In the fast paced and highly visual world we live, recognisable, trustworthy and meaningful visuals have a huge impact on your school’s brand.
People don’t always have time to stop and read about your school, they want to know who you are at first glance. They snack on your stories and information, wanting instant knowledge of your message.
Research indicates that people recall 80 percent of what they see and hear, compared to just 20 percent of what they read and hear. It has also been noted that articles containing relevant images have 94 percent more total views than articles without images.
This is highlighted by the success of sites like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Pinterest. People love images and visual content. They are more emotional than text and have become an essential part of marketing.
Here we offer some suggestions on how to improve your school’s brand recall through images.
1. Create a visual identity that supports your brand
Your school’s visual identity needs to support your brand personality, letting the community know what you stand for. When you create your school’s visual identity, you will be deciding upon the key elements of the brand, including the school’s logo/s, colours, typography, stationary and the written word. If your visual identity is consistent, the brand recall will be easy.
2. Encourage school staff to follow the visual style guide
Consistency leads to recognition and helps to build a brand’s status. A School’s visual style guide should be used as a reference tool by all staff and suppliers. Encourage your staff to refer to the style guide on a regular basis. Eventually, it will become second nature.
3. Use your brand logo and be consistent
Is your school logo consistent on your website, email signatures, social media accounts, parent communication, signage, advertisements, publications and merchandise?
Always ensure your documentation/marketing material is branded with the up-to-date brand logo in the correct format and style. Consistency is key and will be appreciated by your school community and beyond.
“It’s important that the content that you share consistently speaks to your core brand values. Find an aesthetic and identity that defines your brand and stick to it.” – Joe Kennedy, director of contemporary art gallery and successful start-up, Unit London.
4. Infographics
Infographics offer a bright and colourful way to display information using your school colours and style guide. They are an easy, eye catching and effective method of communicating with your school community and will be absorbed more effectively than plain text. Using infographics in conjunction with your school logo will allow stronger brand recall and message absorption for your community and beyond.
5. Choose a photography style and stick to it
Having a consistent style of photography can do wonders for your brand personality. Ensure you use a reputable and recommended photographer and be specific about the ‘mood’ you are looking for. If possible, use the same photographer on a regular basis, keeping your visuals up-to-date and in line with your brand identity. Find out more in our blog – How to manage a successful photoshoot for your school.
6. Make your message easy to interpret with minimal effort
With professional photography that represents your school’s brand identity and the consistent use of your visual style guide and school logo, your message should become easy to interpret with minimal effort. With excellent visuals, your written message can be minimal. Give your community what they want in the simplest way possible – visuals.
Grabbing the attention of your school community and target audience can be easy when you attach visuals to your messages, regardless of the platform. As long as your visuals are branded appropriately. If this is the case, your school’s brand recall will be easy!
