Seek community-wide clarity and consensus: A good brand is built on a strong foundation, where your community stands united around clear, collectively held ideas of mission, vision, and values. The best process begins with key conversations and careful listening, and with a strong sense of where your constituencies are aligned, where they are in debate, and how your perspectives all coalesce as an organization.

Rally your core team around the branding project: After community-wide conversations to excavate identity, it’s time to turn to the needs, goals, and processes of your enrollment and communications teams. Confirm that those in your marketing and admissions offices are all on the same page regarding what constitutes a well-aligned family and which messaging levers you will need to pull in order to reach them.

Involve educators: Refer back to discovery conversations and heed the ways in which your teachers, staff members, and school leaders have articulated current approaches to teaching, learning, and community. Then, amplify these trusted, respected voices across your market—where they can offer an authoritative, authentic, and in-depth understanding of your school and its academic approaches and outcomes.

Commit to authenticity: As you move forward with creative brand work, it’s essential that your marketing messages remain clear, honest, and aligned with actual offerings and approaches. Avoid making any claims that could lead to unmet expectations, and only promise what you already enthusiastically and expertly deliver in service to your unique mission and values. Be on the lookout as you work, making sure your message isn’t being stretched too far or knocked off course.

Consider outside support: Sometimes we struggle most to articulate the things we know best. Working with an external branding partner can help you see your school with greater perspective and clarity. And as you tell your story, they can ensure that it is compelling and clear not only to you and yours, but also to people without preexisting insider understanding of your organization.

Tell a true but dazzling story: Construct a consistent, cohesive messaging platform—both editorial and visual—that stirs the loyalty and love of your internal community, while also offering external audiences an exciting, inviting glimpse into a day in the life of your school. Explain your academic approach, philosophy, and outcomes, while also helping newcomers understand how your school looks, sounds, and (most of all) makes children and families feel.

Listen when people speak back to your brand: After rollout, especially at times of evolution and growth, continue to hear what insiders and outsiders alike have to say about how you present yourself to the market. Pay particular attention when they point out gaps between the story you tell and the school they know—and adjust your approach as needed to be sure your brand is your truth.