The Art of the Sell

Timothy Jones • Cahn Fellow 2020

The project focus revolved around the necessary strategies to improve the brand of  BEST Academy (6-12) in an effort to make the school a more attractive option within the Atlanta Public Schools system. BEST Academy (6-12) is a single-gender all-male school in which families elect to attend and approval is contingent upon space and district residency. There are no feeder elementary schools, and no feeder middle schools other than our own 6th – 8th grade students, which results in the recruitment of students. While working on the project we  identified both internal and external barriers to branding, which greatly influenced the family’s selection of BEST as a viable option for their child. Additionally, during the process we learned the most significant enrollment decision drivers were school climate, customer service,  program innovation, and reputation.