspapers
PR campaigns are useful if there is one issue you wish to promote, and managing the media has become an important function in school PR. Perhaps your school is taking active steps towards becoming more 'eco-friendly', or you have some brand new facilities to show off. The same campaign strategy can be adapted in informing parents of what is happening. Don't forget - transparency goes a long way when putting together a PR campaign. Don't over-hype, it will come back to haunt you. Parents are no different from journalists - they will respect an open approach. Plan what you want to say, and when, and stick to the facts.
ISC's article bank and expert grid
Another good way of promoting and marketing your school is via local magazines, which may be grateful for editorial simply to fill their pages. If you are a budding writer, or have talented scribes on your staff, do let us know. The ISC press office is frequently approached by local, regional and national press for case-studies, articles and expert opinions. In response to this, we have set up a growing article bank of copy suitable for the media. Articles we have on file include topical issues such as bursaries and scholarships; saving for an independent education and the financial options available; boarding schools and what's on offer; how to choose an independent school, and many more. Let us know if you have copy you would be willing to be kept in the central ISC article bank - with your permission we will seek to place this when a relevant opportunity arises. In addition, you may like to put yourself, another colleague, a member of your senior management team, or your chair of governors forward as a spokesperson on a key issue. The ISC expert grid is where we store the names and contact details of those happy to talk on a variety of topical issues. If you have a name to add to the list, we may contact you if a national or regional title needs a comment. It's a great opportunity to promote the sector and your school, and for us to be able to field queries out to a larger cohort of contributors and experts. Don't be shy!
A media crisis - what do I tell the parents? Help!
A media crisis plan is vital if you ever face a media crisis. No set rules will help you prepare for what may happen, but one thing is for sure: you need to keep parents informed. Let them know by letter or email what has happened, if possible before any damaging publicity has appeared. Afterwards, if supportive responses are needed, parents' letters are much more effective than those from the school.Alex Caish is Head of Press at ISC Have you signed up to the DNS?
Education is a hot political potato, so it's not surprising to see education-related stories in the news every single day. However, keeping on top of all of the latest education developments is tough work for busy Heads, Marketers and Governors. This is where the ISC Daily News Summary can help.
The DNS is a free news service provided by us. Each morning the ISC press office scours the UK media for the day's education news. The headlines are summarised and a reader-friendly digest of the most relevant stories is e-mailed to subscribers, along with links to all of the online news stories. Over 2,000 subscribers currently receive the daily updates and this number continues to grow every week.
The ISC Daily News Summary is free-of-charge and particularly useful for anyone connected to or involved in the education sector. You can sign up for free at: isc.co.uk/DailyNews_ISCDailyNewsSummary.htm
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Integrating marketing and development
The need for marketing, fundraising and development functions in independent schools is stronger than ever before, and strategically combining them can create a force to be reckoned with, writes Ian McLean
In the past decade we have seen a greater understanding of the functions of marketing and development in independent schools. Appointments are being made now with both areas coming under a coordinated effort of a ‘Director of Development & Marketing' or a ‘Director of External Relations' with a team covering the responsibilities of alumni relations, marketing and fundraising.
Not all schools have the luxury of such a structure and often one person is required to perform both marketing and development functions. However as their programme matures, it becomes a natural progression to increase the staffing resources to enable the development operation to grow. Within the next few years I expect to see more schools make a major commitment to external relations and include the functions of marketing, admissions, alumni relations, fundraising and archives under one departmental umbrella.
Development - isn't that just fundraising?
The development function is much broader than fundraising and the result of a sustained programme that integrates alumni relations and marketing with a fundraising mix will ensure sustained income.
In the past, fundraising in schools was centred on periodic appeals, but very little consistent relationship building. Schools placed little relevance on the benefits of keeping in regular contact with their former pupils. Now there is a real understanding of the marketing benefits for the school because of these ongoing links.
Why should development be linked to marketing?
The importance in any business of acknowledging the value of existing clients is as profound in independent schools, where word of mouth is the critical marketing factor, as in other businesses. The most important aspect of ongoing development is alumni relations and a successful programme will greatly help promote the school.
An effective development programme will provide:
- An alumni network for life
- Work experience opportunities for pupils
- Career & university advice
- Industry placement
- Ongoing support for development projects
Development and marketing functions work towards the same goal of sustained prosperity of the school and most are now building relationships with potential families, current families, past pupils and families and potential donors.
