Case Study: Association of Education Advisers
Introduction
Association of Education Advisers (AoEA) provides an accredited quality standard for people who advise schools, colleges and education providers.
With our extensive background in the education sector, we were asked to provide marketing and PR support for the launch of AoEA.
The project
We were required to develop branding and launch this innovative and unique company within the education field which has been designed to improve the consistency of advice given by advisers to schools and colleges throughout the UK.
Services provided
Design for branding; literature and marketing materials; marketing advice and networking support; event hosting support for their annual education summit; and PR support.
Our approach
The organisation was originally going to be called the Institute of Education Advisers but, after following our advice to speak to trademark protection specialist, McDaniel & Co, the name later changed to the Association of Education Advisers.
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Hundreds of people provide advice to schools and colleges throughout the UK, but, to date, there has been no way of assessing the quality of their advice. AoEA revolutionised this by creating a quality assessment method that was acceptable to all major education bodies.
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Although a national organisation, AoEA’s strategy was to launch regionally, using one local sponsor to facilitate each regional launch. Long time consultants and contacts of proprietor, Les Walton CBE, became day-to-day associates (and now hold key roles within the organisation), and were based in various locations across the UK, making regional launches viable. The associates were made responsible for organising a launch event in their area and encouraged to utilise their local contacts to defray the set-up costs.
Within the North East, the event was launched at local law firm, Muckle LLP’s offices, and throughout the AoEA's existence, Muckle has enjoyed a close relationship with AoEA.
Drawing on his extensive network within the education field, Les Walton undertook a huge amount of research with his contacts, encouraging them to review the training programme, which is solely online. We used the feedback that AoEA received extensively in the marketing materials.
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AoEA has gone on to develop a very good reputation within the education field, hosting a yearly Education Summit in York. Clothier Lacey has provided valuable support with these for the last five years, providing ideas for speakers and contacts who have facilitated discussion groups at the events. In more recent years, we have drawn on our experience in events to assist with running the summits.
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Our role also involved setting up a monthly column with The Journal’s assistant editor, Richard Kirkman, for his daily J2 Column, which discusses topical issues. Les was previously a teacher, so this provided a perfect platform for him to showcase his views on education, largely drawn from first-hand experience.
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His book Education: The Rock and Roll Years, published in 2021, received great acclaim. It recalled the idiosyncrasies, outcomes, and weaknesses of the education system over the years - from his childhood to the present day.
From our perspective
We have a longstanding relationship with Les Walton, which began in the 1990s, when he was headteacher at Norham Community High School in North Tyneside, at the time of the Meadow Well riots. Our managing director, Philippa Clothier, worked with Les at that time to help him raise sponsorship so that Norham could become a Community Technology College, with the aim to engage more successfully with the local community, as well as obtain some vital funding from the government. The school became a Beacon School, which was a great achievement for Les and his team.
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We are grateful to Les, for much of our own learning and experience within the sector has been through work undertaken with him on many of his ventures, allowing us to utilise this knowledge to make AoEA the well-respected brand and organisation that it is today.
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The results
This collaboration is continuous, and we are delighted to report that we have an ongoing role in aiding the success of AoEA, which is now setting its sights on the international market, where it continues to have great success.
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If you are looking for marketing and PR support for your educational organisation, look no further. We are your trusted marketing partner, so get in contact today and let's chat.
