Upward International Preschool & Daycare in Thane had a difficult starting point. When BeeDigital came on board approximately a year ago, the institution was still operating under the name ‘My School Italy’ — a brand that didn’t communicate what it was, where it was, or who it was for. The Instagram account had around 65–70 followers, and every post was a static graphic: birthday wishes, festival greetings, generic announcements.
There was no video content. No school life. No sense of the warmth, learning environment, or daily experience that actually makes parents choose a preschool for their child. The content strategy — if it could be called that — was broadcasting, not connecting.
BeeDigital took on two simultaneous challenges: supporting the school through a full rebrand to ‘Upward International Preschool & Daycare’, and rebuilding their social media presence from the ground up — new content strategy, new content formats, new communication tone, and a clear brand voice that would resonate with Thane parents of children aged 2–6.
In approximately one year, the account grew from ~65 followers to 271, generated 28,654 views and reached 9,355 accounts in the last 90 days alone — with 70%+ of those views coming from new people who weren’t already following the page.
Client Snapshot
About Upward International Preschool & Daycare
| Institution | Upward International Preschool & Daycare |
| Previously Named | My School Italy |
| Location | Thane, Maharashtra |
| Type | International Preschool & Daycare |
| Age Group Served | Approx. 2–6 years (Playgroup to Sr. KG) |
| Service by BeeDigital | Social Media Management + Rebrand Support |
| Duration | Approximately 1 Year (ongoing) |
| Followers at Start | ~65–70 |
| Followers Today | 271 |
The Challenge
Three Problems to Solve at Once
1. A Brand Name That Confused Parents
‘My School Italy’ didn’t clearly communicate that this was a local preschool in Thane for young children. The name created unnecessary friction for parents encountering the school online for the first time. Before any content strategy could work, the brand identity itself needed to change — and that change needed to be communicated through social media without losing whatever small audience existed.
2. Content That Wasn’t Working
The existing Instagram feed consisted entirely of static posts — designed graphics for occasions and announcements. While these have a place, they do almost nothing to help a parent answer the question they’re actually asking: ‘What will my child’s day actually look like at this school? Will they be happy here? Are the teachers caring?’
Static content cannot answer those questions. Video can.
3. A Small, Mostly Inactive Audience
With ~65 followers and no content that encouraged sharing or discovery, the account was essentially invisible to the parents it needed to reach. Any new parent searching for preschools in Thane would not find this school through Instagram — because the algorithm had no reason to surface it.
Our Approach
What BeeDigital Did
Phase 1: Stabilise and Rebalance — 6 Posts + 6 Reels
We didn’t immediately abandon static content. Instead, we introduced a balanced content calendar: 6 static posts and 6 Reels per month. This gave the preschool the consistency of scheduled posts while gradually introducing Reels — and letting the data show what parents actually responded to.
The Reels focused on authentic school life: children engaged in play-based learning, teachers interacting with toddlers, classroom setups, activity demonstrations. Shot on mobile. Warm, real, and unhurried.
Phase 2: Support the Rebrand
When the school transitioned from ‘My School Italy’ to ‘Upward International Preschool & Daycare’, BeeDigital managed the social media side of that transition. We updated the brand communication across the profile, introduced the new name clearly and consistently in content, and created posts that helped existing followers understand and embrace the new identity — reducing confusion and building confidence in the new brand.
Phase 3: Establish a Clear Brand Voice and Communication Style
Perhaps the most important work was defining what Upward International actually stood for — and making sure every post, caption, and Reel communicated that consistently. The brand voice we established was:
- Warm and nurturing — speaking to parents the way the school speaks to children
- Educational and purposeful — showing that every activity has a developmental intention behind it
- Local and accessible — content that felt Thane-relevant, not imported or generic
- Parent-first — always answering the parent’s underlying question: ‘Is my child safe, happy, and growing here?’
Phase 4: Switch to Full Reels Strategy
Once the data confirmed what we already expected — Reels driving 85.6% of all views — we moved the account to a Reels-first (then Reels-only) strategy. Every piece of content was now video. The content mix included:
- Classroom activity Reels — children doing hands-on learning (highest-performing category)
- ‘What This Actually Means’ educational Reels — e.g. ‘Grade 1 Ready ACTUALLY Means:’ — content that positions the school as thoughtful and expert
- Milestone celebration content — Graduation Day, Annual Day, events that parents want to share with family
- Teacher-parent trust content — showing the caring adult relationships that preschool parents prioritise above all
The Audience We Were Building Towards
The audience data from the last 90 days confirmed the strategy was working exactly as intended. The follower demographic is dominated by 35–44 year olds (41.9%) and 25–34 year olds (31.4%) — this is the precise age range of parents with children aged 2–6. Women make up 63.8% of the audience — typically the primary researcher in preschool decisions. And 55.4% of followers are in Thane — the school’s exact catchment area.
This isn’t a random audience. It’s the right audience, built through content that spoke directly to them.
