The MADness Podcast

Team MADness
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The MADness Podcast brings you the top stories, insights, and best practice from leaders across the world of K12 marketing and admissions. It’s hosted by education and marketing bods (and brothers), Nik and James Higgins. Expect brilliant anecdotes, the lowdown on the latest tech, and the inside track on what really works when it comes to effectively engaging today's families. The MADness Podcast is brought to you by doris: the school discovery platform for parents. Find your school on doris here.

  1. May 31

    [MAD LABZ] The big things schools are getting wrong with paid social ft. Kerwyn Salmons

    Most schools are leaving high-value leads on the table in paid social - and don't know it. In this MAD LABZ episode, James and Nik chat to digital marketing expert Kerwyn Salmons from 15th Media as he breaks down the three costliest mistakes schools make with paid campaigns: bland ad copy, misunderstood retargeting, and over-trusting AI ad enhancements without oversight. Drawing on work with schools across the UK, Malaysia, and the US, Kerwyn shares what actually moves the needle: tailored messaging for each stage of the parent decision journey, smarter use of first-party data, testing new channels, and building personalised funnels that turn clicks into enrolments. A perfect listen for admissions teams, marketers, and school leaders ready to sharpen their digital game - with practical, low-lift tips you can put to work this week.

  2. May 21

    A Hall lot of love (for Marketing and Admissions) ft. Matt Hall

    Matt Hall, Director of Marketing and Admissions @ Nexus International School (Singapore), chats to James and Nik about: How changing EP thresholds, living costs, and and expat packages are impacting demand for international school places in Singapore; How Matt and his team launched a 'transfer window' campaign, ft. Nexus footie shirts; Why pies create a unique culture nexus (see what we did there!) between the UK > New Zealand.

    31 min

  3. 10/06/2025

    Keithing it real ft. Julian Keith

    Julian Keith, Director of Admissions and School Communications at XCL World Academy (and previously Director of Admissions and Marketing at GESS), chats with James & Nik about personalising admissions comms with Hubspot automations, the competitive landscape in Singapore, and his journey from Newcastle to Surabaya.

    38 min

  4. 04/10/2025

    Seeking a slapshot in South Korea - Ft Adriana Mourgelas

    The uniquely competitive international school scene on the South Korean island of Jeju is the focus of this episode with Adriana Mourgelas, the Director of Enrollment Management at Branksome Hall Asia. Adriana breaks down the challenges she faces in her role at one of three government-backed schools on the same block as they battle it out for pupils. Hot chocolate, ice hockey and Gangnam Style also receive honorary mentions.

    45 min

  5. 03/27/2025 ·  Bonus

    [MAD LABZ] Commercial sales techniques for independent and international schools ft. Nicola Lutz

    Nik chats to Nicola Lutz from No Fluff about how schools can implement more rigorous and effective sales techniques, and how her No Fluff Fest is the event she wished she'd been able to attend earlier in her career.

    16 min

  6. 03/20/2025

    The problem of plenty in New Delhi ft Navneet Kaur

    Navneet Kaur, Head of Communications at The British School in New Delhi, explains how she created a comms team from scratch, discusses brand positioning, and explains why her school is 'media shy by design'.

    27 min

  7. 03/07/2025

    TASIS a lot of travelling ft. Sarah Travis

    Sarah Travis, Senior Associate Director at TASIS England, chats with James & Nik about the change from Higher Ed to K12, what it's like to promote an American school in the UK, and how she engages with families from the Middle East to Asia.

    27 min

  8. 02/21/2025 ·  Bonus

    [MAD LABZ] Revenue Optimisation for international schools: using pricing and scholarship strategies ft. Edified

    James and Nik are joined by pricing experts Sharyn Martin and Dr. Len Coote from Edified. They discuss how schools can remove the guesswork from their pricing strategy by applying a scientific approach which draws on microeconomics and econometrics.

    18 min
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About

The MADness Podcast brings you the top stories, insights, and best practice from leaders across the world of K12 marketing and admissions. It’s hosted by education and marketing bods (and brothers), Nik and James Higgins. Expect brilliant anecdotes, the lowdown on the latest tech, and the inside track on what really works when it comes to effectively engaging today's families. The MADness Podcast is brought to you by doris: the school discovery platform for parents. Find your school on doris here.

Information

  • Creator
    Team MADness
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Team MADness
  • Show Website
    The MADness Podcast