MxMIndia

Tag: Edtech

  • Ads must not contain messages that exploit vulnerability of students

    ASCI updates advertising guidelines for education sector

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has recommended an amendment to its “Guidelines for Advertising of Educational Institutions, Programmes and Platforms”. For this purpose, it has invited public consultation so that all stakeholders can participate and frame a set of just and equitable guidelines for a critical industry of the country.

     

    All educational institutions, from universities, colleges and schools to coaching classes, EdTech platforms and others that offer education and training programmes play a vital role in in the development of the country’s intellectual capacity and will be subject to these guidelines. Since parents not only place great value on their children’s education, but also make significant sacrifices to get it, it is critical that marketing communication in this sector is honest and does not harm consumers through its portrayals or content.

     

    In this year, the education sector has contributed to 27% of objectionable ads that ASCI processed (Traditional education 22% and EdTech 5%). The recent EdNext study conducted by ASCI also revealed that 49% of parents chose EdTech platforms based on advertising, demonstrating the importance of advertising regulation in maintaining the robustness of the educational framework. The report also brought out some concerns that stakeholders and experts had when it came to the manner in which learning seemed to be solely linked to exams and high scores. It is to address some of these concerns that ASCI has proposed a comprehensive update of the existing advertising guidelines for the sector.

     

    The guidelines ensure that advertisements by the sector do not undermine the well-being of students. The guidelines continue to require educational entities to substantiate any claims they make with relevant evidence.

     

    The revised guidelines seek to ensure that students are neither stereotyped based on their gender or appearance nor are those who score low, portrayed as unsuccessful or failures. Advertisements must also not portray average or poor-scoring students as demotivated, depressed, unhappy or receiving less appreciation from parents, teachers, or peers. Together with considering students’ mental health, the updated guidelines will factor in their physical health; advertisements are required not to feature students sacrificing sleep or meals in order to study as this normalises unhealthy habits. Creating a false sense of urgency or fear of missing out which could accentuate parental or student anxieties regarding education, too, will be considered a violation of the ASCI code.

     

    Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General, ASCI, said: “The education sector impacts millions of students and parents who make immense sacrifices to ensure the best education for their wards. Unlike most other products, education cannot be tangibly measured. The value of a programme is determined by means such as degrees, diplomas and other qualification nomenclatures, recognition, affiliations, testimonials, accreditations, admissions/jobs/compensation promises. Hence, it is critical that, in addition to being truthful and compliant with Chapter I of the ASCI Code, advertisers must consider any harm that can be caused through depictions or messages to young, impressionable minds. These updated guidelines will go a long way in ensuring that emerging fields such as EdTech can be harnessed as forces of good. We request that the public come forth in large numbers and share their views for a cause that is vital for the well-being and the future of our country.”

     

    Read the proposed update of the guidelines: https://ascionline.in/education-guidelines.pdf

     

  • To manage the omnichannel media services for the learning platform

    Carat India wins mandate for TimesPro

    By Our Staff

     

    Carat, the media agency from Dentsu India, has won the media mandate for TimesPro, EdTech initiative of The Times of India Group. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agency’s Mumbai office. As per the mandate, the agency will manage the omnichannel media services for TimesPro.

     

    Speaking on the win, Anita Kotwani, CEO, Carat India said: “We are pleased to win the media business for TimePro. Carat is committed to creating meaningful end-to-end media solutions through data-driven marketing, and to further accelerating the brand’s growth journey. As a team, we are excited to get this opportunity to work with a brand that is aiding every professional’s career aspiration!”

     

    Gaurav Barjatya, Head Brand Marketing and Communications, TimesPro added: “We are delighted to be working with Carat India. It’s an agency that’s responsive and nimble to the business demands of today, which span a variety of traditional and new age media. We look forward to collaborating with them as we grow and take our H.EdTech offering to millions of learners nationwide.”

     

  • Leading players include Byju’s, Simplilearn, Unacademy, UpGrad and Vedantu among others

    IAMAI establishes India EdTech Consortium

    By Our Staff

     

    Leading EdTech companies under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) have announced the formation of the India EdTech Consortium (IEC).  Aligned with the government’s recent advisory, the IEC will ensure that every learner shall have access to quality and affordable education, which not only improves their academic performance but also makes them future-ready.

