- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 May 2006 15.35 BST
A new advertising campaign by the Department for Education and Skills aims to transform the poor public perception of many London secondary schools
The perception that a brand is a concept that only has relevance to companies like McDonalds and Nike couldn't be further from the truth. In non-marketing speak, a brand is equivalent to reputation.
A product or service with a good reputation is one that people are likely to want to buy, use or associate with. This is a universal truth that is as applicable to schools as it is to a more commonly thought of brand battle between Pepsi and Coca-Cola, for example.
"The fact that many schools do not see themselves as being a brand or do not need to think about one is worrying," says Patrick Smith, the European chief executive of FutureBrand. "Any business or organisation has to work out and articulate what it stands for. Abdicating responsibility for the image of a school is not managing important messages to the public and local authorities."
The government bought into the idea of schools as brands back in 2003. It was then that Tony Blair launched the London Challenge Strategy to transform the poor public perception of many London secondary schools. A key part of that plan came to fruition last week when the Department for Education and Skills launched its first advertising campaign with the message: "London's proud of its students".
Schools minister Andrew Adonis explained that the campaign aimed to alter the perception gap between how many schools are actually performing and what the public thinks. The outdoor campaign - using posters on London's Tube and bus networks - aims to highlight successful students and their achievements using seven different adverts.
The idea is to go beyond the simplified judgment system of comparing schools solely on the basis of academic performance in league tables. A school brand can be built on many different levels.
Each advert showcases a student's work and achievement, academic or otherwise - such as Tyrone Ramsey, a champion basketball player from St Aloysius' College, a state school in Islington.
"Headteachers have steered clear of terms like marketing because it smacks of commercialism but used correctly marketing can close that perception gap," says Bruce Haines, the chief executive of Leo Burnett, the advertising agency that created the campaign. "Higher education has always used dyed in the wool marketing techniques such as branding, promotion and having a prospectus. They are fighting for the brightest and the best."
Higher education institutions have to market themselves to attract students who are free to choose which institution to attend. However, despite a relatively "captive" pool of students, Mr Haines argues that it is still vital for local schools of any level to correct image misperceptions.
"It is important to give parents confidence in where they are sending their kids," adds Mr Haines. "This can be achieved through partnerships with local businesses or utilising local newspapers to spread good student news - it all enhances the value of a local school as a brand."
The overall "marketing" responsibility ultimately lands at the feet of the headteacher, but everyone has a part to play. "Just like Richard Branson sets the style and feel of Virgin so it is with the head of a school," says Nicky Owen, the director of service brands at consultancy Dragon.
"In addition, going to a school in one area or another says something about the student as well as the school. Just as wearing Nike or adidas is a statement, students who wear uniforms are effectively brand ambassadors for their school."
Of course, there is always a fine line between building an image and "selling out" to commercial partners even if the relationship can provide much-needed funding. In a new era mindful of health and obesity and marketing to children - a climate that has seen Coca-Cola pull its branded vending machines out of schools - caution is paramount.
"It would be disastrous for any school to go overboard and apply the McSchool idea to marketing partnerships," says James Kydd, marketing director at Virgin Mobile. "If schools are careful in articulating their principles and associate with carefully matched companies then there is no reason why it can't work. Although I can't imagine a Virgin school."
