STORYTELLING AND BUILDING BRAND

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March 4, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Research, refreshed identity and a disciplined culture of storytelling position Notre Dame Prep for sustained growth in an increasingly competitive educational marketplace.

Independent and Catholic schools increasingly operate in a competitive educational marketplace that demands clarity in communicating value. According to a recent Education Week Market Brief, private schools serve about 10 percent of U.S. K–12 students.

The U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, said almost 75 percent of private schools in the U.S. are religious, and about half of those religious schools were Catholic in the 2020-21 school year, the most recent year with federal data available.

But demographic shifts, economic pressures and expanded school choice policies are reshaping how families evaluate educational options.

In this landscape, branding and marketing are not supplemental. They are foundational to institutional stability and enrollment growth.

Families are not simply selecting a school. They are choosing a community, an educational philosophy and a long-term investment. Schools that clearly articulate those distinctions are positioned to thrive.

The power of brand in Catholic education

Research by Dr. Julie Trivitt and Dr. Patrick J. Wolf found that brand identity significantly influences school choice decisions. In School Choice and the Branding of Catholic Schools, the authors concluded that Catholic schools have established a reputation for high academic quality that attracts even non-Catholic families.

More than 55 percent of respondents preferred a Catholic school, though only about 15 percent of mothers identified as Catholic. The researchers noted that Catholic schools have built a brand identity that signals important information to prospective families.

According to Trivitt and Wolf, brand functions as an informational shortcut. “It communicates expectations about rigor, discipline, values formation and community culture. That clarity reduces uncertainty for families navigating complex choices.”

For a Catholic, college-preparatory institution like Notre Dame Prep, tradition is a strength. But tradition must be reinforced through consistent, intentional communication.

Research-driven independent school marketing

The National Association of Independent Schools’ State of Independent School Marketing Survey highlights how closely enrollment and marketing functions are now aligned. Schools prioritize digital strategy, consistent messaging, quality images and storytelling as drivers of enrollment success.

Prospective families begin their search online. Websites, articles and social media shape first impressions. Cohesive, mission-aligned communication builds trust early.

Effective marketing is not exaggeration. It is clarity, consistency and credibility.

Notre Dame Prep’s brand refresh

In 2023, Notre Dame Prep launched a refreshed brand designed to unify messaging and enhance institutional visibility.

Head of School Andrew Guest explained the motivation behind the initiative.

“We heard from countless members of our school community who told us what they value most about NDP, but more importantly, we heard about what kind of an academic institution they'd like to see going forward,” he said. “Notre Dame Prep needs to continue to celebrate itself and to keep telling its story in consistent and compelling ways.”

That emphasis on “consistent and compelling” storytelling reflects a modern understanding of brand stewardship.

The refreshed visual identity integrated the phrase “A Catholic and Marist Community” directly into the logo design, reinforcing institutional identity. Guest noted, “It is who we are and it's the very definition of the kind of institution we will be for many years to come.”

Nearly everyone in the community has a role in presenting the school to the wider world. Brand stewardship is both institutional and communal.

Storytelling as strategic necessity

School marketing director Mike Kelly notes that while logos create visual cohesion, stories give the brand meaning.

“Families are influenced not only by statistics, but by narratives and images that show students thriving, alumni succeeding, faculty mentoring and administrators leading with vision,” Kelly said. “Stories demonstrate outcomes rather than merely asserting them.”

Notre Dame Prep has distinguished itself through a robust and disciplined culture of storytelling. The school frequently publishes in-depth features on students, alumni, faculty and programs — covering academics, faith, STEM initiatives, global learning, arts, athletics, leadership and service among others.

This steady volume of content is strategic as it:

• strengthens digital presence and search visibility.
• provides authentic material for social media.
• equips families and alumni with stories to share.
• reinforces internal pride and cohesion.

Importantly, stories travel. A student’s national award or a faculty innovation reaches farther than a general promotional message, Kelly noted. “When families, alumni and faculty consistently share these published stories within their networks, the school’s reach multiplies organically.”

This is the critical takeaway: excellence must be documented — and those stories must be shared on a very frequent timeline. Consistency in publishing and sharing keeps the school visible, credible and top of mind in a competitive marketplace.

In a piece originally published as "Next-Level Storytelling" in the Summer 2023 issue of SchoolCEO Magazine, Brittany Keil, a researcher with SchoolCEO, writes that stories are an inherent part of human nature, and the impact they have on us as individuals is well documented by scientists.

"Humans have practiced storytelling for centuries and are unlikely to stop any time soon," Keil continues. "While the idea of using storytelling in public communication may not be new, it remains one of the strongest and most effective ways to make a clear message stand out against the noise of our everyday lives."

Community as amplifier

Kelly added that research shows families also rely heavily on reputation and informal networks when selecting schools. “Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful enrollment drivers,” he said. “A steady stream of published stories shared strengthens that network effect. Families are not limited to personal anecdotes; they can point to documented examples of academic excellence, leadership development, service and faith formation.”

The alignment between lived experience and published narrative reinforces credibility, Kelly adds.

Brand, story and future success

Strategic branding provides clarity. Consistent messaging builds recognition. Frequent, disciplined storytelling builds connection and trust.

For independent and Catholic schools, these elements are interdependent. Research affirms that families respond to strong brand signals. Industry data confirm that marketing and enrollment are tightly linked. Institutional experience demonstrates that stories amplify mission in ways statistics alone cannot.

NDP’s refreshed brand ensures coherence. Its Message and Graphic Standards Guide safeguards consistency. Its culture of publishing and sharing stories — regularly and often — brings the brand to life.

In a competitive educational marketplace, schools must do more than offer excellence. They must demonstrate it, articulate it and consistently share it, according to the study by Trivitt and Wolf.

Through such a strategic branding and a disciplined, high-frequency storytelling regimen, Notre Dame Prep positions itself not only for success today, but for enduring growth.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.