Marketing for the Education Sector
Marketing for the education sector is no easy feat so when Blumilk were approached to rebrand one of the UK’s most renowned schools, we immediately had all hands on deck ready to pull something pretty special out of the bag.
Flanked on one side by the scenic North Yorkshire coastline and the other by a rural idyll, lies the Scarborough College day and boarding school.
Steeped in history, this pillar of British cultural tradition is not short on rich heritage and custom. A well-loved college that welcomes both home and international students to experience an education like no other.
Eager to showcase their offering of a life-changing and first-class education in a nurturing setting, this college embarked on a complete rebrand. This centre for academic excellence was keen to shake off any past boarding school myths and show its unique personality—a beacon of 21st-century education in a caring environment.
The resulting creative, thoughtful and consistent brand identity has allowed Scarborough College to shine, leading the way in the innovation of brand development in the education sector.
We are indebted for Blumilk for taking our brand and our message to a level where Scarborough College belongs within this industry. – Remco Weeda, Director of Marketing and Communications, Scarborough College.
Marrying tradition with the modern
Taking the best bits from Scarborough College’s rich history but consigning the out-dated elements to the past, was a key consideration for Blumilk when creating a new brand for this modern day and boarding school.
A head and heart choice
Modern parents expect an outstanding education, alongside feeling completely satisfied that the school genuinely cares for their child’s wellbeing. These key insights were brought to the forefront of the rebrand, showcasing the inclusive and supportive culture the college already possessed.
More than just a brand
By aligning the best qualities of the college with the innate needs that parents have for their child, the rebrand took shape. With a focus on the key traits of being inclusive, welcoming, and supportive, alongside offering a first-class education, the branded collateral was created.
Together with the new website development, the branding team focused on image-led digital design. This design created a cohesive brand identity, which was evident across the website, logo, and prospectus. For example, the newly consistent brand was used across year group-specific welcome packs, reinforcing its student wellbeing centric values with up-to-date guidance on new COVID measures.
Brand consistency allowed this leading college to display its welcoming and supportive culture across all platforms and was key to modernising its image.
Weeda continues, ‘When we first set out to work with a marketing agency, we were recommended Blumilk as experts in marketing for the education sector. We are indebted to Blumilk for taking our brand and our message to a level where Scarborough College belongs within this industry. In fact, we are a school that bucks the national trend. In 2019 independent schools reported losses across the country in terms of international recruitment. We posted an increase of 25% international enrolments. At this point in time, schools are considering closing down and putting prices down significantly. Again, we are going against the grain.
The number of registered visits in the 2019/2020 academic year is 19% higher than the years before and more than 30% higher versus some years.
The number of day school enquiries is slightly higher than in previous years (+3% across the entire school), and the enquiry source is more often Website and Social Media.
Our October Open Day (one of the events where we relied on a Social Media campaign by Blumilk) broke the all-time record for visitors. Our Scarborough Scholar Day in November did the same thing.
Finally, our enquiries from our international agents and parents are 20% higher than in previous years. Other schools look at our branding with envious eyes and even in south and southeast (the main area for independent schools) we are being considered the ‘dark horse’ of the industry. Blumilk’s work with us has meant a change with certain traditions while retaining the ones that make British boarding schools stand out. It means that within that industry, we have started to stand out.’
Blumilk continues their incredible relationship with Scarborough College while developing their marketing for the education sector expertise and are excited to release a fantastic new campaign soon so stay tuned.
Look around Scarborough College’s new website for more information about this outstanding place of learning here.