     

    With consumer interest at the core of the consortium, the EdTech companies have committed to observe and adhere to a common ‘Code of Conduct’ and establish a Two-tier Grievance Redressal Mechanism to ensure that the positive impact of the industry reaches every deserving consumer while protecting their interests and promoting their rights.

     

    Several EdTech entities have joined the IEC such as such as Byju’s, Careers 360,Classplus, Doubtnut, Great Learning, Harappa, Times Edutech & Events Ltd, Scaler, Simplilearn, Toppr, Unacademy, upGrad, UNext Learning, Vedantu & WhiteHat Jr.

     

    Said Subho Ray, President, Internet and Mobile Association of India, said: “IAMAI and members of the India EdTech Consortium (IEC) are deeply committed to ensuring ethical standards to protect learners on online educational platforms. IEC seeks to empower the learners by not just helping them make informed decisions but by also having their grievances redressed timely. The formation of this self-regulatory body is an important step towards protecting learners as more and more students, teachers and stakeholders are becoming a part of the online education ecosystem.”

     

  • To reflect the brand’s core personality and create an instant connect with kids

    EdTech PlanetSpark unveils a refreshed brand identity

    By Our Staff

     

    Gurugram-based EdTech Startup PlanetSpark has announced the launch of its new visual identity. The rebranding which has been conceived and executed by Dev Kabir Malik comprises new visual assets including a revamped logo.

     

    Speaking of this revamp, Maneesh Dhooper, Co-founder, PlanetSpark said: “One of our key objectives behind this rebranding was to humanize our brand, which reflects very well in the new logo. With this new identity, we aim to instil a sense of belongingness, fun as well as curiosity, amongst students. We believe that PlanetSpark being a platform exclusively for kids, should also be visually representative of and appealing to them.”

     

    Added Kunal Malik, Co-founder, PlanetSpark: “This rebranding is a step forward for PlanetSpark to become globally synonymous with terms like “Public Speaking”, “Communication” and “English Speaking”. We envision our brand to be the go-to destination for communication skills and public speaking for kids around the world. A new dynamic and scalable brand language such as this, further solidifies PlanetSpark’s image as the uncontested communications leader for children.”

     

  • The agency will be responsible for conceptualisation and execution of the upcoming TVC campaigns with brand ambassador Virat Kohli

    Script Room bags Great Learning’s mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Creative agency Script Room has bagged the mandate for Great Learning’s campaigns with brand ambassador Virat Kohli. The agency will be responsible for conceptualisation and execution of the upcoming TVC campaigns.

     

    Aparna Mahesh
    Aparna Mahesh

    Speaking about the creative mandate for the campaign, Aparna Mahesh, Chief Marketing Officer, Great Learning said: “We were very impressed by the creativity and passion displayed by the team at The Script Room and are confident they will help us drive awareness for our degree and certificate programs in a very engaging way. We are quite excited about the way the campaign is shaping up.”

     

    Ayyappan Raj
    Ayyappan Raj

    Speaking about the win, Ayyappan Raj, Founder, The Script Room said: “Edtech is a very exciting space and there’s a lot of interesting work happening in the category. And we are super delighted to work with Great Learning on their new campaign with Virat Kohli. They are a fabulous team to work with, and really helped us push the envelope both in terms of thinking and execution. The films are coming out really well and you can expect to see some super exciting work very soon.”

     

    The campaign is scheduled to break later this month.

     

  • …for their Herculean effort over the lockdown

    Lead pays tribute to school-owners…

    By Our Staff

     

    Edtech firm Lead has come up a digital film ‘Out of Syllabus’ that celebrates the efforts of ‘Future Line Workers’ – school-owners who acted as a mentor to teachers and an educator to students.

     

    Commenting on bringing alive a disruptive initiative, Govind Pandey, CEO of TBWA\India said: “During the pandemic, we have had so many unexpected and unsung heroes who went out of their way to help others. Passionate school owners who understand that education is important and that every child deserves a good one are also such heroes. They did what they could despite all the odds because they know that education makes a huge difference to the kids futures and we couldn’t let the pandemic impact that. We call these school owners Future-Line Workers.”

