Catholic Schools Reach Out:

Hartford, CT;   For the first time, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford are sending a new message about their educational advantages in a multimedia recruitment campaign targeted both at Catholics and non-Catholics. The campaign, launched in April, appears in billboard, radio, and web-based marketing, according to Dale R. Hoyt, Superintendent of Catholic schools.

“This is an innovative initiative that we are undertaking on behalf of our schools,” said Mr. Hoyt. “Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford are staffed and administered by committed, professional educators. And Catholic schools boast high standards of academic achievement while providing a safe, disciplined learning environment for all children – regardless of religion. It’s a great story, but it hasn’t been told. Until now.”

The marketing campaign focuses on three “hot button” issues parents face today: the demand for higher levels of academic performance through grade 12, accessibility to affordable options to public schools, and the commitment to providing an environment where bullying is not tolerated. The campaign’s call to action is a website, www.HigherStandardsNow.com

The reason for the campaign, according to Mr. Hoyt, is twofold.

“First, we have a powerful message to send,” said Mr. Hoyt. “Catholic schools offer high standards of academic achievement and they promote respect for all individuals, regardless of faith. And with public schools facing intense pressure from the federal, state, and local governments, people need to know they have options. Second,” he said, “it’s no secret that demographic shifts have impacted many of our Catholic schools and we need to reach new audiences to maintain and build enrollment levels.”

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell is a strong proponent of maintaining the viability of Catholic schools and has committed significant dollars from the Archdiocese to the schools in support of tuition scholarships. “Research has proven that Catholic schools provide a uniquely powerful education for the child’s spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social growth,” states Archbishop Mansell. “Catholic schools provide rigorous academic programs that make the future for our students all the more promising, and they do so in the context of addressing the entirety of the human person.”

The campaign was developed by Mascola Group, a marketing firm based in New Haven, in conjunction with the Office of Catholic Schools.

According to Chuck Mascola, the Group’s chairman, “Catholic Schools are a unique brand, but they’ve never been positioned and marketed that way. We applied the principles and practices of consumer marketing to their product and the result is a hard-hitting issues campaign that will wake up parents to the option of Catholic schools.”

Billboards on I-91, I-95, and I-84 feature messages such as “Stand up to Bullying,” “High schools with 100% graduation?” and “A good education doesn’t take a leap of faith.” Radio advertisements address the same issues. The new website, www.HigherStandardsNow.com connects visitors with individual Catholic schools in their area.

The budget for the campaign was not disclosed, although, according to Mr. Hoyt, “this represents a new level of investment for us to get the word out that Catholic schools are open to everyone.”