The Gardner School is a nationwide leader in early childhood education and preschool, with nearly 40 locations across nine states. For over a decade, TGS has trusted Green Apple Strategy to support its marketing efforts, working together to strengthen brand equity and build meaningful connections with families.
– Opportunity –
Building Trust Through Feedback
In 2024, Green Apple recognized an opportunity to bolster The Gardner School’s reputation with young families by focusing on online reviews. In a world where trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, Google Reviews are key to building relationships with potential families before they ever walk through the door. In fact, 88% of customers read Google reviews to determine the status and quality of a local business before engaging with it.
With reviews playing a pivotal role in helping parents select the right school for their children, we aimed to create meaningful opportunities for current TGS families to share their experiences. The goal was to celebrate the strong connections families have with the TGS community and highlight the school’s commitment to fostering every child’s growth in a way that would resonate with prospective parents.
– Campaign Concept –
Bring Parent Stories to Life with an Engaging Campaign
Green Apple Strategy designed the “Share the Love” campaign to align with The Gardner School’s core values. Rooted in the school’s mission of nurturing children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth, the campaign invited parents to express their love for TGS and its teachers through online Google reviews.
To make the campaign engaging and fun, Green Apple created a framework where families who left a positive review were automatically entered into a drawing for one grand prize. The campaign encouraged parents to specifically mention their child’s favorite teacher, making the reviews more personal and meaningful.
– Strategic Messaging –
Perfect Timing Meets Thoughtful Messaging
The “Share the Love” campaign launched in early February, perfectly aligning with Valentine’s Day—a time when appreciation and positive sentiment are already in the air. Running throughout the month, the campaign tapped into this festive spirit.
To generate excitement and ensure widespread participation, Green Apple Strategy executed a detailed, multi-channel promotion plan. Each of The Gardner School’s locations received tailored messaging, personalizing the campaign for each campus community. Families first heard about the campaign through TGS’s parent communication platform, ensuring it felt immediate and relevant.
In addition to this direct touchpoint, a series of organic social media posts were deployed across Facebook and Instagram to keep the campaign top of mind. Posts were strategically timed to build momentum before the launch, maintain engagement throughout February, and celebrate the results at the end.
This cohesive, well-timed approach kept parents engaged and motivated while Green Apple monitored and adjusted messaging to keep participation high.
– Results –
Creating a Ripple Effect of Positivity
The “Share the Love” campaign exceeded all expectations, generating a remarkable surge in online reviews.
- 210 new Google Business Profile reviews were submitted in just one month.
- 223 total reviews were gathered from the campaign—an impressive feat compared to the 133 reviews TGS received throughout all of 2023.
- Across all locations, reviews in February increased by an astounding 1,741.67%.
- TGS’s average star rating improved by 21.38%, bringing its overall rating to 4.86 stars.
Most importantly, the campaign strengthened relationships between TGS and its families, creating a ripple effect of positivity that will continue to attract new students for years to come.
– Creative –
What We Did
Campaign Development, Messaging Strategy, Email Marketing, Social Media Content, Design, Reputation Management
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