smj: school marketing journal

Hosted by imageseven

Business Education

Website RSS feed

Episodes

251

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

The School Marketing Journal podcast is for school Heads, covering the latest in school marketing and communications.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 11, 2026Episode 24918 min

249: Strategy drives story. Meaning before message.

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine why strong school communication begins before the wording stage. Combining the principles of strategy drives story and meaning before message, they explain why schools can sound articulate while still leaving parents unsure about what matters most. The trio discuss how weak strategy turns communication into a list, why more content rarely builds confidence, and how clearer intent gives story direction and message weight. They challenge heads to settle purpose and meaning before asking marketing teams to write. Episode link: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Strategy drives story and meaning before message Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

June 4, 2026Episode 24819 min

248: Reputation risk management with your board – Interview with Tracey Cain

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Tracey Cain In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Tracey Cain, Chief Executive Officer at H/Advisors, to unpack reputation risk in independent schools. Tracey explains why what matters to a school community must matter to the school, and why that community now extends beyond staff, parents and students to alumni, neighbours and local influencers. She explains how Heads and boards can prepare before risk eventuates by listening early, testing likely scenarios and building the trust, policies, processes and culture needed to manage risk as part of day-to-day school operations. Episode links: H/Advisors - Homepage Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

May 28, 2026Episode 24719 min

247: Experience beats message

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore the sixth principle in the series: experience beats message. They discuss why messaging can open the door, but parent confidence is shaped by what families repeatedly experience through tours, follow-up, responsiveness and prospective parent touchpoints. The trio examines how mixed signals weaken trust, why the enrolment journey is the brand made visible, and why Heads must lead the standards, systems and behaviours that give the school's message something true to stand on. Episode links: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Experience beats message Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

May 21, 2026Episode 24644 min

246: Deep Dive – Interview with Shane Hogan

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Shane Hogan In this deep dive episode, Brad is joined by Shane Hogan to explore what school leadership requires when communities need stability and confidence. Drawing on a career across Catholic and independent schools, boys' and girls' education, and interim roles in schools under pressure, Shane discusses why visibility, relationships and discernment matter as much as structure. He explains why marketing must reflect the school's lived experience, how staff, parents and alumni influence enrolment confidence, and why school Boards need to understand the long-term work behind positioning and enrolment growth. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

May 14, 2026Episode 24519 min

245: The new parent mindset reshaping school choice – Interview with David Woodgate

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and David Woodgate In this interview episode, Brad is joined by David Woodgate, Chief Executive of the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA) in the UK, to examine how millennial parents are reshaping school choice. David explains why reputation, tradition and results are no longer enough to create confidence, as parents look for clearer evidence of value, individual care and alignment between a school's promise and lived experience. Together, they discuss what this shift means for Heads, admissions and marketing teams, and why every interaction must build trust in the school's value in a competitive market. Episode link: Independent Schools' Bursars Association Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

May 7, 2026Episode 24419 min

244: Can a school create external confidence before it has internal coherence?

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why external confidence depends on internal coherence. They discuss why staff goodwill is not the same as shared understanding, how parents sense mixed signals across tours, conversations and follow-up communication, and why alignment is built through repeated leadership decisions, not announcements. The trio examines the risk of a school sounding clearer than it feels, and why Heads must ensure the school's story is understood and reinforced by their own staff before it can be trusted by prospective families. Episode link: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Staff understanding comes first Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

April 30, 2026Episode 24319 min

243: Enrolment pressure and the new parent priorities – Interview with Chris Lang

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Pauline Shuttleworth and Chris Lang In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Pauline Shuttleworth, imageseven Advancement Specialist, and Chris Lang, co-founder and Head of Sales for Asia Pacific at Digistorm, to examine the changing enrolment landscape for independent schools. Using the findings from Digistorm's 2025/26 State of K–12 School Admissions Report, they discuss how softening demand and growing enrolment pressure are shifting admissions from reactive management to data-informed planning. This requires Heads to sharpen their positioning and take a more intentional approach to the parent journey. Episode link: State of Admissions 2025/26 - Digistorm Insights Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

April 23, 2026Episode 24220 min

242: Is your brand yours to reshape or yours to steward?

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why school brands are not personal platforms for leaders to reshape They explore the difference between ownership and stewardship, explain why a school's brand is inherited rather than invented, and discuss how leaders can renew and clarify its message without distorting what families already trust. The trio also examines how pressure can tempt schools to broaden or soften their story, and why steadiness, coherence and conviction give parents confidence when enrolment decisions feel uncertain. Episode link: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Marketers and leaders are custodians of a legacy brand Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

March 26, 2026Episode 24119 min

241: Are you leading or just explaining?

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss a confronting principle for school Heads: leadership is communication. Every decision, silence, delay and repeated phrase signals what matters most, and families read into those signals long before they read a strategy document. The trio explores why enrolment confidence is shaped by coherence, not volume, how pressure reveals a school's true priorities and why clarity cannot be delegated. Episode link: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Leadership is communication Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

March 19, 2026Episode 24019 min

240: School fees, affordability and enrolments – Interview with Jack Stevens

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Jack Stevens In this interview episode, Brad speaks with Jack Stevens, CEO of Edstart, about what findings from Edstart's 2026 School Fees Report mean for school Heads. The discussion explores why fee increases have remained steady, yet continue to outpace inflation, how staffing costs and government funding pressures are reshaping school budgets and why parent perceptions of value matter more than ever. Brad and Jack reveal how flexible payment options can reduce friction, improve parent experience and support both enrolment and retention. Episode link: Edstart Edstart 2026 School Fees Report Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au