Client Goals

Brand Development :: Case Study

Gardner Edgerton School District

Industry: Primary & Secondary Education

Customer's Perception of Need	Challenge
The Gardner Edgerton School District needed to Improve awareness among prospective teachers of the Gardner Edgerton School District Improve recruitment of top teachers	Located in Johnson County, Kansas, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, the Gardner Edgerton USD 231 School District faces tough competition in the recruitment of certified staff. The need was to recruit the best and brightest teachers to the district. The opportunity was to get the word out about this outstanding school district and the benefits of living in the Gardner/Edgerton area. Adjacent to a rapidly expanding metropolitan area, the Gardner/Edgerton communities are also experiencing dramatic growth, but they still retain the charm and the benefits of smaller communities.

Customer's Perception of Need

Challenge

The Gardner Edgerton School District needed to

Improve awareness among prospective teachers of the Gardner Edgerton School District
Improve recruitment of top teachers

Located in Johnson County, Kansas, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, the Gardner Edgerton USD 231 School District faces tough competition in the recruitment of certified staff. The need was to recruit the best and brightest teachers to the district. The opportunity was to get the word out about this outstanding school district and the benefits of living in the Gardner/Edgerton area. Adjacent to a rapidly expanding metropolitan area, the Gardner/Edgerton communities are also experiencing dramatic growth, but they still retain the charm and the benefits of smaller communities.

Pioneer Marketing: Model Implementation

Explore	Chart
The Gardner Edgerton School District knew they needed a way to attract high quality candidates for teaching positions from kindergarten through high school. They asked DVA Marketing to identify the best way to market the school district to their primary audience - students who are soon to receive their teaching certification. Our first step was to identify what top quality teachers and administrators consider important as they select schools to which they want to apply. This research would be key to the development of a compelling recruitment tool.	Though the district recruits regionally and nationally, the bulk of recruitment takes place at job fairs. To meet this variety of needs we suggested an interactive CD ROM. The CD would attract people to their booth, could be used as a handout for the candidates and could be mailed to candidates outside the region.
Establish
The content and overall look and feel of the CD is designed around findings from our research. We learned that candidates seek: A forward thinking and growing education system A good technology infrastructure and innovative use of technology A community focused on the future Local and nearby community amenities A key challenge was to maximize a limited budget. The CD had to demonstrate in a compelling fashion that the district embodies the amenities and culture candidates expect to find in a rewarding position. Using a mixture of animation and video clips we gave the CD a full media feel. We were able to illustrate the schools and the community and highlight the quality and passion of the school district staff.

Results

Since implementing the CD, Gardner has seen a 38 percent increase in the number of applicants and they have documented that overall the quality of the applicants is significantly better than the quality of candidates who applied in the past.

Doug Sumner, Director of HR, noted, “Previously we attracted small numbers of candidates to our job fair booth. Just standing in my booth, I couldn’t attract the attention of the 400 plus candidates from regional colleges and universities. Now with the CD, everyone stops by. Applicants want the CD and so do HR people. The CD is unique and it has opened doors never opened to us before. It even created a secondary audience - real estate people. It helps them sell the Gardner area. This CD has set the standard for marketing school districts.”

The Gardner Edgerton School District competes against the Blue Valley, Olathe and Shawnee Mission districts. Previously the top candidates who wanted to teach in this area wanted to go one of these Big 3. The CD helped the district change the perception of their school and their community. Candidates now know that Gardner is a vibrant community, well located on the fringe of a rapidly growing metropolitan area, with an outstanding school system.