Other benefits of an integrated arrangement might include:
- Alumni achievements help promote the school
- Development of new facilities (funded by alumni) is a great marketing asset
- Parents' associations, often linked to the development office, comprise members who are keen to help and promote the school, and happy to support development initiatives
- Links with the local community provide good promotion and also potential connections for financial support
- The school's charitable status requirement to provide public benefit with funding through a development office is seen as a real bonus to potential families
- Development and marketing share a common focus of internal promotion to gain the support of the entire school
- Development initiatives show progress and ambition for the school - which is appealing to prospective families
The critical factor that will determine sustained development success is the performance of the school. It must be doing well to create interest and enthusiasm for financial support - both development and marketing departments need this! Ian McLean is Chairman of IDPE and Development Director at Lancing College http://www.isc.co.uk/admin/sites/irm@lancing.org.uk
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To give or not to give, that is the question
There is a burgeoning market for promotional gift-giving at school open days and family visits. So is it worth it, and which gifts send over the right messages? asks Rosie Keeling
The promotional gift market is undoubtedly growing: currently the industry in the UK and Ireland is worth nearly £900 million and there are almost 2,000 distributor companies1. There is a vast array of merchandise available from the traditional and ever-popular items such as pens, to more unusual corporate gifts such as balloons that pop out of boxes.
Role in the marketing mix
Corporate gifts are mostly used as a means of enhancing image and creating goodwill and, if used properly, can supplement and reinforce other elements of the marketing mix. Elements of the mix include advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing. For example, corporate gifts are often used to support personal selling as they can remind customers of a company long after the activity of personal selling has been completed. Verbal communication is soon forgotten so gifts and incentives may tip a business decision in a favourable direction. If used properly, gifts provide a company with valuable means of strengthening relationships and promoting business. A properly timed and appropriate gift is one of the best ways of conveying the important message that a relationshipmatters2. Successful use of corporate gifts is based on objectives and should support the messages that your school wants to project.
Trends
The more successful gifts tend to be personalised, creative and memorable3. There has been a move towards quality and away from bulk items4. A current trend in the toy market that could be a useful starting point for gift ideas is the growth in toys with a sustainability theme, known as "green" toys. This was a key area at the New York Toy Fair earlier this year and is also an area of growth in the UK. Examples of green toys include a penguin flashlight which needs to be pumped to power and a toy car made from reclaimed plastics that tells an environmental story when it is pushed along.
Considerations
- If you decide to use gifts there are a number of factors that you should consider:
- Who should your gift be aimed at, the parent or the child?
- Is there a possibility other siblings will also be present? Do they need a gift too?
- What are the key messages you would like parents to leave with?
- Which gifts best reflect these messages?
Teddy bears are an obvious (but effective) choice to convey a caring environment while an exciting puzzle or jigsaw could highlight the links between fun and learning. If the child has an enjoyable time at the open day and the gift reinforces that memory it is more likely to be beneficial. For example, if a child is able to create and personalise their gift and has fun doing so, the gift will become more meaningful. The potential for teaming up with a local printer who could print gifts that the children have personalised themselves may work well. There are also gifts available that allow the gift beneficiary to personalise it, such as umbrellas that come with blank panels and crayons.
Furthermore, gifts that act as a conversation point and enable the child to engage and make friends with other children at the open day are more likely to reinforce positive messages from the day and be kept as a memento.
Should your gift display your logo?
Opinions differ on whether promotional merchandise used at open days should display the school's logo. Some schools have adopted this approach and feel it works well for them, whereas others, depending on the messages they are trying to give parents, may find that using a logo makes their gift seem impersonal. Unlike large trade shows where branding on gifts is needed for delegates to remember company names, parents visiting an open day are likely to remember where the gift came from, so whether or not to use your logo depends entirely on how and where you use it.
How useful is the gift?
A survey carried out on 429 professional adults by Source-e in April 2007 shows that the usefulness of a corporate gift is the most important factor in determining whether a person keeps it, with memories being the second most important factor, followed by the value of the item. There is also research that shows that people love to see their names in print, especially on items that they use frequently. It may then be a good idea to print each child's name onto their gift.
Ethical and cross-cultural issues
The issue of when a gift becomes a bribe is especially important when the giving crosses cultural boundaries. There needs to be a mutual understanding between the giver and recipients as to the meaning and obligations of the gift. What a gift represents can only be determined by the recipients, and the intended message is not always the one received.5
The gift may be less likely to be viewed as a bribe if it is intertwined with an open day or event by being used in some imaginative way to structure the day or teaming visitors and pupils together, helping them to get to know one another. Other considerations should include practicalities, cost, best time of day to offer the gift and the age of the child.
