Beyond Brochures: What the International Market Is Really Buying

Marketing isn’t always about glossy prospectuses, click-through rates or lead magnets.

Sometimes, it’s a cheese and ham sandwich.

When my son was at boarding school, he had the most brilliant matron. The kind of person who notices things. Who sees past the uniform, the grades, the busy schedules and tunes into the actual child in front of her.

One week he was run down. Mock exams. Feeling grim. Still pushing himself because that’s who he is. She spotted that he hadn’t eaten, asked the kitchen to whip up his usual (cheese and ham - always has been), and checked in with him again later that evening.

He called me that night and said, “It sounds silly, but that really helped. It kept me going.”

That weekend, when I picked him up for Exeat, we bumped into a family we knew; parents looking at senior schools for their younger son. They asked how mine was getting on.

Still a bit pale, he shrugged and said he’d had a tough week, but then told them how incredible his matron had been. How she’d stepped in without being asked. How she’d just known.

You could see it land.

That family chose my son's school two years' later.

Now, I’m not saying that sandwich sealed the deal, but I’d bet it played a part. Because in that moment, they weren’t hearing about league tables or UCAS offers. They were hearing about care. They were seeing the culture behind the brand. The answer to every international parent’s unspoken worry:

Will someone notice if my child’s not OK?

Will they feel safe, understood and supported even when I’m thousands of miles away?

Will this school really live up to the promise on the website?

Marketing That Moves People Isn’t Always on the Website

In the world of international education, we spend so much time talking about what makes a school or tutoring service stand out, but we often forget what actually sticks.

It’s not always the drone shots, the facilities, or the list of university destinations.

It’s what a child says on the way home.
It’s the little detail that proves the culture is alive.
It’s a story that shows the values in action, not just in print.

This is especially true when marketing to Chinese families considering UK schools. The emotional labour of letting go of your child and sending them across the world is enormous. So when a parent hears that someone stepped in quietly, gently, without being asked, that’s more than just a ‘nice touch’. That’s everything.

Culture Is the Brand — Especially Internationally

In the international market, your brand isn’t what you say. It’s what people experience. And then go on to share.

When culture and branding align, the result is trust.

That’s the real currency here.

Chinese families, in particular, are no longer simply comparing grades or Oxbridge offers. They want:

• Warmth and emotional safety

• Pastoral care that’s proactive, not performative

• Cultural understanding and communication that works across time zones, languages and values

• A sense that their child will be known and not just tolerated

If your marketing speaks only to academics, you’re missing 80% of what drives decision-making.

The Mistake Many Tutors (and Schools) Still Make

Many tutors trying to grow an international business still focus on the wrong things:

🟡 Talking too much about what they teach, not why it matters.
🟡 Listing their qualifications and forgetting to demonstrate connection, insight, cultural intelligence.
🟡 Relying on outdated messaging that no longer speaks to the needs, fears or expectations of global families

But families today are asking very different questions. Particularly premium families looking for long-term relationships, not short-term results.

They’re asking:

• Who are you, beyond the website?

• Do you understand the system and the student?

• Will my child be safe, seen and supported under your care?

This is what emotional marketing does. It bridges the gap between logic and trust, between promises and real connection.

What the Most Successful Tutors Are Doing Differently

The tutors I mentor who are building thriving international businesses (particularly in China and the Middle East) have one thing in common:

They understand that the work begins before the first lesson.

They:

✅ Tell stories that demonstrate care, character and credibility
✅ Communicate clearly what they stand for and back it up in how they show up
✅ Know how to position themselves in the market without over-explaining or overcomplicating things
✅ Understand the values, concerns and hopes of international families and speak directly to them

And above all?
They make sure the brand matches the experience.

Because nothing travels faster than a parent’s story that starts with: “You won’t believe what our tutor did…”

Your Self-Audit: Is Your Brand Really Reflecting What You Stand For?

Before you write your next bio or website update, ask yourself:

• Does your messaging reflect what clients actually say about you, not just what you think sounds professional?

• If a parent asked their child how you support them, would the answer match what your brochure says?

• Are you speaking to the fears, hopes and emotions international families are really navigating or just repeating generic promises?

• Does your brand communicate warmth, competence and cultural awareness or just credentials and content?

If your answer is “not yet” then good. Because awareness is where powerful marketing begins.

Marketing to international families isn’t about being louder.
It’s about being clearer.
More human. More trusted. More real.

The tutors and schools who understand this?
They don’t just attract clients: they build loyalty, legacy and long-term success.