Strategy

Getting a grip on your school’s competitors

Blog by Lindsey Kavanagh, Schools Marketing Consultant

You have to know your competitors, it’s vital to the future of your school. By seeking information on the competitor schools in your area, you will be in a much better position to:

  • evaluate your own performance against other schools
  • identify and exploit competitors’ weaknesses and address their strengths
  • get new ideas
  • identify new prospective parents and pupils
  • improve forecasting
  • keep your planning focused

Read more

Planning for difficulties in your school

Blog by Peter Blair, Chief Operating Officer

It’s that time of year again. Most schools will be working on their budget for next year at the moment and it is likely that, for most schools, there will be some difficult conversations over the next few weeks. Read more

New Year Offer! mtm is offering a free initial visit to schools

mtmconsulting is currently offering all independent schools a free initial consultancy visit. Read more

Have yourself a quiet Christmas…

Blog by Peter Blair, Chief Operating Officer

It’s that time of year. The plays are nearly over, the Carol Service is nearly here and at the forefront of everyone’s thinking – staff and pupils alike – is the forthcoming holiday. It’s important that everyone – including you – is in a position to relax over the holidays and so it is vital that your ‘to-do’ list is cleared as much as possible over the next few days… Read more

Have you considered your school’s perceptual positioning?

Blog by Joe Faulkner, Head of Marketing and Business Development

A perceptual map may sound like a piece of marketing jargon, but it could help you identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for your school. Read more

New mtm seminar dates announced!

mtmconsulting has announced two great value new seminars for heads, bursars, marketing directors and governors of independent schools for 2011, to take place at the Cavalry and Guards Club on Piccadilly, London. Read more

Blog post – contingency planning – are you ready? Are you sure you are ready…?

Blog by Peter Blair, Chief Operating Officer

“Everyone here understands what to do in a crisis…”

We would all like to think that the above statement is true all the time – and I am sure that your school’s evacuation plans are robust, and that they have been tested recently. If that is not the case, please stop reading now and attend to that straight away! If it is the case, read on…  Read more

mtm contributes to new book on schools public relations

mtm’s Head of Strategy services for schools, Dick Davison, has contributed a chapter to the new publication from John Catt Educational ltd, titled Leading Schools in the 21st Century, Public Relations, Marketing and Development: Essays in leadership for changing times. Read more

Part 2: Seven Stages of Marketing Planning – in your school

Advice by Joe Faulkner, Head of Marketing and Business Development at mtm

Marketing textbooks typically present a fairly complex impression of the stages involved in producing a marketing plan, and talk of PEST, 4-Ps, SWOT and STEP might deter some schools from giving their marketing plan the time and attention it deserves. We hope our version is a little easier to understand and will show how crucial marketing is to the whole direction your school takes…

Read more

Part 1: Seven Stages of Marketing Planning in your School

Advice by Joe Faulkner, Head of Marketing and Business Development at mtm

Marketing textbooks typically present a fairly complex impression of the stages involved in producing a marketing plan, and talk of PEST, 4-Ps, SWOT and STEP might deter some schools from giving their marketing plan the time and attention it deserves. We hope our version is a little easier to understand and will show how crucial marketing is to the whole direction your school takes… Read more