Transforming schooldistrict communications.

Marketing specialists for education

Principled Communications is a groupof marketing professionals who specializein helping districts and schools with theirunique communication needs. Formedby a Director of Communications forschool districts and a career educatorand veteran school principal, PrincipledCommunications understands that clear,consistent engagement with parents,staff, and community stakeholders candramatically shape reputations andsupport for schools and districts. Thefounders also know of the huge disparityin budget availability between schoolsof modest size and large districts. Weare designed to help any size of districtor individual school.

In survey after survey,school districts get dingedfor poor communications.

By both parents and staff.

But, most districts cannotafford to staff a single

communicationsprofessional, much less an entire department.

Everything has changed aboutpublic education, except parent

perception.Most parents believe schools havegotten worse over time and subject

matters easier.Stakeholders feel overtaxed and are

unwilling to invest in education.Negative incidents dominate and

distort reality.

Until now!

Principled Communications applies the tried-and-trueadvertising agency model to school district communications.• We staff experts in communications – Writers – Designers – Social Media Specialists – Media Relations Experts – Programmers – Coaches• We develop solutions to common school district needs• We provide bundled packages ranging from basic to complex

Districts or schools only pay forthe services they need.Districts can then:• Relay important information in a timely basis• Convey strategic plans for community support• Activate staff and parents to be involved• Increase support for funding

Organizations use communicationsfirms like ad agencies.

Every major consumer brand in the world investsin advertising to survive and advance. A 30-second Superbowl commercial costs three milliondollars because it connects brands with thelargest TV audience in the world. Reaching theright audience with the right message for theleast amount of money, and often in the leastamount of time, is the goal of communication.

This premise holds true for schools, too, just on amuch smaller financial scale and a more localizedmarketplace.

Even the world’s biggest brands use advertisingagencies and PR firms to develop their publicrelations and communications messaging.

Here’s why:• Agencies hire and retain teams of the best writers and designers in the market, giving clients access to talent they can’t afford to hire for themselves.• Spreads the cost of top creative talent across several clients, so clients are only paying for their pro-rata share of the labor cost.• Communications experts immersed in ongoing professional development put best practices to use for clients.• External partners can help clients see the forest instead of the trees, and thus help clients navigate through the woods toward success.• Agency partners help clients focus and develop strategic clarity to improve operations.

Affordable plans developed specificallyfor school districts and schools.

Informational CommunicationsMost school communications are focused, bynecessity, on the exchange of factual informationon events and activities. The sheer volume ofinformation to relay is what makes this the first,and often only, part of school communications.

Strategic CommunicationsStrategic communications convey more importantoperational information that can change howstakeholders think about the school or district.Our goal is to provide solutions that allow clientsto include event content within strategiccommunications programs.

BasicThe basic package is for the smallest districtsor individual schools. It provides the basic toolsneeded to communicate successfully:

Written communications planFacebook and TwitterQuarterly eNewsletter to parents

w/strategic content12 phone/email consultations

IntermediateAdds to the basic plan:

Monthly eNewsletter to parents w/strategic content

Writing and design of district or school positioning brochure

Back-to-School ad, radio or tv commercial, social media mentions, flyers for electronic or printed distribution

ComprehensiveAdds to the intermediate plan:

Direct Mail/eMail program on testing Program for kindergarten roundupeMail program to increase participation in Parent/Teacher Conferences

Informing parents and staff on legislative actions impacting education

A la Carte ProgramsInsider’s Academy A play-by-play written plan with planningchecklists and communication materials toestablish an insider’s guide to public schooloperations that turn influential stakeholdersinto knowledgeable disciples of the districtable to serve as communications forcemultipliers.

Public DeliberationA play-by-play written plan for adapting to apublic deliberation process that preemptscrisis communications by involving stake-holders at the outset of complex problems,involving them in the solution. This replaces the“decide and defend” method of districtdecision making with an “engage and inspire”method. Includes checklists, training scripts,meeting schedules.

RecruitmentA play-by-play written plan to improve teacherand skilled staff recruitment, including designsfor exhibits, marketing brochure, invitations,letters of correspondence, and qualificationstrategies for recruiters.

ElectionsA play-by-play written plan to effectivelycommunicate about needs that make a milllevy or bond initiative necessary. Includesdesigns for ads, parent communication,positioning brochure, events, presentations,and strategies for grassroots activation of thecommunity.

Customized SolutionsFrom initial audit to measured results.

Coaching and ConsultingOrganizational CommunicationsCreating Effective Culture and ClimateDeveloping Effective Data TeamsPerfecting Professional Learning CommunitiesConnecting with Staff, Students, and Parents

Advertising agency model dedicatedto K-12 education.

Staff of experienced writers,designers, web programmers,and media specialists creating

effective materials.Written plans for efficient

implementation.Coaching and consulting.

Measurable results that improveopinions and support.

970 456-3365

POB 5684Eagle, CO8 1 6 3 1

principledcommunications.com