7000 students, 5 campuses and a name that everyone recognizes. Oakridge International School recently secured a deal with Nord Anglia Education – a Hong Kong based Chain of International Schools, for a ticket size of approximately Rs. 1500 to 1600 crores. The exact transfer of stocks and the price are yet to be disclosed but you can be rest assured it will be as staggering as the figures I have quoted. So, what the hell did Oakridge do right?
Great faculty, infrastructure and management? That is surely given. A school can never be good if the core is not strong. However, a school cannot be exceptional just with a strong core. If you think your school has everything Oakridge has and they just got lucky, visit their website, Facebook page and just watch their YouTube videos, and you will surely find the difference. How you present yourself to the world is as important as how true you are to your Mission and Vision statements.
OAKRIDGE IS NOW A BRIGHT PROSPECT AS THEY DIDN’T TAKE A SHOT IN THE DARK
Now, this institution knew exactly what they were doing. In an age of cut-throat competition, where literally each and every school has plenty to offer, Oakridge was well aware of the importance of branding and marketing to stand out in the world of education. They were sure that they would not make a half-hearted attempt as far as building their brand image was concerned. They are an A-list school with a host of amenities and on-campus events and activities, an international institution with a superior methodology of teaching. But the only difference between them and other schools was the fact that Oakridge and Oakridgers reached out to the world. They kept the big picture in mind, got their brand tactics bang on target, and landed up getting the much deserved opportunity to go global.
Be it their website blogs or the kind of events they organize, their marketing strategy hit the bull’s eye.
A 2016 study from Hubspot showed that companies who have blogs on their websites are 13 times more likely to see results from inbound marketing than companies who don’t have blogs.
Furthermore, on the big national occasion of Republic Day, the Oakridgers of Bengaluru went ahead and enacted a street play protesting against gender inequality and pressures of the society.
The students’ chants at the end of the play completely nailed it – “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will not define me.”
Also, an unforgettable and unstoppable collaboration between Oakridge, Hyderabad and Metamorphosis – Schoolpreneur Summit 2018 – where the students of today and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, had the golden opportunity to share their ideas with industry experts.
A group of Oakridgers created a game called Guardians of the Ocean, the aim of which was to make children aware of how important it is to save our oceans.
http://www.oakridge.in/achievers/young-coders-come-together-to-solve-real-world-problems/
From creating giant balloons for measuring the ozone concentration in the atmosphere to making an industry design model that helps tackle space issues in urban homes, the students of Oakridge have done it all. And most importantly, Oakridge International School has promoted and marketed it in a smart way to the entire world, and showed how innovative their Oakridgers really are.
A student-centric brand, Oakridge avoided salesy, self-promotional messaging, and went on to let the world know that it is their students who make a difference. This also helped them form an emotional connect with the right target audience.
WHY LONG-TERM BRANDING SHOULD BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF YOUR SCHOOL’S STRATEGY
A long term plan for setting a Brand Name is no longer a luxury. Small establishments have a bleak future. To compete and stay relevant in the Education Sector one must establish their Brand–
Do you still think short term newspaper ads and a billboard here and there works? A quick fix will never give permanent results.
March - 12,2019 | Posted by: Iosignite
