1. SNN Advisory Team
4/21/16

2. What We’ll Cover A brief review of our history
Our connections to readers
Our challenges
Our options

3. Our Inspiration
“People need to stop bad-mouthing schools and spreading negativity… because schools reflect the communities they serve. They need to tell the positive stories about schools.” Jamie Vollmer “The mass media tend to filter and distort our messages, and people aren’t listening anyway. Go direct.” Pat Jackson “Stories communicate the importance of public schools without confrontation or argument… Research tells us that a simple, powerful story is the most effective way to influence others… Stories stick.”  John Draper

5. School Communication by the Numbers
How We Got Here –
School Communication by the Numbers
Who’s left to tell the stories of our schools?

6. Media by the Numbers
Full time education reporter in local West Michigan media (down from nearly 20) 1
1-2
Positive media stories in local media per district each year (on average); twice as many negative or neutral
Are they telling the stories of our schools?

7. How Some Charter Schools Do It
Spent each year on advertising/marketing, according to a recent study of Ohio charters
$400
per pupil
$40,000
per day
Spent by National Heritage Academies in wall-to-wall advertising on Detroit newspaper websites $2
per pupil
Approximate cost of SNN

8. Given this reality - how effectively were our 20 districts’ stories being told?

9. What our readers say…
“Typically, education seems to get a bad rap. SNN draws attention to the myriad positive things happening in education. I appreciate SNN highlighting hard working teachers, parents and students and the good work they do.”

10. What our readers say…
“Information not just for my son's school, but all area schools. I want to hear about what is happening with other districts and the great things we are doing for our area children. It's inspiring!”

11. What our readers say…
“School News Network articles are written by real journalists who know what they're doing! This is probably the best-written prose I read on a regular basis. Certainly it's higher quality than most blogs or newsletters. I really value that.”

12. What our readers say…
Three-fourths of parents (74%) and 80% of school staff who are SNN readers say that School News Network helps them be more informed about their schools. This includes 20% of both parents and school staff who reply “definitely yes.”

14. What our readers say…
Three-fourths of SNN readers read School News Network every week, including 76% of both parents and school staff. Moreover, almost all read SNN every month, including 95% of parents and 96% of school staff.

15. What our readers say…
Approximately 80% of the parents (82%) and school staff (78%) who read SNN readers read School News Network via their Weekly Headlines . These percentages are significantly increased, almost 4x, from the 2014 SNN Reader survey.

16. Our Challenges
Sales
Promotion
Getting SNN to every parent

17. Our Challenge: Sales
Sales Hinge on Your USP – Unique Sales Proposition
Our USP – “We reach the moms of Kent County”
That’s a powerful proposition; one that would sell
Trouble is, we don’t
Why? Districts don’t send it to parents

18. Our Challenges: Sales
Our numbers don’t match other advertising options
Not reaching all parents negates our unique sales proposition
Lagging sales takes money from promotion

19. Our Challenges: Promotion
Developing new ways to overcome obstacles to parent distribution
Exploring partnerships with community partners
Arts organizations
Grand Rapids Community College
Kent County/Kent County Health Department

20. Our Current Situation Cost allocation:
1/3 Kent ISD, 1/3 local districts, 1/3 sales
Sales and promotion challenges eat up staff time
Strains coordination with local districts
Strains ability to make technical adjustments
Strains ability to provide full coverage

21. Our Options Continue as we are and gradually try to reach all parents
Work on sponsorships/partnerships
Create more “must have” content
Return to banner headlines on each district website
Ignore sales, go to cost allocation model

22. Our Options: Partnerships/Sponsorships
Will add readership
Will add essential content
Will add new sales options

23. Our Options: Sales/Sponsorships
Retain current sales and add sponsorships
Sponsorships may:
Entice school vendors to demonstrate their commitment to schools
Entice community partners to illustrate their commitment to issues
Entice local community organizations to support “their” district

24. Our Options: Sales/Sponsorships
Banner headlines on each district website
Page views for advertisers multiply geometrically
Really does deliver on our USP – delivering the moms of Kent County
Doubles down on our sales efforts
Resurfaces opposition to district website sales

25. Our Options: Sponsorships
Will require more of our time and yours
Will be sold by us – superintendents, Kaufman and Koehler
Will add community support and those who are affiliated with the sponsors
Could potentially bring some sponsor-driven copy
Should bring some “must read” content for new readers

26. Our Options: Cost allocation
We’ll continue sales, such as they are
We’ll continue Kent ISD’s contribution of staffing and, presumably, cash contribution
Cost to districts would go from approximately $3,700 to as much as $7,000
Costs about one FTE per district
Costs far less than a communicator

27. Our Options: Discussion
Questions?
Thoughts?
Additional options we’ve not considered?

28. Thank You!