Flint Hill School was not known for what they wanted to be known for. As a young school with a bumpy beginning, it was hard to gain traction with those who didn’t know the school well. Those who did know it revered its innovative, forward-thinking, results-driven ethos that delivered outstanding outcomes while building character as outlined in its “Husky Promise.” As Turnaround and partner Andrea Jarrell got to know the school, we discovered that Flint Hill delivers what education should be—the closest thing to an ideal option. As one parent said, “Here at Flint Hill, it’s about the kids. It’s not about the parents. It’s not about me and you. It’s about the kids.” Putting students first and having the expertise and financial resources to follow through translates to a relentless drive for a high-quality education for each child. Through effective branding, Flint Hill School has quickly centered its image in the community and caused many new families to place it on their "must see" list. In the first year of branding, Flint Hill’s primary goal was to create new enrollment materials. In the second year, Flint Hill is reviewing their website to insure that brand messaging is strong, and the visitor experience is positive.

Turnaround and Andrea Jarrell focused Flint Hill's enrollment strategy on the five distinguishing characteristics developed in the brand report: Students First, Relentless Quality, Game-Changing Innovation, Living the Husky Promise, and Purpose-Built Campus. A main viewbook was designed to appeal to both parents and students, while a small, tightly folded student pamphlet tucks into the front cover. Accompanying these two pieces is a brochure about outcomes and college that reinforces Flint Hill's academic quality and outstanding college prep. In the first year of use, applications for ninth grade were up close to 100%.

Though Flint Hill had no plans to conduct a full-scale website overhaul, it hired Turnaround to conduct a comprehensive web assessment, covering the visitor experience (homepage, overall, navigation, information wayfaring, and use of multimedia); visual appeal; brand adherence (including messaging and graphic identity); writing; marketing effectiveness for admissions, development, and alumni relations; and a comparison with three local competitors’ websites. The purpose of the assessment was not simply to evaluate the website, but also to make concrete suggestions for its enhancement without a redesign. After careful review and with the previously developed brand strategy as our guide, the Turnaround team and partner Andrea Lehman provided a series of recommendations. These ranged from big-picture message refocusing to improvements to small but significant details, all intended to increase audience appeal, improve ease of use, make the website more effective as a marketing tool, and better establish the Flint Hill brand of excellence and innovation with the school’s many online constituencies.