Children learn best through experience and curiosity. The Goddard School provides a nurturing and inspiring learning environment that ignites children to explore, learn at their own pace, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
As the PR AOR to The Goddard School, one of the nation’s leading early childhood education providers, for nearly six years, Reputation Partners provided strategic communications to support their overarching goals: to expand franchise growth and brand visibility across the United States.
In 2020, The Goddard School—the nation’s leading premium early childhood education provider that serves nearly 100,000 children with more than 665 franchised schools across 37 states and Washington D.C.—sought a PR partner capable of driving enrollment at both existing and new schools, and positioning the brand and key executives as thought leaders in the competitive early childhood education industry.
Throughout our six-year partnership, our work spanned both The Goddard School and Goddard Systems, LLC, manager of The Goddard School franchise system, through an integrated corporate communications and PR approach that strengthened the brand’s voice nationally and locally, as well as attracted prospective franchisees.
Our team developed a strategic public relations strategy focused on three core pillars: media visibility, thought leadership, and franchise development. RP used these tactics to distinguish Goddard through their proprietary Wonder of Learning® curriculum from other daycare providers.
We led proactive media outreach across national, trade, and local outlets, consistently securing earned coverage that spotlighted Goddard’s differentiators, supported enrollment, and reinforced its reputation as an industry leader. To amplify executive visibility, we coordinated six virtual media tours timed to the back-to-school season, resulting in more than 5,670 media placements and over 170 million impressions. These efforts helped position Goddard’s leadership and educators as trusted experts in key markets on topics ranging from parenting, child development, and health and safety.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we supported Goodard in adjusting their teaching and safety practices by building awareness of their COVID-19 health and safety standards through media outreach and thought leadership.
In 2024, we supported one of the brand’s most exciting milestones: the launch of its exclusive inquiry-based education program called Wonder of Learning®. To encourage all families to practice inquiry-based learning at home, Goddard published its first-ever children’s book, “Curious Blueberry the Carousel Horse.” We executed a multifaceted PR campaign that included widespread media outreach and the development and distribution of 150 press kits to national reporters, podcast hosts, and influencers. These efforts generated positive media coverage and built excitement and visibility around both the curriculum and book launch.
As part of National Literacy Month, we developed a comprehensive PR campaign that led Goddard to setting a Guinness World Records™ title for “Most Viewers for a Reading Livestream on YouTube,” with 6,535 viewers. The livestream featured Steve Burns, actor and previous host of the children’s television series Blue’s Clues, reading “Curious Blueberry the Carousel Horse” to preschoolers at The Goddard School of Manhattan (StuyTown). The livestream also generated widespread local school involvement, with 501 Goddard Schools signed up to participate (77% of the nationwide school system). RP coordinated a complex media relations strategy, including earned media outreach and news release distributions, resulting in 465 media mentions and 268 million media impressions.
To support Goddard’s franchise growth, we developed and coordinated a strategic social media calendar—planning, drafting, and tailoring content that showcased the brand’s growth, celebrated franchisee success stories, and aligned with key milestones. We also created dynamic sizzle reels for the annual franchisee convention to energize internal audiences. Together, these efforts strengthened Goddard’s online presence and helped attract prospective owners and new families, with Goddard adding 150 new franchisees during our six-year partnership.
Beyond driving brand visibility and franchise growth, RP helped Goddard navigate major organizational changes, providing communications counsel during the transition period of Goddard’s CEO and supported the sale of the company in 2022.
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