School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad speaks to Sue Ellson, independent LinkedIn Specialist and career development author, to discuss how schools can attract and retain quality staff in a competitive employment landscape. Sue shares practical ways to build a stronger professional presence online, position your school as an employer of choice, and use LinkedIn to reach candidates. Together, they explore how Heads can shape staff attraction strategies that align with a school's values, strengthen culture and enhance reputation.

Get in touch at [email protected]

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Even the strongest school brands can lose clarity through slow and silent erosion. Brad and Scully explore the hidden danger of message drift: how small, well-intentioned changes can blur your voice and weaken your impact. They discuss why drift is a leadership issue, how to spot it before it spreads, and share a five-step guide to re-anchor your school's story so it stays clear, consistent and trusted.

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School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by US education marketing strategist and Founder of Caylor Solutions, Bart Caylor, to explore how rapid AI advances are reshaping school communication and leadership. With tools like OpenAI's Sora 2 creating lifelike videos in seconds, the discussion dives into what this means for authenticity, brand risk and crisis readiness. Brad and Bart explore the dangers of 'work slop', how AI-generated noise dilutes brand trust, and explain why Heads must become AI-literate, lead with human purpose and set guardrails to protect their school's brand in a synthetic world.

Episode links:

• Caylor Solutions
• OpenAI's Sora 2: AI Video Magic Meets Copyright Chaos – Mike Kaput – Marketing AI Institute
• Sora 2 System Card – OpenAI
• Sora 2 Blog – Sam Altman
• OpenAI launch of video app Sora plagued by violent and racist images: 'The guardrails are not real' – The Guardian
• AI-Generated "Workslop" Is Destroying Productivity – Harvard Business Review

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School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this episode, Brad and Scully explain why consistency is the foundation of every strong school brand, and why it's so difficult to achieve. They explain how inconsistency erodes trust, why chasing the 'new and different' isn't always better, and how brand confusion impacts both parents and staff outlook and communication. To help school Heads lead with clarity, the duo introduces a practical seven-step framework for building strategic, visual and verbal consistency across every touchpoint.

A seven-step school brand consistency framework:

1. Define brand intent: Clarify your school's core values and mission to guide all branding efforts.
2. Customer journey audit: Review touchpoints to identify brand inconsistencies and areas needing alignment.
3. Strategic, visual, verbal lenses: Assess branding through strategy, visuals and communication to find improvement areas.
4. Maintain discipline: Ensure all actions and communications consistently reflect your brand values over time.
5. Foster creativity: Refresh your brand with innovative strategies to keep it engaging and relevant.
6. Generate enthusiasm: Engage your community with exciting content to maintain interest and prevent disengagement.
7. Use the right tools: Use tools for consistency but rely on experts for strategic, creative brand execution.

Get in touch at [email protected]

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by strategy expert Graham Kenny and behavioural data scientist Professor Ganna Pogrebna to explore how school Heads can harness AI to shape strategy with confidence. They examine the creative and practical potential of large language models, from amplifying alumni stories and sharpening communication, to ideating fresh approaches for enrolment and open days. Together, they highlight the opportunities and risks of AI, how to avoid disenfranchising staff in the process, and why the most powerful uses of AI are often intensely practical.

Link to Workshop:

• Boost Your Strategy with the Power of AI – Strategic Factors

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School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Hiring a marketing professional isn't like hiring a teacher, it requires a different approach. Brad and Scully outline 10 key questions every Head should ask before making a decision. They explain why defining success first matters, how to spot true experience and why strong marketers acknowledge their limits. The duo also reveals how facing failure, the ability to explain and planning systematic approaches to tasks are signs of true expertise.

Link to Article:

• Hiring with confidence: Ten questions for spotting expertise – Term 3, 2024

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School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Jill Goodman to explore how school Heads can turn conversations into powerful sources of insight on the school experience. Together they unpack how intentional, qualitative conversations reveal the 'why' behind parent and staff behaviour, why starting with open-ended and positive questions builds trust, and how repeating themes highlight patterns worth acting on. Jill also explains how leaders can capture insights from everyday chats, avoid bias and use external perspectives to see blind spots more clearly.

Episode Links:

• Jill Goodman Consulting

Get in touch at [email protected]

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In the final part of their series on consistency and creativity, Brad and Scully explore the Head's role as the ultimate brand custodian. They explain why brand leadership cannot be delegated, how micro-moments influence perception and why modelling behaviours is essential to embedding culture and identity. The duo also discuss how every staff member, student and alumni contributes to the brand and share practical ways for Heads to empower their teams, close alignment gaps and ensure the school's values are lived out every day. Get in touch at [email protected]

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

Brad is joined by Dr Adrian Camm, Principal of Westbourne Grammar School in Victoria, to explore the school's innovation in not only the classroom, but also how they communicate with prospective parents. Adrian shares Westbourne's three-year digital strategy, from AI-driven data analysis to multilingual 'knowledge concierge' avatars that respond 24/7 and provide personalised enrolment touchpoints to enhance the connection with families. Ultimately, they unpack how using technology to handle transactional and administrative tasks leaves staff free to handle the relational.

Episode Links:

• Westbourne Grammar School - Homepage

Get in touch at [email protected]

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe

In part two of their conversation on consistency and creativity, Brad and Scully explain why campaigns alone can't build brand trust. They unpack the critical differences between brand and campaign thinking, highlighting the risks that short-term tactics, like fee discounts, pose to a school's image and current parent relationships. Emphasising the importance of consistency between promotional peaks, they explore how Heads can adopt a brand first mindset and ensure every campaign reinforces long-term messaging and strengthens the school's reputation.