     

    Said Anupam Gurani, Chief Marketing Officer of Lead: “We partner with 2,000+ schools across India and we have seen first-hand the commitment of these school owners in educating their students during the pandemic. Our new  campaign, Out of Syllabus, is a salute to the indomitable spirit of all these future line warriors who have managed to create a seamless online learning environment by acting as an educator to students & a mentor to teachers.”

     

  • To lead end-to-end marketing for the edtech major

    UpGrad onboards Ankit Khirwal as Head of Marketing

    By Our Staff

     

    Ankit Khirwal
    Ankit Khirwal

    Bengaluru-based Edtech firm UpGrad, has announced the onboarding of Ankit Khirwal as the Vice President – Marketing. In his new role, Khirwal will lead the end-to-end marketing efforts across the organisation. He will manage all aspects of Brand Marketing and Public Relations, Performance Marketing, CRM Marketing, Creative and Content Marketing.

     

    Said Arjun Mohan, CEO-India, UpGrad: “We are thrilled to have Ankit onboard. His proven experience in deepening brand presence, expanding the consumer funnel, and scaling up revenue will be invaluable in helping UpGrad maintain its rapid growth to meet the strong demand with the expansion of our footprint in international markets and new verticals.”

     

    Added Khirwal: “I was the first person in my entire family to pursue studies beyond under-graduation. I understand and value the importance of education in life. It is an exciting time to be part of the global online education revolution and it will be a fulfilling experience to take UpGrad’s philosophy of LifelongLearning ahead.”

     

  • As head of creative and content marketing

    UpGrad appoints Shreyas Shevade for CM

    By Our Staff

     

    Shreyas Shevade
    Shreyas Shevade

    UpGrad, the edtech company, has announced the appointment of Shreyas Shevade as the Head of Creative and Content Marketing. Shreyas’s role will be to integrate upGrad’s brand messaging across traditional and new media.

     

    On welcoming Shevade to his new role, Arjun Mohan, CEO-India, upGrad, said: “Smartly-crafted branded content and storytelling skills have the potential to connect with audiences at an emotional level. Shreyas’s rich marketing experience and cultural inclination, will help us strengthen our brand presence across the country. We are thrilled to welcome Shreyas to the upGrad family.”

     

    Added Shevade: “After a decade of being a mercenary on hire for brands, I’m now proud to pledge my allegiance to just one. Edtech is at an interesting juncture of revolutionising education, changing the norms of how, where, when, and who it is made accessible to, and upGrad is at the helm of this revolution. The fact that upGrad’s philosophy of Lifelong Learning matches my own, and that I get to work closely with entrepreneurs I’ve admired from afar, is what I’m pumped about the most.”

     

  • To promote new age online degree programmes

    Great Learning launches campaign for online degree

    By Our Staff

     

    EdTech company Great Learning  has launched its new brand campaign #NayeZamaaneKiDegree in a bid to create awareness about the new age degree programs. The campaign is targeted towards freshers and young professionals who are looking for career growth.

     

    Speaking about the campaign Aparna Mahesh, Chief Marketing Officer, Great Learning said: “In a highly volatile digital economy, employers are looking to hire talent with industry relevant skill sets, so they can start adding value right from the start. Just the stamp of a degree is not enough, it is important for young professionals to demonstrate a holistic understanding of fundamentals needed for the job. UGC approved online degrees from reputed institutes, supported by tech platforms like ours will ensure a wide number of students across have access to high quality, industry relevant education. With this campaign, we aim to strike a chord with our target audience on the need to choose the right degree for themselves. The response to this campaign has been overwhelming so far. It is great to see the idea of this communication resonate with so many learners across domains and sectors.”

     

  • Launches a new TVC to urge learners to upskill

    Virat Kohli films for Great Learning

    By Our Staff

    Edtech company Great Learning has released a new TVC featuring their brand ambassador Virat Kohli. The ad film is the third in the series of the multi-film campaign titled Power Ahead – Jo Seekhta Hai Wahi Aage Badhta Hai. It showcases how upskilling is a necessary step for students and professionals. The ad film will air across 40+ national channels of varied genres starting mid-April. The campaign has been conceptualized by Sideways and directed by Cornerstone.