Do corporate gifts work?
The corporate gift market is a massive industry and is used by many leading marketers and corporations. It is an established fact that the impact of promotional gifts lasts longer in the minds of consumers than many other promotional methods.
The Source-e research on adult corporate gift recipients also found that 89% retain the item of promotional merchandise, 92% believe branded promotional merchandise increases company awareness and 76% say that they can name a brand, company, or organisation that features on a promotional merchandise item that they keep on their desk, without having to look for confirmation.
Key to the successful use of gifts is the correct balance between cost and likely benefit. To be a useful tool there are many factors that should be considered.
Gifts in practice
Wakefield Grammar School Foundation (Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and Wakefield Girls' High School) have used a variety of "freebies" at their Information Mornings, finding them to be beneficial in encouraging attendees to complete a personal details form, enabling the school to keep records on event attendees. Gifts they have used include branded aqua mousemats, branded flashing bouncy balls and branded jumpies (small popup toys.) All gifts are chosen to appeal to the children, in turn encouraging retention of the school name within the household.
Badminton School have given away"Sex and the City" bags containing silver pens to celebrate their 150th anniversary at their Badminton Ball. They also bred their own rose, named the Badminton Girl in celebration of their 150th, available for purchase by parents. Other gifts they have used include mugs, post-it notes and umbrellas.
Merchant Taylors' Schools in Merseyside give away pens printed with their name and web address as well as branded bags to help visitors hold the school's brochures and other marketing materials given out at open days. Both these items are popular and often are used again outside of school. On their Activities Taster Day they have given visiting pupils t-shirts, which were also a success.ISC would like to thank the schools mentioned for sharing their gift ideas and experiences.
Rosie Keeling is Digital Content Manager at ISC
Footnotes
1 Sourcing City (June 2008)
2 S Davies, The art of corporate gift giving, Incentive (August 1996)
3 Ying Fan, Promoting business with corporate gifts - major issues and empirical evidence. (2006 University of Lincoln).
4 Business Week: A corporate gift guide - 15th March 2006.
5 Axtel RE (1990) A guide to International Behaviour - Dos and Taboos around the World, Wiley, Mississagua.
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Gazing into the crystal ball
On the following pages, we have produced primary and secondary age population forecasts for every county in the UK, which we hope you will find useful. With so many schools now adopting catchment area research as fundamental to their strategic planning, just why is this knowledge useful? asks Adam Sweeney
A word of warning - forecasting is not an exact science. It is not used to predict with 100% confidence, but we can use demographic forecasts to give data of accurate magnitude that is extremely useful in a strategic sense.
The value of knowing how population numbers are going to change is selfevident in marketing terms. It is broadly useful however to look at these figures in wider strategic contexts. For an example, look at the figures for North Lincolnshire from the following table. There is a predicted increase in females and males aged 5-10 (14% and 13% respectively), and a decrease in males and females aged 10-18 (-3% and -8% respectively).
Therefore, in this area by 2015 there is expected to be an influx of younger families. Older children will leave the area (or grow older than 18). A decrease in this age of populations implies that a few years ago there was growth in the older children - the relatively large percentage increase in 5-10 is consistent with current smaller numbers of children aged 5-10.
The actionable insight is this: the balance in the area is shifting from a large number of older school age children to greater numbers of younger ones. To use this potential, one must find out more about these young families who are now making a critical choice about their family's schooling. You ought to prepare your marketing in accordance with focus on a wider market of families new to the education system.
As with most market research, the answers lead to more questions:
- Why the large influx of families - is there an upcoming new home development in the area which is encouraging this?
- What kind of family is going to be on the increase - what will their financial status be?
- When within the period 2008-2015 are these changes going to happen?
To answer these questions, one needs to look specifically at your school catchment area; and to find out how the answers will affect your school.
Our dedicated research team at ISC frequently produce Catchment Area Analysis reports for member schools. Each report scrutinizes and describes your market in useable terms, and will provide you with strategic forecasting, as well as:
- in-depth demographic profiling of your current market
- target customer location maps
- information about the strength of your competitors
- mapping of your school's market share
- details of areas of high market potential
- new home development maps
- analysis of what kind of media you are using (or should use)
The strategic use of the report can vary as much as schools do - it all comes down to individual needs. If you are looking to go co-ed from single sex, you need to know that the male market is there. The need to widen access is a pressing one - using the MOSAIC market segmentation forecasting, you can see which social groups outside of your target market will be viable and will grow in the coming years. Analysis of your catchment by independent school share enables you to set targets that reach beyond the narrowed historical data for your school.
