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Tag: Upgrad

  • Examines 100 EdTech ads

    ASCI releases report on advertising in the EdTech sector

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released a comprehensive report on advertising in the education technology sector (EdTech) and the impact it has on parents and students. The report aims to decode the challenges and opportunities for EdTech sector advertising. The report also identifies ways in which the sector can shape a more responsible narrative, and move away from opportunistic advertising which many consider problematic.

     

    EdTech as a sector holds immense promise in being able to address the infrastructural and learning challenges in India, hence it is critical that the advertising of the sector does not undermine its potential. The study, done with the active participation of both industry and non-industry stakeholders identifies opportunities and challenges and proposes a framework that could guide advertisers to more balanced advertising.

     

    The EdNext study was undertaken by ASCI with Sprint Studio.ai as the research partner and UNICEF as the knowledge partner. A total of 100 EdTech advertisements across print, TV, digital video and static mediums were analysed by a wide set of stakeholders including parents, students, policymakers, educationists, child development experts, as well as representatives of the industry from the marketing and creative fields. The study was conducted across the cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Indore, Kanpur, Patna, Kolhapur, Warangal and Bardhaman.

     

    The analysis revealed that:

    Ads have a huge impact on parents’ choice of EdTech platform, with 49% of parents choosing platforms based on advertising

    Like traditional education ads, Ed-Tech ads too, have a huge focus on marks and ranks. Math and science dominated the subjects depicted

    While 81% of parents trust EdTech ads, 73% felt that ads showed high pressure of studies

    None of the endorsers/ role models were from the academic field

    Stereotypes of gender, physical appearances, and mother’s roles crept in to these ads

    The findings also noted some positives. Some of the key positives identified were:

    Ads featuring parents represented them as supporting partners to students, and thereby provided positive role models for progressive parenting (21 out of 23 ads)

    Parents and experts also felt that ads that focused on conceptual learning were progressive and enjoyable

     

    The EdNext study proposed a framework to elevate the communication around EdTech mindfully. Titled ‘RAISE’, the framework provides stakeholders a set of lenses to evaluate the creatives and develop messages that could be considered more progressive. Following the checklist guide provided in the framework will help marketers and creative experts review concepts at the inception stage of the ad itself.

     

    The framework is based on five principles which include:

    R – Relationship of the student with learning

    A – Authenticity of situations, promises and claims

    I – Inclusive representation of characters to depict diversity in gender, age, physical attributes, personality types, learning styles and pace along with regional inclusion

    S – Spectrum of pedagogy where there is information on learning methods and how they contribute to holistic learning outcomes

    E – Excellence markers to focus on overall development as a measure of success over ranks and marks

     

    Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General, ASCI, said: “EdTech has emerged as a very important sector in recent times, especially in the pandemic era where parents engaged with these companies to supplement their children’s education. Ed-Tech has the ability to solve some fundamental infrastructure and content challenges and revolutionize Indian education. However, given the particular asymmetry between vulnerable parents and students on the one hand, and large organizations on the other, it is critical to ensure that advertising is responsible and does not exploit these vulnerabilities. EdTech advertising has a massive opportunity to build a positive and future-facing narrative, which makes for compelling brand stories that also build confident and multifaceted learners.”

     

    Mayank Kumar, Chair at Indian Ed-tech Consortium, and Co-founder UpGrad added: “The EdNext report shines light on the sheer scale of the EdTech sector and highlights the need for raising the bar on advertising in the industry along with providing a roadmap on how that can be achieved. The report also shows huge acceptance of the benefits of EdTech products by students, parents and teachers. The in-depth research we undertook along with ASCI will help the industry get a clear picture of how the sector can benefit through responsible advertising, which it is already constantly working towards.”

     

    Divya Gokulnath, Co-chair at Indian Ed-tech Consortium and Co-Founder BYJU’S said: “The EdNext report highlights that almost all parents are appreciative of the ads which show children enjoying the process of learning, which is something we live by, work for, and showcase in our ads. We prioritize building strong and sustainable relationships based on first principles. While it’s natural for advertisers to highlight the best outcomes achieved by their users, the EdTech industry strives to present a balanced picture at all times. As a nascent industry that is constantly evolving, we must adapt in our effort so that we can make learning effective for everyone. This initiative by ASCI will help us design even more responsible and effective ad campaigns as we continue to grow and improve.”

     

  • Features its real-life learners

    UpGrad rolls out new brand campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    UpGrad has rolled out a brand campaign, featuring the journeys of its alumni in candid conversations on-screen.

     

    Said Ankit Khirwal, Head of Marketing at UpGrad: “It was our deliberate effort to bring out such real stories from upGrad alumni, which resonate with the concerns of the millions who want to pursue upskilling to fast forward their careers. This also helps build trust and credibility of our courses and their impact at large.”