    Said Aparna Mahesh, Chief Marketing Officer, Great Learning: “In today’s volatile world, constant learning and upskilling will increasingly be the main source of stability for professionals. Great Learning has always been focused on providing professionals with access to top-notch programs from the world’s best academic institutions. Virat embodies Great Learning’s philosophy of lifelong learning and disciplined effort in his game. His ethos of pursuing excellence is exactly what we follow at Great Learning while delivering our programs across domains to our learners.  We believe his passion to stay at the top of his game will inspire our learners and audience to uplift their careers through mentored learning.”

    Added Abhijit Avasthi, Co-founder, Sideways: “Great Learning’s stance of ‘Jo seekhta hai, wahi aagey badhta hai’ is true of any sphere of life or career. Virat is an embodiment of this philosophy. And the results are there for all to see. We have seen a lot of traction ever since we launched this thought last August. We hope to continue and build on the momentum.”

     

  • Hero Vired is aimed at upskilling talent pool with industry-ready skills

    Hero Group forays into edtech

    By Our Staff

    The Hero Group announced the launch of a new EdTech company, Hero Vired, with a brand campaign – ‘Be Made for BIG Things’ on social media and OTT platforms. The campaign is designed to showcase the importance of an end-to-end learning ecosystem for today’s workforce for overall professional development. The brand campaign which is in the voice of actor Ashish Vidyarthi will run on Hotstar, Zee5, Sony Liv, Jio Saavn, Gaana and the brand’s social media platforms

    Said Sushma Bharath, Head of Programs & Marketing, Hero Vired: “At Hero Vired, we believe that there’s more to life than just another job, increment or a degree. We want to bridge the gap between learning and employability by ensuring our efforts result in the real transformation of life and ambitions. ‘Be Made For BIG Things’ is a campaign that will inspire people to look beyond the subjects and see the possibilities of tomorrow. The right choice will not only open doors but also the mind, to a host of new realities. We want to create those who will create the future.”

    Added Arun Verma, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, AVDS: “Today’s generation is unlike any other. They are not fixated on just another job title, salary or designation. They are looking for a larger purpose and a reason for being. Show them a dream that adds a purpose to their life, beyond just a career or organisational growth and they will be all in, committed to your vision. That is what Hero Vired creates – youngsters who want to be made for the human race, not the rat race. We created ‘Be Made For BIG Things’ from this powerful insight and it has become the ethos of Hero Vired.”

     

     

  • To curate strategies to boost the learning platform’s business

    Arm Worldwide bags digital pitch of Talentedge

    By Our Staff

    Arm Worldwide has bagged the mandate to steer digital content and conversations for Talentedge’s market leading online learning platform. It will devise a strategy for creative and engaging media towards digital communications for the brand.

    Abhinav Upadhyay
    Abhinav Upadhyay

    Said Abhinav Upadhyay, Chief Marketing Officer, Talentedge: “EdTech and the disruptive power of digital learning is the need of the hour to help grow India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education from current 26.3% to over 50%. At Talentedge, we are passionate about solving the skill gaps and enhancing people’s careers across the nation. In order to do this, establishing our brand’s promise, enhancing our product value and creating an engaged audience while scaling our business are the core tasks for 2021. Hence, for us, it was a well thought out decision to bring together Talentedge’s brand vision & customer experience practices with #ARM’s expertise in content and organic optimisation to build the Talentedge brand into a career progression powerhouse.”

    Manas-Gulati
    Manas Gulati

    Added Manas Gulati, Co-founder & CEO of Arm Worldwide: “It’s a pleasure to have been selected to undertake this exciting journey with Talentedge. We are super-thrilled to use our capabilities to create a disruptive leg of communication for this fast-paced ed-tech firm with a fantastic brand vision. We have a proven track record of qualitative and quantitative deliveries for brands. Our teams are delighted to enhance Talentedge’s business with a focused and creative approach. #ARM’s experience in the ed-tech sector has given us the leverage to navigate the waters and we are positive that our teams will deliver on the brand objective.”