The Westonka Edge™
A Big School Brand Strategy Gives a Small School District an Edge
“Mary Pat was masterful with crafting positive and compelling messages about our school system directed to our community through weekly e-newsletters and newspaper articles. Along with effective writing skills, her strengths include developing brand marketing for organizations and developing websites that provide easy access to information for end-users.”
Mark Femrite | Assistant Superintendent Teaching and Learning | WESTONKA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
A Unique Selling Proposition
MP+G's brand strategy focused on the district’s unique selling proposition: "Small school advantages. Big school opportunities. Real-life success stories." which we coined The Westonka Edge. This positioning helped to instill community pride, rebuild trust and bring back school spirit with the long-range goal of priming the community and voting public for the next election.
A Cutting-Edge Positioning Statement: MP+G developed critical key messages around financial stability, staff competence, and student success stories. These key messages reinforced “The Westonka Edge” - and helped demonstrate the district’s strength and unique position in the marketplace.
Big School Strategies with Small School Advantages
+ Increase school pride
+Strengthen internal relationships
+ Increase community engagement
A Solid Communications Plan: In support of the district’s strategic goals, MP+G created a communications plan to increase brand awareness:
- Establish Westonka as a school district of choice
- Strengthen internal relationships with both teachers and staff
- Increase community awareness and understanding of school operations and programs
The Heart and Soul of the District: After inheriting a district in statutory operating debt and several failed referendum elections, Westonka’s superintendent, Kevin Borg, knew he would be looking at renewing an operating levy and asking residents to approve a bond referendum for long-term maintenance in the coming 2-3 years. MP+G suggested creating a Constant Contact weekly newsletter that quickly became the heart and soul of the district's communications strategy.
Real-life Winning Results:
Improved Recognition:
- Positioning statement and tagline resonated strongly with parents, board members, and the community.
- Both are often repeated verbatim and quoted in news articles and parent/teacher communications.
Strong Base of Community Support:
- Community and school spirit rose dramatically:
- Westonka News online newsletter has nearly 4500 subscribers
- In November 2011 election Westonka voters approved all three levy questions: 65% of voters said “Yes” to renew an operating levy and 56% voted yes for long-term maintenance needs and 53% yes votes to improve the learning environment, safety, and accessibility.
- The good will continues today with the overwhelming passing of the May 2016 $22.95 million bond referendum to build a 600-seat performing arts center and a community athletic and recreation center at Mound Westonka High School, 68% Yes votes led by a grassroots coalition of parents and community members.
- Notable increases in the number of parent volunteers and involvement in key projects and initiatives.
Looking to the Future:
- “First Impressions” branding project for building sites was part of the bond referendum renovations was implemented in 2014-2015 with engaging new graphics, entryways and banners that reinforce the Westonka Edge tagline: “Small School Advantages, Big School Opportunities, Real-life Success Stories!”
Deliverables:
Strategic communications plan
Brand Refresh
Tagline
Key messages
Electronic newsletter campaign
Website Redesign
Direct mail
Media relations
Institutional Graphics
Social Media Channel Graphics Redesign
Athletics Logo + Mascot Creation
Marketing Materials
New Athletics Logo won awards from the National School PR Association and the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators for its outstanding dynamic design.
Before
The new White Hawks mascot brings all the feels to game day. MP+G designed and sourced the new costume.
Redesigned District and Schools website reinforces “The Westonka Edge.”
MP+G’s “Real-life Success Story in the making” onesies are part of a campaign designed to attract new mothers and their not-yet-school-age children to the district through ECFE programming.
A Warm Westonka Welcome to New Babies in the District
MP+G created a welcome campaign to target new families with a branded gift bag. Using a mailing list from the county of new births in the district, the “Westonka Real-Life Success Story in the Making” branded tote and goodies replaces the former generic welcome package. Included in the tote is a onesie for the family’s new little addition. Birthday reminders continue building the relationship with a discount on ECFE classes until the child becomes preschool age.
Westonka made front page Star Tribune with MP+G’s “Real-life Success Story in the making” onesies. New area mothers receive a branded tote bag filled with appropriate goodies from area businesses including library books, a onesie, and $5.00 coupons for ECFE classes.
Thoughtful Integrated Execution
Westonka’s new image was thoughtfully and colorfully upfront and center on all materials from a new back-to-school mailer (formerly multiple B&W 8 1/2 x 11 copier pages stapled together now transformed into an eye-catching brochure) to a college prep guide, quarterly community postcard updates, and Fast Facts flyers.
Across all mediums, the Westonka brand was consistently yet unexpectedly applied. Oftentimes a unique twist was designed to capture attention.
Related Work
