The Problem: Today’s Results Mix

Cognita Schools LATAM operates in competitive markets where parents compare many alternatives. In this context, our current results mix shows some structural risks. The chart below shows, week over week, how many leads we get from each channel and what happens in a period with almost no paid investment:

Illustrative only – relative lines are conceptual, not exact data. In the middle weeks, paid investment drops to almost zero, and total leads fall close to what organic and community alone can provide – too low for our enrollment targets.

• Limited organic volume, strong but finite community/referral contribution: organic contribution is currently minimal, and while community and referral channels are strong today and generate many of our best-quality leads, their total volume cannot support the level of market share growth we are targeting. As a result, our baseline results remain smaller than they could be and we stay heavily dependent on paid media, which is already expensive and becoming more competitive.
• High dependency on paid ads: a large share of new inquiries is generated through paid media.
• Rising costs in paid channels: competition for qualified parents is intense, pushing cost per qualified lead and cost per enrollment higher.

If this pattern continues, we risk:

• Becoming too dependent on budgets to hit enrollment targets.
• Being vulnerable to platform changes and auction pressure (Meta, Google, etc.).
• Under-investing in the brand, content, and communities that make results more resilient over time.

This strategy exists to change that trajectory.

Our Premises and Design Principles

This strategy is built on a few core premises about how marketing works for schools:

1. Brand and relationships build the baseline.

• Strong brands, good experiences, and active communities create ongoing results even when media spend is low.

2. Paid media is an accelerator, not the engine.

• Paid works best when it amplifies an existing story and audience, not when it is the only source of results.

3. Short-term and long-term must run in parallel.

• We cannot stop filling this year’s seats while building next year’s brand; both horizons must be managed together.

4. Data and theory should guide decisions.

• Concepts like baseline vs incremental impact, seasonality, and diminishing returns help us plan smarter, not just spend more.

From these premises, we define clear design principles:

• Always protect the baseline (brand, subscribers, communities) while optimizing incremental results.
• Use common KPIs and dashboards across countries so decisions are comparable and evidence-based.
• Make every campaign contribute to long-term assets (audiences, content, subscribers), not just short-term leads.

Demand Generation vs Lead Generation

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  subgraph DG["Demand generation (12–36 months)"]
    DG1["Brand, content, storytelling"]
    DG2["Communities, events, PR"]
  end

  subgraph LG["Lead generation (0–12 months)"]
    LG1["Campaigns & offers"]
    LG2["Landing pages & forms"]
    LG3["SDR follow-up & optimization"]
  end

  DG --> LG

To make this work in practice, we need a clear distinction between demand generation and lead generation:

• Demand generation builds interest, preference, and intent in the market over time.

  • Horizon: 12–36 months.
  • Focus: brand, content, storytelling, communities, events, PR, thought leadership.
  • Output: more people who know us, understand our value, and are more likely to choose us when they have a need.

• Lead generation captures that interest and turns it into concrete opportunities.

  • Horizon: 0–12 months.
  • Focus: campaigns, offers, landing pages, forms, SDR follow-up, conversion optimization.
  • Output: qualified contacts, tours booked, applications, and enrollments.

Because they are different, they require different skills, tools, and ownership:

• Demand gen should be led by roles strong in brand, content, storytelling, audience building, and community.
• Lead gen should be led by roles strong in performance marketing, funnels, experimentation, and sales alignment.

Our structure reflects this: the Brand & Communications engine is primarily responsible for demand generation, while the Performance Marketing engine is primarily responsible for lead generation and short-term results. Both must coordinate closely so that the results we capture tomorrow are built on the demand we created yesterday.

The Solution: Dual-Engine Model

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  subgraph Perf["Performance Marketing Engine (0–12 months)"]
    P1["Paid campaigns"]
    P2["Landing pages & funnels"]
    P3["SDRs & follow-up"]
  end

  subgraph Brand["Brand & Communications Engine (1–5 years)"]
    B1["Brand & messaging"]
    B2["Content & social"]
    B3["Events & communities"]
  end

  subgraph Enable["Enablement layers"]
    Ops["Marketing Operations"]
    Cr["Creative Services"]
  end

  Ops --> Perf
  Ops --> Brand
  Cr --> Perf
  Cr --> Brand

  Perf --> ST["Short-term enrollments"]
  Brand --> BL["Growing baseline results"]

  BL & ST --> Total["Total results over time"]

To address the problem and apply these premises, we organize marketing around two engines:

1. Performance Marketing Engine (Short-Term)

• Objective: generate qualified leads and enrollments in the next 0–12 months.
• Levers: paid campaigns, landing pages, SDRs, funnel optimization.

2. Brand & Communications Engine (Long-Term)

• Objective: build strong brands, communities, and active subscribers over 1–5 years.
• Levers: content, social, PR, events, community building.

Both engines are enabled by:

• Marketing Operations – data, automation, reporting, and tools.
• Creative Services – design and creative assets for both engines.

This dual-engine model is the conceptual “solution” to our current mix of low baseline and high paid dependency.

The Strategy: How We Will Execute

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  S1["1. Strengthen our lead baseline"]
  S2["2. Reduce dependency on paid media"]
  S3["3. Balance Performance and Brand"]
  S4["4. Standardize how we measure and optimize"]

  S1 --> S2 --> S3 --> S4

Over the next years, Cognita Schools LATAM will execute this solution through four strategic directions:

1. Strengthen our lead baseline

• Grow owned audiences (subscribers, CRM contacts, communities).
• Improve conversion across the full funnel (lead → tour → enrollment).

2. Reduce structural dependency on paid media

• Increase the share of enrollments coming from organic, referral, and community channels.
• Use paid media as an accelerator, not the only engine.

3. Balance investment between Performance and Brand

• Meet short-term enrollment targets.
• Protect and grow long-term brand equity at school and regional level.

4. Standardize how we measure and optimize

• Common KPIs and dashboards across markets.
• Clear accountability per role and pillar.

Visualizing Results Over Time

The graphs below illustrate, conceptually, how we want our results mix to evolve:

• A stable and growing baseline of results.
• A total results curve that includes incremental impact from campaigns.
• Short-term incremental effects from paid campaigns that sit on top of the baseline.

• Baseline results (line): grow year over year as brands strengthen and subscriber bases grow.
• Total results (line): baseline plus incremental impact from paid and campaign pushes.
• Incremental effect (bars): what we get on top of the baseline when we invest in short-term actions.

The next chart shows how seasonality and campaigns interact within a single year (illustrative only):

This reinforces our strategic intent:

• Baseline (line): what the brand, subscribers, and word-of-mouth generate before extra push.
• Total results (line): baseline plus all incremental effects.
• Incremental from campaigns (bars): lifts created by paid and short-term actions in key months.

Related Pillars

• Pillar 01 – Organization & Structure: how the team is configured to deliver this strategy.
  👉 Organization & Structure
• Pillar 02 – Performance Marketing: campaigns, funnels, SDR, and short-term tactics.
  👉 Performance Marketing
• Pillar 03 – Brand Marketing: content, social, PR, events, and community.
  👉 Brand Marketing
• Pillar 04 – Marketing Operations: data, automation, reporting, and tools.
  👉 Marketing Operations

Owner: Marketing Director LATAM