Data Mapping & School Marketing Strategies

Key Insights: Data Mapping & School Marketing Strategies for Children’s Activity Businesses

Our recent webinar brought together Stuart Lee (Atlas Mapping) and Michael McVerry (Buzz Education) to share practical strategies for children’s activity businesses looking to grow through smarter data mapping and more effective marketing to schools.

Using Data Mapping to Understand Your Market

Stuart Lee demonstrated how Atlas Mapping’s Vision software helps children’s activity providers and franchise owners:

1. Analyse local population and family demographics

2. Understand customer catchment areas

3. Identify high-value territories and markets

4. Predict revenue potential using real data

He highlighted current UK population trends—including an ageing population and immigration-driven growth—showing why data-led territory planning is more important than ever.

Stuart also shared how tools like Sonar segmentation help identify affluent family areas and reveal where your ideal customers live.

Five Key Steps to Assess Market Viability

Stuart outlined a simple framework for evaluating new markets:

1. Calculate market size

2. Map competition

3. Identify target customer segments

4. Analyse postcode-level opportunities

5. Estimate market penetration and revenue

This approach helps children’s activity businesses make confident, informed decisions about where to operate and how to grow.

How to Market Effectively to Schools

In the second half of the webinar, Michael McVerry explored how to improve communication with schools—an essential but often challenging audience for children’s activity providers.

Top school marketing tips:

1. Send emails early morning, or during school breaks

2. Personalise messages for teachers and leaders

3. Focus on benefits to schools, not just product features

4. Maintain consistent but non-intrusive communication

5. Build long-term relationships, not quick sales

Michael emphasised that schools face budget pressures, staff shortages, and heavy workloads—so marketers must be patient, empathetic, and genuinely helpful.

Why These Insights Matter for Children’s Activity Businesses

Combining data-driven location analysis with strategic school marketing allows children’s activity companies to:

1. Choose the right territories and markets

2. Improve customer targeting

3. Build stronger school partnerships

4. Increase revenue opportunities

5. Grow sustainably across regions

These strategies are essential for franchises and activity providers wanting to stay competitive in a changing market.