Steer the Conversation
Beyond the logo, your brand is how your top audiences talk about you.
A common misconception I hear is, ‘We don’t need a flashy brand or marketing. We rely on word of mouth!’ While this may not be entirely untrue, it often reflects a couple of misunderstandings. First, it suggests that branding is viewed as merely a logo. Effective visuals support and reflect the brand, but they are not the brand themselves. More importantly, many don’t realize that the “word of mouth” they’re referring to is, in fact, a central part of the school’s brand.
A brand strategy isn’t about creating gimmicky marketing campaigns or trendy logos—those may even work against some schools’ true identities. In my years working in nonprofit marketing for example, I was always mindful not to be too flashy because that could give the impression that too many donated resources were going toward promotion rather than the cause itself. In fact, that restraint can be part of the brand strategy. A thoughtful brand strategy ensures that the right balance is struck, projecting authenticity and trust.
For schools, it’s a similar challenge. School leaders may worry that slick marketing seems wasteful, overly corporate, or even as if it’s compensating for weaker pedagogy. But that’s not the goal of brand strategy. Understanding what attracts new families and keeps current ones engaged is essential. It’s about knowing how your school is perceived, listening to how families talk about it, and guiding those perceptions with intention. Effective brand strategy is about clarity, not embellishment. When your brand is clear and authentic, it guides conversations naturally, aligning the message families share with your school’s true values and strengths.
The Process: Listening to the Conversation
Your brand is a dialogue with those that matter most to your school.
People relate to brands in much the same way they relate to other people. We all gravitate toward both brands and people that share our values and perspectives. School ID’s process begins by discovering what draws your key stakeholders closer and understanding how they talk about your school’s true brand identity. Listening comes first.
Our process is flexible, tailored to the unique needs of each school. However, every project generally follows these core phases:
Phase 1: Introductory Research
With a few initial calls, meetings, and a review of existing materials, School ID will conduct a preliminary assessment of your school’s competitive position, culture, values, and target audiences. The phase targets discovery of some hypotheses to test and core ideas to expand upon.
Phase 2: Deep Listening
Based on hypotheses and ideas found in Phase 1, we’ll develop a set of custom workshops, surveys, and/or interviews. School Id customizes all research methods to gather insights into your audience’s perceptions, your brand personality, values, and market positioning. Together, our goal is to hear and incorporate representatives from every part of your school community: parents, faculty, staff, administrators, board members, and any other key groups.
Phase 3: In-Depth Analysis
After gathering insights, we conduct a detailed analysis to identify your school’s core brand truth, primary audiences, and brand personality. We then apply this information within proven brand models to map out the overall strategy. This phase concludes with a checkpoint meeting, where we present a draft brand strategy for feedback. The checkpoint allows us to assess alignment with your school’s goals and determine whether the strategy suggests broader changes, such as marketing adjustments or updates to your visual identity, including the logo. Not every brand strategy requires a logo change; instead, we let the strategy guide these decisions based on what’s best for your school.
Phase 4: Brand Expression
Building on the brand strategy and identity established in the previous phases, we outline the tone and key messaging strategies for your school to communicate effectively with its primary audiences. If needed, School ID may provide design work or collaborate with local designers your in-house team to ensure visual alignment. This phase culminates in the creation of a comprehensive Brand Guide, along with staff training to ensure consistent application of the guide in all communications.
The Final Deliverable: a True Conversation Starter
Defining your Brand Identity is just the beginning—the conversation continues with guidance on effective Brand Management.
The School ID Brand Guide will serve as your roadmap for intentional and effective brand management. It captures the full essence of your school’s identity—from audience insights and market positioning to photography and written voice strategies. This guide isn’t just about visuals; it’s a comprehensive tool for staying true to your brand across every interaction.
Brand management is an ongoing conversation—a dialogue between your school and the people who matter most. Like any meaningful exchange, it requires both speaking and listening. This guide will help you understand what to listen for and how to respond in ways that align with your school’s identity and goals.
Above are glimpses of the Western Academy of Beijing Brand Guide, showcasing its introductory notes and contents to give you a sense of what’s included in a School ID Brand Guide. Every school is unique, and your guide will reflect that with tailored branding models and clarifications, but the goal remains the same: to guide the entirety of your brand.
I led the entire project for WAB, creating and facilitating workshops, developing the brand strategy, and serving as art director for the visual identity system and new website. Many of the graphics changes, including the brand book itself, the refined color palette, and updates to some of WAB’s previous graphics—which I had originally designed—were also my work. I collaborated with MEAT Design Studio’s Beijing office to further refine the visual system, and their expertise in Chinese typography was key to the project’s success. Together, we crafted a comprehensive guide and visual identity system that bring clarity and focus, empowering WAB’s team to communicate with purpose and confidence.”