5 Examples of Great School Branding

In an era of overwhelming choice, school branding remains the most important building block in your school’s marketing and communications efforts. Having a distinctive, personalized school brand lends a level of authority and recognition that inspires public trust. This, in turn, can fuel higher performance and better connectivity within your school. A professional, consistent brand also is a positive beacon for potential students and families.

For public school districts and private schools alike, there are many key elements of a great school brand — your logo, website, and social media profiles are the key touchpoints of your brand identity. Your brand is a living, breathing part of your school’s function that needs to be updated and actively modeled throughout your school communications. 

Let’s look at five tips to follow for projecting a professional and positive school brand, and look at some great examples. 

1. Convey your school’s values

One glance at the website of New Jersey’s Peddie School, and you get a sense of the school’s values and style. Its logo and formal typeface family convey academic rigor and high student performance. You also see the school colors — a posh navy and gold —  reflected subtly across the site. The cohesive website sends a clear, direct message that would inspire any potential families to join the community, and likewise provides pride and comfort to existing students and families.

Your school website is the most public-facing element of your school brand, and it’s a perfect opportunity to shout your values from the metaphorical rooftops. There is no way to overstate the importance of your school website’s design, which should be directly informed by your school’s brand.

Your school’s values should be abundantly clear and imbued in your brand.

2. Honor thy school logo

It can be painted large and proud on the high school gym floor, or a tiny image on a school email, but either way, it’s an image that packs a punch. Be careful with its design. It’s one of the most recognizable parts of your school brand because it can be put on everything — banners, sports jerseys, flyers, and social media. A great logo will be iconic and distinctive, and it will also reflect what your school stands for. A logo is an incredible creative opportunity to send a big message in a very small package. 

High Tech High a public school district in San Diego, has a logo that really delivers on all of these fronts. It’s small and simple enough that it can be placed anywhere at any resolution, simplifying your message delivery, but it also puts a mathematical spin on the school’s acronym. The clean, modern design clearly reflects the school’s focus on technology and innovation.

NOTE: Beware of rogue executions of your school brand or logo showing up on miscellaneous Facebook or other social media pages. A well-defined and managed school branding program can prevent and monitor others from designing their own version of your logo.

3. Create an engaging website full of resources

The Lafayette Parish School System website has a contemporary, user-friendly design that demonstrates the district’s professionalism and tireless commitment to students. The rolling banner provides eye-catching updates while buttons offer direct access to common information that website visitors might need (calendar, school hours, bus information). This cohesive website sends a clear, direct message that would inspire any potential families to join the community, and likewise provides pride and comfort to existing students and families.

Your school website is the most public-facing element of your school brand, and it’s a perfect opportunity to shout your values from the metaphorical rooftops. There is no way to overstate the importance of your school website’s design, which should be directly informed by your school’s brand. 

It’s the front door to your school district, so make your website a great one

4. Feed your social post channels

Each individual social media channel plays an integral role in your school brand, so there should be a level of consistency in their content, but not uniformity. The content for Instagram versus Facebook Live versus X (Twitter) should be tailored, as each social media platform has its own strengths. But you want your brand to come through on all of your profiles, and this can be done by making some careful content decisions that align with your school’s brand. These content decisions should be a prioritized facet of your overall school communications planning. 

The Facebook page of Foundation Academy, a private Christian school in Orlando, clearly reflects the school’s focus on community and student achievement. Posts highlight students who have chosen a university, new staff, and teachers who have joined the team, and other community celebrations with the hashtag #FAisFAmily, a perfect branding example of using the school letters as an acronym to communicate values.

For ways on how to make the most of your social media, I always recommend checking with Andrea Gribble’s resources at socialschool4.edu.

5. Synchronize promotion with school calendar 

Seasonal events provide a great opportunity to highlight your school brand. For example, graduation is an obvious social media opportunity to post human-interest stories on your accounts, but it also provides a broader opportunity to create brand familiarity and celebrate your school’s successes. Graduation and all that surrounds it are often under-promoted. It’s a culmination of achievment, after all. This is the time to toot your own horn with graduation numbers and alumnus success stories, drawing a clear connection between the lifetime achievements of graduates and their time at your school.

 
Deer Lakes School District does this quite well on its Twitter account. Not only does it provide photos and announcements about graduating seniors and their next steps, but it also places a spotlight on the student’s extracurriculars and programs, thus highlighting its offerings and how the school district effectively prepares students for their next chapter. 

Key dates, holidays, seasons (don’t forget summer) – plug into the all timely ways to impart your brand. 

Deer Lakes School District does this quite well on its Facebook and X (Twitter) account. Not only does it provide photos and announcements about graduating seniors and their next steps, but it also places a spotlight on the student’s extracurriculars and programs, thus highlighting its offerings and how the school district effectively prepares students for their next chapter. 

Brand your school district with greatness

You don’t just need a school brand — you need a great school brand. Your brand is a chance to connect with the public in a way that delivers your message and uplifts your community of students, staff, and families. Don’t squander this opportunity. Establish a website and logo that communicate your school’s values; play every social media channel to its strengths; and use timely social posting to your advantage. 

Learn more about how SchoolNow can help you polish and perfect your school brand.