Parents Talk to Parents & Kids Talk to Kids

     One of, if not THE, most powerful marketing strategy is "Word of Mouth."  Recent research shows that the two main sources of information someone turns to before making a big ticket purchase are the Internet and current customers.  In that light, positive word of mouth is the most effective non-technological way of getting information to prospective customers.  Brochures, radio, newspaper ads, billboards, etc., may be an important component of your overall marketing strategy, but, as the saying goes, "A satisfied customer is your best advertisement."

     We also know that worth of mouth (or, "buzz," as some marketing experts call it) is effective whether it's positive or negative.  While another saying says that "any publicity is good publicity," publicity isn't "word of mouth."  Publicity is an awareness builder - it's what makes community members, parishioner and parents aware that something exists.  Once someone is aware of the presence of a product that has a potential to be beneficial to them or their family, then the information investigation begins.  This is the point where your Internet presence and Word of Mouth become key tools.

     Think about it - does the 19 year old coming out of church really care that someone is speaking negatively about what may be going on at the parish's Catholic School?  Or the young single adult that's just moved into the parish?  Or the widowed grandparent, who might hear the "buzz," and think to herself that she's glad that her children are grown and live out of town.  It may not matter to them personally - but the people they connect with might hear the story from them.  And we all know what happens when stories get passed from one person to another.

     However, if a person with a Kindergarten-age child hears the story, they might ask a parent in the school for more information about it.  Parents talk to parents.  In this situation, it's important that word of mouth publicity be the best it can be.  Parents want the best for their children.  Parents are the customers that schools are marketing to.

     But what about the children?  Are the children of the school customers too?  Or are they the product of the school?  Most people I know would say that they are the product.  After all, brochures for replacement windows feature pictures of the windows; ads for vacation destinations feature palm trees at sunset on a calm beach.  Brochures for schools feature pictures of kids.

     While I won't disagree that children are products of our schools (which brings up another important consideration when marketing schools), may I be so bold as to say they are also customers.  As they grow to become alumni, they will have the ability to impact the school financially, with respect to enrollment, and as a member of the community and potential parent.

     Further, in this day and age of hearing parents say, "We're thinking about going to the public school next year because Billy said his friends are going there and he wants to be with them," it becomes painfully clear that parents today are not the absolute authority on important life decisions that impact their children.  OK, they are - but they're not taking the responsibility for those decisions for whatever rationalization they can concoct.  To take advantage of this type of situation, why not create a "Bring a Friend to School" Day.  If your students love your school, this could take off like wildfire, with students asking "when's the next day we can do this?"; on the other hand, if they're not enthused about inviting their friends to your school, such a reaction points to a much deeper problem.

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2007

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