School Logo Designs & School Branding

I brand businesses on a daily basis, trying to create something original from a typical design brief stating, “we want to look modern and dynamic”.

When it comes to school logo designs and school branding I have to switch my mentality completely.   The quality of my branding and logo design service stays the same but I have to amend my  thought process in terms of communication and design style. What’s dynamic and modern to a business is not what’s considered as modern and dynamic to a primary school headteacher.

Usually branding goes hand in hand with marketing and sales but with primary schools, I’ve find that making a sale is not that important.  But should it be?
A school’s brand material such as a school monogram, school brochure or even a school advert is not geared towards making a sale.  It’s geared to creating an identity.

This brings in the first difference between the “business” and “academic” world. What a business may visually define as modern is certainly not what a Primary School headteacher will because their objectives and background are different.

The second is the objective. Where businesses want to communicate and sell something fresh, primary schools just want to communicate a message in general but is it really effective in terms of pulling in new pupils and ultimately their parents? Is this approach really beneficial for school branding?

I looked into the marketing “objective” for Primary schools and began by investigating where their funding really comes from and how they are awarded it. It’s a minefield to summarise but in general, the more pupils a school has, the more funds they will get.

This backs up the idea that there should be a sales ploy and stronger branding invested into schools. It would be a better way to create an identity and get more pupils into the school to get more funds and provide a better service.

So what are your thoughts?

Whether your a citizen, parent, student, teacher, headmaster or business person what do you think?

1. Should primary schools take a more modern approach to branding?
2. What primary school would attract you? One with a traditional image or modern one? One that’s outdated or fresh?
3. Should schools be more business orientated? (managerial and marketing point of view)
4. Should schools absolutely not be more business orientated?  They’re schools after all
5. Would the school brand and brand image have an effect on your decision in choosing a school?

With the high rise of schools becoming Academies, the questions above may actually become a core consideration and practice for the future.

So far we’ve branded a couple of primary schools across the country and experience has been refreshing.   We would hope to do more so if you’re school is turning into an academy or looking to rebrand then get in touch for more info at https://www.conceptstore.co.uk