Your School's Target Market and Segment Differentiation

     I was hoping to call this "Who Do You Serve," but most schools would answer, "The children."  But you don't market your school to students (unless you're affiliated with an institution of higher learning) - you market your school to parents.  For this reason, your target market is parents with young children.

     This is where it gets very interesting, especially for Catholic schools, and helps to explain why Catholic schools are experiencing enrollment difficulties.

     Most administrators would probably agree with that.  However, they point to two reasons - demographics and economics.  I don't buy either one.

Demographics

     Blaming demographics could be valid if there are no children available to attend your school.  This may be true for some schools; however, for most, take a look at your local public school district.  Are there students enrolled there?  Then you have a potential population to serve.  The problem is they are not coming to your school.  That's a marketing issue.  You have to find a way to reach the parents of these children.  If you would just get 100 students from the local public school district, do you think it would hurt the district?  No. Would 100 students help your school?  Yes.  Then, you must find a way to approach those parents.

     How?  Most schools resort to announcements in bulletins, pulpit talks, and even billboards.  Sorry - those are all great "marketing for awareness" strategies, not "marketing for enrollment" strategies.  Here are three "marketing for enrollment" strategies:  1) Word of Mouth; 2) Religious Education Programs; and 3) Door to Door.

     Word of Mouth is the least expensive marketing strategy, and yet, the most effective.  Teachers and current parents are the best marketers of your school.  However, if they're complaining about students not receiving attention, the increasing tuition costs, constant fundraising and feee after fee after fee, then you need to take care of some of those things before more students leave your school.  See how this is all systemic?  Tuition and Fees are directly related to Marketing which affects Enrollment which affects Tuition and Fees and the cycle continues.

     If students are involved in your religious education programs, you have a captive audience to present the remarkable qualities (notice I didn't say benefits) of your school.  Benefits don't "sell" - they're expectations.  It's almost like saying, "I like this BMW because it has heated leather seats and exceptional handling."  Sorry, I EXPECT that from a BMW.  Now, if you put that in a car that costs $15,000, THAT's remarkable.  There may be reluctance on the part of the parish, however, to permit approaching these families - perhaps it might be a threat to the religious education director; perhaps the pastor doesn't want to offend parents that choose a public school education.  The best way to approach this is to meet with all individuals involved, and explain your strategy and how you're going to carry it out.  By the way, it's a good idea for all students (Catholic school AND public school children) to attend religious education classes held by the parish.

     Door to Door is pretty self explanatory.  It's bold, and we need to be bold today.

Economics

     Right now, we are experiencing some of the most difficult economic climates since the great depression.  Yet, in many faith-based and private schools, enrollment is INCREASING!  This is baffling to most people, but I view it as parents taking stock of what's really important in their lives.  They may have thought that the Stock Market would provide security.  It won't.  Perhaps the value of their home would provide security.  It won't.  There is only one investment that will have eternal dividends.  That's also why even though non-profit organizations are experiencing an overall 5% drop in contributions, churches are experiencing a 5% increase.

The Real Reasons

    The real reasons enrollment is difficult points to our target market segment - parents with young children.  First, it has to do with who these parents are, and second, it has to deal with the role of today's parents with young children.  Both of these reasons impact each other, so they have to be dealt with together.

     The target market is actually "females 25 to 44 years old with young children" because it is the mother that is the primary caregiver for the child, the one that's doing most of the research and planning for the household, and the one that has the closest bond to the child.  In many families, the unfortunate circumstance is that dad may not be present, and the cohabitating significant who is not dad but may or may not be trying to assume the role of dad.  I've observed many individuals in this situation, and have heard the phrase, "Those are her kids" when the cohabitating significant other is approached regarding the possibility of helping with their tuition expenses.  Further, recent research points to the finding that fathers who attended Catholic school are more apt to support sending their children to a Catholic school.  If fathers aren't present, or don't have a say in the matter, our efforts at bringing more children to our schools are made that much more difficult.  Further, if the mother wants to send her children to a Catholic school, and the father is estranged, AND did not attend a Catholic school, the tuition issue will certainly be a major deterrant to enrolling the children in a Catholic school.

     But even if all those issues are mitigated, you need to look at that age range - 25 to 44 year-olds in 2009 were born in 1965 through 1984.  These are members of Generation X - the ME Generation.  They see their children not as children but as THEIR children.  This is why parents are mystified when they are called to school to discuss their child's disruptive behavior.  To the parent, it's a affront on their capabilities as a parent, and it reflects badly on them.  Today's parents need affirmation and community.  They need to feel they are a part of the process - perhaps because they were not given a loving, stable and secure environment as a child.  Today, they do all they can to keep their families together, and, if dad isn't around today, the parent and child tie becomes even stronger, rather than the mother and father growing together in unity as a Sacramentally married couple.

     Now that you're aware of these issues, consider that your task is much more important than just educating children.  You're evangelizing to parents.  You need to involve them in your school, rather than wishing they'd stop being "helicopter parents."  You need to offer them a community where they are welcomed.  You need to offer them an experience that's second to none.  People will pay for experiences for their families.  If you don't believe that, the next time a parent drives to your school in a Lexus to say they can't pay this month's tuition because of the family's trip to Disney World, think of where these parents are coming from, then offer them ways to help your school, and share how they're a vital part of a system that is your school.

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2009 (Original Publication Date: 20091026)

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