Case Study

Lesson learned: not all marketing problems can be solved with advertising.

CHALLENGE

After a three-year trend of declining enrollment, AISD sought to uncover the reasons parents were choosing their school district as well as why they were not.

INSIGHT

AISD is a nationally acclaimed school district with award-winning specialty programs. We all know that parents want the best for their children, especially when it comes to education. Parents did not believe these programs were available at their neighborhood school, which made selecting charter schools an appealing option.

We conducted a proprietary study on moms ages 25–40 and learned there were seven key decision gates they went through when selecting a school for their children; for example, communication with parents was a key factor, and AISD was underperforming in this category. This point of friction was a deterrent to parents who were exploring where to place their children in school.

SOLUTION

Before marketing could have a successful impact, AISD needed to resolve its internal  challenges. These could not be solved by advertising, as they required operational changes. By focusing first on successful internal improvements, AISD positioned itself to be the school district it wished to promote itself as, thus enabling more meaningful relationships with the audience it desired to reach.

Once internal operations improved, AISD needed to tell its story. They needed to communicate to parents that the schools they have access to are equipped to prepare their children for a successful future. AISD embarked on a campaign — including radio, outdoor, print and digital — to inform parents about the programs and campuses that were available. The underlying message was that AISD is focused on providing nationally ranked, quality education for all children. And yes, these programs are available in your neighborhood school. While we are always prudent with our clients’ budgets, we took special care to maximize the reach for the public school.

RESULTS

“AISD exceeded projected enrollment for the first time in three years.”

AISD exceeded projected enrollment for the first time in three years. Through research that made possible the discovery of points of friction as well as the guidance of smart creative and well-placed media, we were able to help AISD achieve their objectives.