A brand story that resonates with pupils
At ’t Saam secondary school in Diksmuide, personal guidance, a close-knit community and opportunities for growth are central to the school’s ethos. To position and communicate this unique identity more effectively, Comma collaborated closely with the school. We helped build a single, recognisable brand story that appeals to both prospective pupils and their parents, from clear positioning and branding to engaging campaigns and day-to-day communications.
The challenge
Due to its wide range of courses, two different campuses and diverse target groups, ’t Saam needed a clear and recognisable communication strategy. The school wanted to present its range of courses in a clear and organised way and, above all, to highlight what sets it apart from other schools: a personal approach in which every student is truly seen, known and supported. This required much more than a visual refresh: ’t Saam was looking for a clear positioning that could provide direction for its brand, marketing and communications.
Our approach
Position first, then develop
As our experience has often shown, a positioning workshop is the best way to start a project like this. During the workshop, Comma worked with the school to identify what ’t Saam truly stands for, what makes the school unique compared to others and how to make that story relevant to pupils and parents.
The workshop insights then formed the basis for a branding refresh. In this process, the promise ‘Here, we know you’ emerged as the central starting point for the brand’s tone of voice. This slogan effectively encapsulates the way ’t Saam operates every day: close to its pupils, engaged and with a focus on each pupil’s journey.
We also gave the visual identity a clear stylistic direction. We combined warm, accessible brand colours with instantly recognisable typography and we created a bespoke colour system for the various study areas. This resulted in a flexible corporate identity that structures the school’s wide range of courses, while also retaining enough character to stand out and leave a lasting impression.
One story across all channels
We then applied the refreshed positioning and style consistently across all communications. This included developing social media content and templates, brochures, leaflets and a range of graphic applications. We also ensured greater consistency across all the school’s touchpoints.
In addition, we set up targeted campaigns via Meta and Google Ads. For the open day campaign, amongst others, we blended message, imagery and media channels into a single, recognisable entity. This enabled ’t Saam to reach prospective pupils and their parents at various stages of their decision-making process.
What’s more, our collaboration extends beyond the one-off delivery of a campaign or a design. We also provide ‘t Saam with strategic guidance on its marketing and communications. We help the school make decisions, ensure consistency and make adjustments where necessary. This is how you translate positioning from a strategic document into consistent application in day-to-day practice.
Result
Today, ’t Saam has a solid brand foundation that guides its marketing and communications. The school now communicates more consistently across all channels, presents its range of courses more clearly and embodies its personal approach in a tangible way.
Current enrolment figures confirm that this is the right approach for further growth. ’t Saam started the academic year in September with 1,337 pupils and over 200 staff members across its Aloysius and Cardijn campuses. Against the backdrop of falling birth rates, the intake into the first year is particularly striking: 230 pupils chose to begin their secondary school education at ’t Saam – a great success!
The revamped branding has evolved from a stylistic direction into a recognisable communication system that supports ’t Saam in its day-to-day communications, campaigns, student recruitment and future growth. After all, a school brand does not become stronger simply by updating a few colours and typefaces. It is much more effective when positioning, strategy, language, design and campaigns consistently all tell the same story consistently. At ’t Saam, that story is captured beautifully in that one clear promise: ‘Here, we know you’.
