What are the goals of Richland 1's advertising and marketing?

Parents have many more choices today when it comes to educating their children. Among those
choices are public schools, private schools, charter schools, virtual/online schools and
homeschooling. One of the primary goals of our advertising and marketing activities is to increase
student enrollment in Richland One schools by increasing awareness of our academic programs,
unique learning experiences and other competitive advantages that the district offers its students.

In a highly competitive hiring environment – particularly with the teacher shortage in South Carolina
and across the country – another primary goal of our advertising and marketing activities is to support
the efforts of our Human Resource Services staff in attracting and recruiting highly qualified teachers,
administrators and support staff to Richland One by promoting our competitive salaries and benefits,
our comprehensive professional development opportunities and the many advantages associated
with the district’s location in South Carolina’s capital city.

Our advertising and marketing activities also are part of a broader communications effort to keep our
stakeholders – Richland One parents, district residents without children in Richland One schools,
business leaders, elected officials and other community members – informed about what’s
happening in the district.

We have made a concerted effort to increase our outreach to parents and the greater community.

What mechanisms or policies are in place to track the progress of these marketing and advertising
campaigns? Is the purpose of these campaigns to attract more students to the district?

The methods we use to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising
activities and overall brand recognition/awareness include student enrollment numbers in various
academic programs; registration and attendance at employee recruitment events; parent/student
attendance at events showcasing academic programs; website traffic; and social media analytics
(reach, views, link clicks and other metrics).
 MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ACTIVITIES –
RICHLAND ONE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

NOTES:

1. Advertising includes ads in magazines, newspapers and other print publications; TV commercials;
radio ads; digital (online) ads; and outdoor advertising (billboards). TV ads promoting the Hall of
Fame/Gala are donated by WIS TV (WIS has been a gala sponsor since the Hall of Fame began in
2004), and billboards promoting the Hall of Fame Gala are donated by local outdoor advertising
companies (Lamar and Grace).

2. Advertising expenditures increased in the 2018-2019 school year when the district launched its
new magnet programs. Also, advertising activities/expenditures in the district that had been
handled separately by other departments (such as Pre-K, Career and Technical Education, Human
Resource Services, Evening High School/Dropout Prevention and Adult Education) were moved
to the Office of Communications effective with the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

3. The Richland One Connects publication was published and distributed each year from 2009-2010
through 2015-2016, but we do not have records for all of those years, nor are we required to
keep them. We also do not have records for the 2012-2013 and 2014-2015 Principal for a Day
initiatives.

4. The Spotlight One fall publications are mailed to all Richland One students’ homes. The Spotlight
One mid-year and year-end editions are mailed to all Richland One residents.

2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $3,025
Principal for a Day Initiative $875

2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $2,000
Principal for a Day Initiative $875

2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $6,310
Principal for a Day Initiative $825

2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $9,768.38

2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $8,652
Fall Richland One Connects Publication $9,999.72
Principal for a Day Initiative $975
2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR
Advertising $5,176

2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $56,684
Richland One Connects Publication $10,442.52
Principal for a Day Initiative $1,025

2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $97,052.20
New District Logo/Rebranding $8,500
Fall Richland One Connects Publication $8,181
Mid-Year Spotlight One Publication $5,349
Year-End Spotlight One Publication $12,138.15
Principal for a Day Initiative $2,860.08

2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $193,659.48
Richland One Choice Fair $2,097.35
Choice Programs Brochure $18,321.28
Fall Spotlight One Publication $6,789.15
Mid-Year Spotlight One Publication $3,151.87
Principal for a Day Initiative $3,528.18

2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising $290,618.55
Richland One Showcase of Schools $15,910.20
Fall Spotlight One Publication $6,472.35
Mid-Year Spotlight One Publication $34,275
Year-End Spotlight One Publication $11,729.43
Principal for a Day Initiative $3,005.49

2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR

Advertising Still in progress
Fall Spotlight One Publication $8,651
Mid-Year Spotlight One Publication $8,097.94
Magnet Programs Brochure $16,404.60
Richland One Magnet Fair $1,731.28
Principal for a Day Initiative $1,839.49