Private school marketing: increasing the enrollees and strengthening the brand equity of Muñoz United Methodist Church Learning Center, Inc. through a brand positioning strategy expressed in an advertising campaign

• Main Author: Gaboy, Nomer Ivan Jethro
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Branding (Marketing); Private schools—Marketing; Business; Marketing
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_manorg/199; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_manorg/article/1259/viewcontent/Gaboy.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Muñoz United Methodist Church Learning Center Inc. (MUMCLCI), a private elementary school in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, saw a sharp drop in enrollees when the pandemic struck in 2020. To raise the school’s enrollee count and strengthen its brand equity, a brand positioning and differentiation strategy was created and expressed in an advertising campaign. Two strategies were selected for implementation. The first one showed an emotional approach, differentiating MUMCLCI based on the kind of care and compassion it gave its students. This was expressed in the line “Sa MUMCLCI, anak na rin namin sila.” The second strategy positioned MUMCLCI as a school that not only provided quality education but also taught kids long-term values that would prepare them for life, such as being independent, self-disciplined, and responsible. The campaign was launched on social media and through outdoor banners around the city. From 257 the previous school year, the school’s enrollees rose to 308. However, despite experiencing positive results, it was discovered that the school had an above-average attrition rate. Action plans were then formulated on how the school could address this and improve its overall competitive position. Furthermore, in applying the Brand Equity Model, it was determined that brands are not built by advertising alone–what a brand advertised should match what customers experienced. To demonstrate the brand promise of being a school that “taught kids important values that truly prepare them for life”, a program was created: “Life Lesson Sessions,” weekly 15-minute sessions dedicated to teaching kids life skills such as basic household skills, money management skills, study habits, how to nurture a relationship with God, etc. Overall, after the campaign, the school's revenue rose from P4,906,700 to P6,088,500, showing an increase of P1,181,000–all against an advertising budget of only P20,000. Keywords: private school, marketing, advertising, campaign, promotions, increasing enrollees, brand equity, brand positioning, differentiation, strategy