How can you make a boarding school
appealing to digital natives?

#digital #Virtual Reality #public

Digital marketing

The Abdijschool van Zevenkerken was looking for a professional communications agency to help it communicate more effectively and in a fresh way.

One of the objectives was to give prospective pupils – and their parents – as concrete a picture as possible of what life at the Abdijschool entails. This may seem an unusual assignment for hooox, the specialist in property communication, but after all, a school is also a property, and generating leads for real estate is not so different from attracting pupils to a school.

Visit the website

The Abdijschool van Zevenkerken is undoubtedly a unique institution

Often described as a Benedictine-inspired boarding school nestled in the woods of Loppem, near Bruges, this school offers much more than that. But how do you convey to prospective pupils and their parents just what this special place has to offer? How do you communicate the rich experience and expectations during and after their time at the Abdijschool in a clear and compelling way?

To tackle this challenge, the committee and management of the Abdijschool called on hooox to thoroughly review their communication strategy. A series of workshops revealed that the current provision of information to outsiders left much to be desired, which could hinder the school’s further growth. After all, a constant influx of pupils from diverse backgrounds is a fundamental part of the Abdijschool’s DNA.

Our analysis of the existing communication strategy

Our strategic analysis identified several key areas for improvement. The school’s communication was traditional and lacked a clear vision. The website was rather traditional and could do with some innovative input.

In addition, there was a need to dispel misconceptions about the school’s supposedly elitist nature.

Placemaking and self-expression

Following a thorough analysis of all existing communication channels and intensive consultation with the management of both the school and the boarding house, we developed a new strategy in which the website once again plays a central role in recruiting new pupils.

The school’s unique features were highlighted, and interviews with experts and current pupils lowered the barrier to entry for potential newcomers.

The texts were completely rewritten, and a professional photo shoot captured school life at special moments to showcase the rich, varied nature of boarding school life.

The next step

The next step is to set up and support an internal communications group, in which pupils are given responsibility for creating and sharing journalistic content via social media channels and the website. In this way, our communications initiative also takes on an educational dimension, helping pupils to become more proficient in (digital) communication.

Virtual tour with narration

The school expressed an interest in setting up a virtual tour. Our strategic analysis identified some excellent opportunities to involve both the school team and the pupils in an active role. They were given the chance to contribute a narrative and new content, under professional guidance and within a well-structured framework.

The result was a VR tour featuring video testimonials: the storytelling of the Abdijschool van Zevenkerken is unique. A centuries-old abbey and boarding school hidden away in the woods of Loppem can, in reality, put many people off. Fortunately, the school has a wealth of stories to illustrate the importance and substance of the five pillars of its educational project.

The 360° footage showcases the intimate character of this unique institution and, in a playful and interactive way, tells the story of a school that thereby also demonstrates its ability to evolve alongside today’s young people.

VIEW THE VR TOOL

From buildings to meaning

Is this real estate communication? Absolutely. At hooox, we don’t view real estate communication as something limited to property development. Existing buildings and institutions also require specific communication strategies.

Placemaking is an essential element for the success of any place, building or city. Following our involvement in the successful renovation of hundreds of schools under the ‘Schools of Tomorrow’ project and the launch of a virtual tour for the Abdijschool, hooox is taking new steps into the exciting world of educational property with this commission. Our former slogan, ‘Turning bricks into brands’, applies just as much to an office building, a residential property or a factory as it does to a school.

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How can you make a boarding school appealing to digital natives?