Results
The Numbers — What Changed
| Metric | Before BeeDigital | After BeeDigital |
| Instagram Followers | ~65–70 | 271 |
| Content Format | Static posts only | Reels-first strategy |
| Brand Name | My School Italy | Upward International Preschool & Daycare |
| Content Strategy | Unplanned / ad hoc | Monthly calendar, defined brand voice |
| Reels as % of Views | 0% | 85.6% (last 30 days) |
| Views from Non-Followers | Minimal | 73.3% (last 30 days) |
90-Day Performance (30 Dec – 29 Mar)
| 28,654
Total Views (90 days) |
9,355
Accounts Reached |
| 70.3%
Views from Non-Followers |
57.3%
Organic Views (no ads) |
Last 30 Days (28 Feb – 29 Mar)
| 11,604
Total Views |
4,655
Accounts Reached |
| 85.6%
Views via Reels |
73.3%
Views from Non-Followers |
Top Performing Content (Last 3 Months)
The highest-reaching Reels were all centred on real school life and parent-relevant educational content — confirming the strategy:
- ‘Are You…’ parent-hook Reel — 1,245 views
- Annual Day celebration — 1,174 views
- Annual Day performance reel — 1,127 views
- Annual Day Save the Date — 840 views
- Graduation Day Reel — 534 views
- ‘Grade 1 Ready ACTUALLY Means:’ — 543 views
- ‘Our Time to Step Out, Their Time to Rise’ (KG transition) — 628 views
Profile Activity (90 days vs previous period)
- Total profile activity: 586 actions (+12.3%)
- Profile visits: 581 (+13.0%) — parents actively checking the school out
Audience Demographics — Exactly Who We Targeted
- Top location: Thane — 55.4% (the school’s core catchment area)
- Mumbai — 11.8% (secondary market, families considering relocation)
- Age 35–44: 41.9% of followers — primary preschool decision-makers
- Age 25–34: 31.4% of followers — young parents with toddlers
- Women: 63.8% — the majority research driver in preschool decisions
Rebrand Story
Managing a Brand Transition Through Social Media
Renaming a school is risky. Parents who’ve heard of ‘My School Italy’ through word-of-mouth now encounter ‘Upward International Preschool & Daycare’ online and have to connect the two. Done poorly, a rebrand causes confusion and erodes the trust the school had built.
BeeDigital handled the transition by:
- Gradually introducing the new name in content before the full switch, so the audience could adjust
- Creating a content narrative around ‘upward’ — growth, aspiration, moving forward — that made the new brand feel intentional and exciting rather than arbitrary
- Maintaining visual and tonal continuity so existing followers felt the account they knew had evolved, not disappeared
- Using the rebrand moment as a content opportunity — announcing the new identity with engaging Reels that drove curiosity and discovery
The rebrand is now complete and the new brand identity is consistently applied across all content. Upward International is findable, recognisable, and communicating clearly.
Analysis
Why This Worked
Preschool Parents Research Emotionally, Not Rationally
A parent choosing a preschool isn’t comparing spreadsheets of curriculum outcomes. They’re watching a Reel of a teacher gently helping a 3-year-old with a puzzle and thinking: ‘My child would be happy here.’ Our entire content strategy was built around creating those emotional moments — and delivering them consistently, week after week, until the account became a trusted window into the school.
Reels Gave a Small Account a Large Audience
With 271 followers, a static post might reach 30–50 people. A Reel on the same account can reach 1,200. This is the single most important tactical insight for small preschools: Reels are the only organic tool that lets you reach beyond your existing audience at scale. Our pivot from balanced content to Reels-only directly drove the +1,279% reach growth seen in the data.
Consistency Builds Familiarity, Familiarity Builds Admissions
Thane parents who’ve been seeing Upward International content in their feed for months — even casually, even without following the account — have a warm relationship with the brand before they ever walk in the door. When admission season comes and they’re comparing preschool options, Upward International is already familiar. That familiarity is worth more than any single campaign.
“We went through a name change, a new look, and a completely new way of communicating — all within a year. BeeDigital kept our social media consistent and professional through all of it. Parents started recognising us online in a way they never had before.”
— Management, Upward International Preschool & Daycare
What’s Next
The Next Phase
Upward International now has a brand, a voice, a content strategy, and a growing audience of exactly the right parents. The foundation is solid. The next phase of growth focuses on:
- Scaling Reel output during the April–June admission season — more parent-hook content, more ‘day in the life’ videos, more teacher-spotlight content
- Introducing parent testimonial Reels — the most trusted form of social proof for preschool decisions
- Adding a paid amplification layer to reach beyond the organic audience during peak admission season
- Building a WhatsApp enquiry funnel from Instagram to reduce the gap between content discovery and admission conversation
The organic groundwork means that any paid investment will perform better — the brand is already warm, already trusted, already present in the right parents’ feeds.
Work With BeeDigital
Is Your Preschool or School Invisible Online?
BeeDigital built Upward International’s digital presence through a rebrand, a format shift, and a complete content strategy overhaul — and the account is now reaching thousands of parents in Thane every month, organically.
If your educational institution has an Instagram account that isn’t working — or no account at all — we can help.
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