New Portage school marketing plan embraces community

Change of logo, motto gives an updated and official look to district

The old Indian head mascot will stick around, but, Portage Township Schools will launch a marketing campaign supporting a new logo and new official look for the district.

Called “Our Portage,” the marketing campaign will be heavy on branding and telling of the district’s success stories, Melissa Deavers-Lowie, the district’s communications director, told the school board June 24.

The board unanimously approved the marketing plan contingent on getting budget numbers and a roll-out schedule later this summer.

“We have to market and brand ourselves,” Deavers-Lowie said. “We’re finding more GenX and millennial parents want their communication in different ways.”

The most noticeable element of the campaign may be the logo change. The plan is to get rid of the red triangle with the “PTS” in the middle and two stick figures. It will be replaced with the letter “P” and three chevrons, design elements that look like arrows, pointing to the letter.

The chevrons will be in the new shade of red, black and gray, and, they have been designed to indicate forward movement, DeaversLowie said.

The Indian head mascot isn’t going anywhere, she said.

“Our mascot obviously has some pretty deep ties to the school,” Deavers-Lowie said. “That, I’m not going to touch.”

School employees will continue to use letterhead and other products with the old logo until they run out. Then, they’ll be expected to switch to the new logo, she said.

The marketing plan came after much research with her public relations interns, Deavers-Lowie said. Along with the new logo, the plan includes guidelines on how to use the new logo and color scheme, a communication handbook with tips on getting out school messages, a staff recognition program a community outreach component and colorful posters promoting the motto “Healthy, Resonsible, Mindful, Innovative.”

There also will be an online store where anyone can purchase “swag” with the new logo, and, school officials are researching ways to get students involved with that store, Deavers-Lowie said.

Two more features of the marketing plan are the “Our Portage Promise,” a pledge that can be signed by students, staff and schools supporters to promote education in the Portage schools, and “Portrait of a Grad,” highlighting “soft skills” students need after they graduate from Portage schools, Deavers-Lowie said.

Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.