Planning for Catholic Schools Week

Advent is a season of preparation.  But I will bet you anything that you're not just preparing for Christmas.  You're planning for at least three events - Christmas, the next school year, and Catholic Schools Week.

Chances are you're consumed by Christmas since it's less than two weeks away.  The next school year receives lowest priority because it's not "next" on the radar screen.  And that's okay - since when you start planning for the next school year, you enter a period of schizophrenic activity - that is, living in two different worlds at the same time.  We'll discuss some ways to keep your sanity during that period in an upcoming Marketing Matters article.

For now, though, just a quick thought about Catholic Schools Week.  I hope you'll agree with me that the week is a time to, as the tag line states, "Celebrate Catholic Schools!"   Many Catholic schools use this time to welcome prospective families to open house events.  But...it's probably a little too late to do that effectively - which is one of the reasons why Catholic school enrollment has been on the decline.  If you need proof, check your school's yearly enrollment trend since Catholic Schools Week started back in 1974.

While it has been commendable to continue the national marketing campaign for Catholic schools, the marketing experts seem to have overlooked three facts which are important to keep in mind: 1) We are a "headline" society; 2) Our media-savvy society enjoys the double-entendre as a way to catch attention, a technique which has trained consumers to make creative connections on their own; and 3) Marketing must happen constantly - not just for a week.

Techniques that may have worked back in 1974 don't necessarily work 37 years later.  "Fly the friendly skies of United" and "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick" aren't heard anymore.  Today, the shorter the slogan, the better.  That's because short and powerful are easier to remember.  Back in 1974, there were only 3 television networks which broadcast commercials.  Now, hundreds of television networks don't even broadcast due to digital television signals.  In print media, newspaper headlines usually place a subject first, followed by an action verb.  Let's see what images come to your mind when you read these headlines.  Say them out load so you really hear what you're reading - "Obama Wins!"  "Incumbents Ousted!"  "Price of Gold Soars"  "Catholic Schools Week"  - Even though we see "Week," we hear "Weak."  Remember that Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month used to be only week-long events too.  "Catholic Schools Month" would even be better to use since 1) The homonym confusion doesn't happen, 2) More time could be given for the school to celebrate its achievements, and 3) Event cancellation due to inclement weather may have the possibility of being rescheduled during the month.  It also gives additional time to market the school, if only during the month.  Marketing should be a constant and never-ending process - setting aside only a week to celebrate our achievements sells Catholic schools short.

But who do we celebrate with?  Earlier in this article, I mentioned that most schools use this time to begin their enrollment efforts for the school year that begins in the coming fall.  This is time to solidify the commitment of parents that are considering enrolling their child in your school - not just start the process.

Since Catholic Schools Week is a celebration, and we usually celebrate milestone events with our family, friends, and members of the communities we're a part of, the same hold true for Catholic Schools Week celebrations.  This is the time to re-enroll current families, and celebrate the fact that parents want to continue to be involved with the community that is your Catholic school.  Catholic Schools Week is a retention event; not necessarily an enrollment event...and schools should prepare accordingly.

And isn't good preparation what Advent is all about?

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