Connections Academy needed a value proposition that would drive enrollment and Set the Brand up For Growth.
Business challenge:
Connections Academy, an arm of Pearson, the global education brand, was ramping up for fall enrollment season when they identified a big miss in their marketing message: they had heaps to say but no clear value proposition. Increasing enrollment required identifying why students should choose them over all the other non-traditional public education options out there.
My approach:
Discovery: I did my homework to understand makes Connections Academy special: interviews with students and families, school principals and administration, plus leadership stakeholders.
Competitive Audit: I compared the insights from my discovery around Connections Academy’s greatest value to what other online education companies message to find the white space.
Alignment: I shared ideas and facilitated an executive workshop with Connections Academy leaders to gain alignment and hone in on the greatest opportunity for a value proposition and narrative.
Defining a value prop: I wrote long and short form statements, taglines and key messages to build out the core idea: Connections Academy builds relationships, which in turn foster confidence and a sense of belonging to create curious and engaged learners.
Execute and Socialize: I crafted a brand voice to support the value prop and then demonstrated how the voice and value prop becomes literal copy in market with example copywriting across various touchpoints. I then presented to various internal and external groups to gain buy-in.
Guide: I wrote creative briefs for marketing to weave in the new value prop and ensure it was clear for creatives to deploying.
Website Messaging
Website Messaging
My impact:
Got everyone on the same page by aligning the leadership team around the single most powerful value their organization delivers.
Gave marketing and creative teams inside and outside the org clarity around what to say to prospective “customers” to drive enrollment (conversions) and long-term engagement.
Key Learning:
The Connections Academy value prop was literally hidden in the name. When that was revealed as the strongest way forward, I didn’t try to make it clever or interesting – that’s not what they needed. Sometimes the answer is right in front of us but that doesn’t make it any less powerful for the brand strategy.
Social Media Messaging