Overall, this research gives you the insight to make informed decisions to secure your school's position accurately and market its messages effectively.
Adam Sweeney is Commercial Researcher at ISC
2008-2015: Children aged 5-10
| |
PERCENTAGE CHANGE |
| COUNTY |
Females |
Males |
| Aberdeen City |
-5 |
-3 |
| Aberdeenshire |
11 |
3 |
| Anglesey, Isle of |
7 |
-5 |
| Angus |
15 |
4 |
| Argyll and Bute |
8 |
4 |
| Bath and North East Somerset |
10 |
12 |
| Bedfordshire |
17 |
17 |
| Blackburn with Darwen |
13 |
15 |
| Blackpool |
11 |
15 |
| Blaenau Gwent |
8 |
7 |
| Bournemouth |
26 |
12 |
| Bracknell Forest |
11 |
5 |
| Bridgend |
5 |
10 |
| Brighton and Hove |
22 |
17 |
| Bristol, City of |
25 |
20 |
| Buckinghamshire |
5 |
8 |
| Caerphilly |
5 |
2 |
| Cambridgeshire |
15 |
17 |
| Cardiff |
5 |
16 |
| Carmarthenshire |
1 |
3 |
| Ceredigion |
13 |
14 |
| Cheshire |
16 |
9 |
| Clackmannanshire |
15 |
3 |
| Conwy |
16 |
9 |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |
9 |
10 |
| Cumbria |
8 |
7 |
| Darlington |
9 |
14 |
| Denbighshire |
10 |
4 |
| Derby |
22 |
11 |
| Derbyshire |
14 |
11 |
| Devon |
7 |
12 |
| Dorset |
15 |
10 |
| Dumfries and Galloway |
6 |
0 |
| Dundee City |
7 |
7 |
| Durham |
16 |
10 |
| East Ayrshire |
3 |
11 |
| East Dunbartonshire |
3 |
-5 |
| East Lothian |
-1 |
3 |
| East Renfrewshire |
5 |
1 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire |
13 |
11 |
| East Sussex |
16 |
13 |
| Edinburgh, City of |
2 |
14 |
| Eilean Siar (Western Isles) |
0 |
1 |
| Essex |
14 |
14 |
| Falkirk |
19 |
6 |
| Fife |
14 |
6 |
| Flintshire |
3 |
1 |
| Glasgow, City of |
4 |
14 |
| Gloucestershire |
15 |
8 |
| Greater Manchester |
14 |
16 |
| Gwynedd |
24 |
10 |
| Halton |
12 |
18 |
| Hampshire |
18 |
10 |
| Hartlepool |
14 |
14 |
| Herefordshire |
12 |
3 |
| Hertfordshire |
15 |
16 |
| Highland |
11 |
1 |
| Inner London |
14 |
26 |
| Inverclyde |
7 |
5 |
| Isle of Wight |
7 |
12 |
| Kent |
9 |
15 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of |
6 |
12 |
| Lancashire |
11 |
11 |
| Leicester |
9 |
19 |
| Leicestershire |
15 |
12 |
| Lincolnshire |
11 |
13 |
| Luton |
12 |
23 |
| Medway |
19 |
12 |
| Merseyside |
0 |
14 |
| Merthyr Tydfil |
10 |
11 |
| Middlesbrough |
13 |
15 |
| Midlothian |
11 |
6 |
| Milton Keynes |
16 |
22 |
| Monmouthshire |
15 |
16 |
| Moray |
12 |
1 |
| Neath Port Talbot |
4 |
5 |
| Newport |
5 |
8 |
| Norfolk |
17 |
16 |
| North Ayrshire |
-3 |
1 |
| North East Lincolnshire |
16 |
9 |
| North Lanarkshire |
13 |
7 |
| North Lincolnshire |
14 |
13 |
| North Somerset |
14 |
17 |
| North Yorkshire |
14 |
12 |
| Northamptonshire |
11 |
18 |
| Northern Ireland |
20 |
6 |
| Northumberland |
10 |
12 |
| Nottingham |
3 |
22 |
| Nottinghamshire |
16 |
15 |
| Orkney Islands |
-1 |
-4 |
| Outer London |
15 |
16 |
