Lay’s just launched its biggest rebrand in a century because nearly half their customers didn’t realize their chips come from real potatoes. Let that sink in. The most famous potato chip in America had to remind people it’s made from… potatoes.
It’s a marketing truth: familiarity breeds forgetfulness. Not just in your audience, but inside your own organization.
We assume everyone knows the mission. We assume the vision is clear because it’s printed on the walls, woven into the website, and recited at the opening workshop. You know what they say about assumptions (this sentence assumes you know the saying about assumptions. If you don’t, well… that joke didn’t land.).
School leaders face this every day. You’ve shared your goals and your “why” in every meeting, memo, and message. Yet someone still asks, “What’s our main focus again?” or “Why are we doing this?”
Messages don’t always sink in the first (or fifth) time. They land when they meet the right person, in the right moment, through the right channel.
Never Assume People Know (or Understand) the Basics
Just because something seems clear to you doesn’t mean it’s clear to everyone else. Parents don’t always know where funding comes from. Staff don’t always connect strategy to their day-to-day work. Students don’t always understand why a change matters.
These gaps don’t matter…until suddenly, they really do. Probably when a big vote is coming up, or when there’s a reporter outside your door asking questions.
Even the simplest truths can get lost under layers of noise. If people aren’t sure what potato chips are made from, it’s fair to assume your audience might miss the message, too.
Clarity starts with curiosity: What might my audience not know?
Then it builds through empathy: What might they assume — that isn’t quite right?
Once you’ve clarified the basics, repeat them. Then repeat them again. People need reminders, not new slogans. The more consistently you say the same thing, the more believable (and reassuring) it becomes.
And remember, your audience is always changing. New families join every semester. Staff turnover happens. Not everyone reads every email or newsletter. What feels like déjà vu to you might be brand-new information to someone else.
If the only time people hear from you is when something goes wrong, your message starts to sound like a fire alarm. Communication shouldn’t only show up in a crisis; it should remind people what’s going right.
Sharing progress, small wins, and moments of pride reinforces trust. It keeps the story of your schools from being written by rumor or reaction.
Keep Explaining the Potatoes
If there’s one thing school leaders can learn from Lay’s, it’s this: keep explaining the potatoes. Repetition isn’t noise, it’s nurture. Clarity isn’t condescension, it’s kindness.
Repeat important information. Tell your story. Don’t assume people understand the basics. Your message matters more than you think, and someone out there needs to hear it again today.
