Scholastic InSchool Marketing is an educationally based consumer-marketing agency specializing in the development and distribution of branded in-school and consumer marketing programs. Programs include: Brand Awareness, Direct to Home Marketing, Retail Tie-In, Consumer Loyalty, Cause-Marketing, QSR Programs, One-to-One Marketing, Public Relations Tie-Ins, and more. For more information, please contact Ann Amstutz Hayes at aamstutzhayes@scholastic.com or 212.343.6573.

Program Example:

“Fasten Your Seat Belt… Go Far!” -- Volkswagen of America, Inc.                   Launched in 2002 and renewed for a fourth consecutive year in 2005

Year 3 Case Study:

Objective: Raise awareness among young people of the importance of seat belt safety and, in so doing; create teen advocates for the importance of wearing seatbelts. Promote the Volkswagen brand to thousands of teenagers, specifically those from diverse, urban communities.

Scholastic InSchool Marketing Strategy: The program was designed to support Volkswagen’s teen automotive safety awareness initiative and position Volkswagen as pro-active and responsive to the safety concerns of its customers through co-branded classroom curriculum materials. Classroom materials, written and designed by Scholastic, included a teaching guide with lessons and reproducible worksheets, student magazines, a classroom poster, and a mini-site on Scholastic.com, all aligned to national language arts standards. Materials were distributed free to select teachers using Scholastic’s proprietary education database. Further, a national contest challenged students to develop a 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) encouraging teens to buckle up every time they get in a car. Savings bonds and prizes were awarded to the finalists and their teachers, while the top three PSAs enjoyed national television exposure through MTV’s popular program “Total Request Live,” (TRL) exposing even more teens to these critical messages. Via TRL and Volkswagen’s websites, teens nationwide were asked to vote for their favorite PSA.

Results: Engagement of more than 20,000 teens who voted online for their favorite PSA. National, regional and local press coverage for Volkswagen and its automotive safety awareness efforts including print, dailies, weeklies, and magazines, pre- and post-event television, radio, and Web coverage. Outstanding award recognition from the Association for Educational Publishers, the Cause Marketing Forum, and the PR News. Overwhelming positive responses and praise from the National Highway and Transportation and Safety Agency, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the New Jersey State School Board, and the Detroit Public School System. 

Scholastic InSchool Solutions creates, promotes, and distributes educational marketing and outreach programs for state and federal government agencies, associations, foundations, and other non-profit organizations. Programs vary in scope and scale depending on client needs, and are designed to promote client objectives and meet the needs of target teachers, students, and parents.

Typically, InSchool Solutions produces cause-based programs that make a difference by influencing attitudes and behaviors in: Social Responsibility, Health & Physical Fitness, Nutrition, Risk Behaviors, Building School to Career Skills, Literacy, Music, Civic & Environmental Responsibility, and more. For more information, please contact David Lange at dlange@scholastic.com  or 212.343.6328.

Program Example:

Reach Out Now: Talk With Your Fifth/Sixth Grader About Underage Drinking --Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)

Launched in 2002 and renewed for a fourth consecutive year in 2005.

Year 3 Case Study:

Objective: Address the issue of alcohol awareness at the 5th/6th grade level, offering information and resources to students, educators, and parents to encourage a discussion of underage drinking and promote positive decision- making to profoundly affect kids’ health and safety. Secondly, increase recognition of SAMHSA as a leader in substance abuse prevention.

InSchool Solutions Strategy: Scholastic developed a strategic outreach program customized for 5th/6th grade students comprised of age-appropriate resources and information to foster productive dialogue on the topic of underage drinking. Program materials included classroom lessons and take home discussion tools for families.

Results: “Reach Out Now” was distributed to all 5th/6th grade teachers nationwide and reached over 11 million students and their parents. Among educators who received the program, nearly 3 out of 4 (73%) used or planned to use the program materials and 93% distributed or plan to distribute the “Family Resource Guide.” 82% of educators felt the program's objective, to encourage discussion of underage drinking and the importance of making healthy decisions, was highly valuable and 84% found the materials to be “teacher friendly.”