| Oxfordshire |
15 |
17 |
| Pembrokeshire |
4 |
6 |
| Perth and Kinross |
13 |
4 |
| Peterborough |
10 |
22 |
| Plymouth |
2 |
16 |
| Poole |
16 |
10 |
| Portsmouth |
19 |
16 |
| Powys |
4 |
-5 |
| Reading |
19 |
11 |
| Redcar and Cleveland |
-3 |
10 |
| Renfrewshire |
8 |
8 |
| Rhondda, Cynon, Taff |
18 |
14 |
| Rutland |
16 |
11 |
| Scottish Borders |
10 |
5 |
| Shetland Islands |
2 |
1 |
| Shropshire |
20 |
6 |
| Slough |
11 |
14 |
| Somerset |
13 |
12 |
| South Ayrshire |
2 |
4 |
| South Gloucestershire |
9 |
12 |
| South Lanarkshire |
17 |
8 |
| South Yorkshire |
16 |
14 |
| Southampton |
8 |
19 |
| Southend-on-Sea |
10 |
12 |
| Staffordshire |
-6 |
9 |
| Stirling |
9 |
3 |
| Stockton-on-Tees |
8 |
12 |
| Stoke-on-Trent |
22 |
13 |
| Suffolk |
16 |
16 |
| Surrey |
14 |
13 |
| Swansea |
7 |
9 |
| Swindon |
13 |
12 |
| Telford and Wrekin |
15 |
13 |
| The Vale of Glamorgan |
18 |
7 |
| Thurrock |
10 |
14 |
| Torbay |
3 |
11 |
| Torfaen |
8 |
1 |
| Tyne and Wear |
9 |
14 |
| Warrington |
16 |
6 |
| Warwickshire |
27 |
12 |
| West Berkshire |
8 |
6 |
| West Dunbartonshire |
8 |
8 |
| West Lothian |
11 |
9 |
| West Midlands |
12 |
16 |
| West Sussex |
17 |
11 |
| West Yorkshire |
9 |
18 |
| Wiltshire |
17 |
8 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead |
14 |
14 |
| Wokingham |
19 |
13 |
| Worcestershire |
14 |
6 |
| Wrexham |
-2 |
4 |
| York |
16 |
18 |
2008-2015: Children aged 10-18
| |
PERCENTAGE CHANGE |
| COUNTY |
Females |
Males |
| Aberdeen City |
-23 |
-17 |
| Aberdeenshire |
-9 |
-5 |
| Anglesey, Isle of |
-26 |
-15 |
| Angus |
-9 |
-5 |
| Argyll and Bute |
-25 |
-21 |
| Bath and North East Somerset |
-4 |
-5 |
| Bedfordshire |
5 |
-4 |
| Blackburn with Darwen |
1 |
-6 |
| Blackpool |
-3 |
-7 |
| Blaenau Gwent |
-25 |
-14 |
| Bournemouth |
-6 |
-8 |
| Bracknell Forest |
-5 |
-9 |
| Bridgend |
-14 |
-11 |
| Brighton and Hove |
0 |
-6 |
| Bristol, City of |
-4 |
-9 |
| Buckinghamshire |
1 |
-3 |
| Caerphilly |
-26 |
-15 |
| Cambridgeshire |
6 |
-1 |
| Cardiff |
-14 |
-11 |
| Carmarthenshire |
-13 |
-10 |
| Ceredigion |
-7 |
-4 |
| Cheshire |
-5 |
-8 |
| Clackmannanshire |
-2 |
-12 |
| Conwy |
-7 |
-3 |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |
-1 |
-4 |
| Cumbria |
-7 |
-11 |
| Darlington |
-5 |
-11 |
| Denbighshire |
-14 |
-8 |
| Derby |
-6 |
-7 |
| Derbyshire |
-6 |
-10 |
| Devon |
-2 |
-6 |
| Dorset |
-4 |
-7 |
| Dumfries and Galloway |
-20 |
-16 |
| Dundee City |
-17 |
-15 |
| Durham |
-11 |
-10 |
| East Ayrshire |
-13 |
-13 |
| East Dunbartonshire |
-24 |
-20 |
| East Lothian |
-10 |
-8 |
| East Renfrewshire |
-14 |
-11 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire |
-3 |
-6 |
| East Sussex |
-5 |
-7 |
| Edinburgh, City of |
-7 |
-11 |
| Eilean Siar (Western Isles) |
-15 |
-7 |
| Essex |
2 |
-4 |
| Falkirk |
-1 |
-4 |
| Fife |
-3 |
-8 |
| Flintshire |
-18 |
-8 |
| Glasgow, City of |
-14 |
-13 |
| Gloucestershire |
-3 |
-7 |
| Greater Manchester |
-4 |
-9 |
| Gwynedd |
-11 |
-5 |
| Halton |
-3 |
-8 |
| Hampshire |
-4 |
-7 |
| Hartlepool |
-3 |
-11 |
| Herefordshire |
-10 |
-11 |
| Hertfordshire |
1 |
-3 |
| Highland |
-8 |
-11 |
| Inner London |
8 |
-2 |
| Inverclyde |
-22 |
-11 |
| Isle of Wight |
-2 |
-6 |
| Kent |
0 |
-5 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of |
-18 |
-16 |
| Lancashire |
-7 |
-9 |
| Leicester |
0 |
-5 |
| Leicestershire |
1 |
-4 |
| Lincolnshire |
-1 |
-6 |
| Luton |
10 |
-4 |
| Medway |
-3 |
-9 |
| Merseyside |
-10 |
-13 |
| Merthyr Tydfil |
-16 |
-16 |
| Middlesbrough |
-12 |
-12 |
| Midlothian |
-9 |
-11 |
| Milton Keynes |
14 |
-1 |
| Monmouthshire |
-1 |
-4 |
| Moray |
-18 |
-11 |
| Neath Port Talbot |
-12 |
-9 |
| Newport |
-22 |
-14 |
| Norfolk |
1 |
-4 |
| North Ayrshire |
-16 |
-16 |
| North East Lincolnshire |
-12 |
-13 |
| North Lanarkshire |
-4 |
-4 |
| North Lincolnshire |
-3 |
-8 |
| North Somerset |
7 |
-1 |
| North Yorkshire |
-6 |
-9 |
| Northamptonshire |
8 |
-1 |
| Northern Ireland |
-8 |
-8 |
| Northumberland |
-5 |
-9 |
| Nottingham |
-10 |
-12 |
| Nottinghamshire |
-5 |
-8 |
| Orkney Islands |
-19 |
-18 |
| Outer London |
2 |
-5 |
| Oxfordshire |
1 |
-6 |
| Pembrokeshire |
-14 |
-5 |
| Perth and Kinross |
-5 |
-3 |
| Peterborough |
9 |
-2 |
| Plymouth |
-6 |
-12 |
| Poole |
-7 |
-7 |
| Portsmouth |
-5 |
-11 |
| Powys |
-26 |
-14 |
| Reading |
-8 |
-14 |
| Redcar and Cleveland |
-9 |
-10 |
| Renfrewshire |
-9 |
-12 |
| Rhondda, Cynon, Taff |
-11 |
-11 |
| Rutland |
2 |
-5 |
| Scottish Borders |
6 |
-7 |
| Shetland Islands |
-29 |
-12 |
| Shropshire |
-8 |
-8 |
| Slough |
-6 |
-9 |
| Somerset |
-2 |
-6 |
| South Ayrshire |
-13 |
-10 |
| South Gloucestershire |
-3 |
-6 |
| South Lanarkshire |
-7 |
-8 |
| South Yorkshire |
-7 |
-10 |
| Southampton |
-8 |
-11 |
| Southend-on-Sea |
-7 |
-7 |
| Staffordshire |
-8 |
-9 |
| Stirling |
-11 |
-4 |
| Stockton-on-Tees |
-9 |
-9 |
| Stoke-on-Trent |
-6 |
-10 |
| Suffolk |
1 |
-6 |
| Surrey |
2 |
-5 |
| Swansea |
-13 |
-7 |
| Swindon |
0 |
-3 |
| Telford and Wrekin |
-1 |
-5 |
| The Vale of Glamorgan |
-17 |
-11 |
| Thurrock |
3 |
0 |
| Torbay |
-1 |
-6 |
| Torfaen |
-26 |
-17 |
| Tyne and Wear |
-9 |
-12 |
| Warrington |
-10 |
-9 |
| Warwickshire |
-1 |
-6 |
| West Berkshire |
-4 |
-4 |
| West Dunbartonshire |
-14 |
-15 |
| West Lothian |
3 |
-4 |
| West Midlands |
-2 |
-7 |
| West Sussex |
0 |
-6 |
| West Yorkshire |
-2 |
-8 |
| Wiltshire |
-3 |
-4 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead |
5 |
-4 |
| Wokingham |
-3 |
-7 |
| Worcestershire |
-7 |
-9 |
| Wrexham |
-18 |
-8 |
| York |
-6 |
-7 |
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