     

    Added adman and filmmaker, Manoj Tapadia: “Realism was inbuilt, and I didn’t have to try and manufacture anything like fiction. The challenge was how to make it entertaining and engaging because there are dime-a-dozen testimonial ads. How could have we been different? That’s where the idea of capturing the real onset interaction between the director and the ad came in. It was spontaneous, like a live shoot.”

     

  • Creates a Two-tier Grievance Redressal Mechanism

    Indian EdTech Consortium issues clarification

    By Our Staff

     

    Indian Edtech Consortium (IEC) which has been formed under the aegis of IAMAI has issued a clarification around mis-selling and misleading advertisements by edtech companies. To ensure the protection of consumers’ interests, IEC has created a two-tier grievance redressal mechanism. “So far, 100% of the complaints received by the IEC until June 2022 have been resolved completely while the complaints received in July are going through active screening for faster resolutions,” notes a communique.

     

    Said Dr Aruna Sharma, Ex-Secretary, Government of India & Expert Member, IGRB while adding to the development: “EdTech is well recognised in New Education Policy for not just lifelong learning but also for better and repeat learning. IEC as an SRO has also commissioned an Independent Grievance Redressal Board (IGRB) that constitutes Retd. Supreme Court Judge, industry veterans and leaders to adhere to the internal Code of Conduct. This vigilance will enable the dynamic Edtech sector to address the rising challenges, and propel a stronger ecosystem in the coming times. These steps will ensure confidence among users by having a strong grievance redressal ecosystem.”

     

    Adds the communique: “The recent Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) data which shows that 33% of complaints are filed against the Education sector, at large. However, it also confirms that only 6% of the total complaints received are against the Edtech companies while the remaining 94% are filed against the traditional education system. This, in turn, makes the total count sub 2% for the edtech sector.”

     

    Added Mayank Kumar, Chair at IEC and also the Co-founder and MD at UpGrad: “As industry leaders, we take the responsibility very seriously as we understand both the long-term impact and implications, our actions could create on the lives of millions. Edtech as a strong community has been far more prompt than our traditional counterpart in managing consumer complaints and grievances.”

     

  • To formulate go-to-market strategies

    UpGrad appoints Rakesh Raju as Director of Brand Marketing

    By Our Staff

     

    Rakesh Raju
    Rakesh Raju

    Strengthening its leadership team, UpGrad, the edtech firm, has announced the appointment of Rakesh Raju as the Director of Brand Marketing. In

     

    Welcoming Raju to his new role, Ankit Khirwal – Head of Marketing, UpGrad said: “We are elated to have Rakesh Raju on board. His business prowess and experience in leading brands’ marketing efforts make him an ideal choice for UpGrad, especially at a time when we are growing by leaps and bounds and such strategic hirings shall further help us to drive maximum campaign-performance efficiencies.”

     

  • Every brand wants clutter-breaking ads but at times they are just a waste of time and resources, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Ads that Break the Clutter

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaThe audience is never waiting for the advertisement to appear. If the content is engaging and involving, the advertisement break is not welcomed. Hence, the brand communication must be designed for the audience to take notice. It must have the clutter-breaking capability and a robust communication-brand association. Sometimes, execution-style becomes the differentiator, a brand association device and the clutter-breaker.

    The recent QR code Super Bowl ad is one such example. In the Indian context, the Flipkart ads with adult-kids and https://youtu.be/efRNKkmWdc0ZooZoo of Vodaphone and even the Pug were such clutter-breakers. Sometimes brands use references to old classics and nostalgia as clutter breakers. Remember the Aaj Tak black and white TVCs. However, clutter-breaking execution styles and devices in communication may not always give you a positive ROI and impact.

     

    UpGrad Hybrid – Real Clutter-Breaker

    Having experienced online education as a student and instructor/facilitator/teacher, I must confess I am not a fan of online education. Something is lacking. However, I love the UpGrad Online campaigns addressing the working executives and promising career enhancement with online education.

    The new UpGrad ad with Amitabh Bachchan presents a hybrid model trying to break the belief that studies abroad are limited by financial status.

     

    This UpGrad TVC by Womb is different. It uses the angry young man image of Amitabh Bachchan as a clutter-breaker. He is on a rampage, questioning why such UpGrad programmes were not there when he wanted to study abroad, and the brand tells him he can still do so. The film scores as curiosity builder and engager.

     

    Cred Breaks Clutter And Builds On Past.

    Enough has been said about CRED’s earlier campaign featuring celebrities. It was strategically a clutter breaker idea before delivering the promise of reward points.

    https://youtu.be/lRDNFMAkMN4

     

    Cred is back with another clutter-breaker idea. And I am a sucker for strategic continuity in style. However, this one takes the cake. I have no way to measure the success of the earlier campaign, so I must trust the brand team; they must be onto something good. Otherwise, who would burn money behind these clutter-breakers? This time Cred used famous advertisements from the golden era of Indian advertising as a precursor to its message. The first ad talks of ‘Sadharan Inamo ko bolo tata’– say bye-bye to ordinary prizes, a take on the Nirma ad.

     

    I hope there are more ads in the series. We will at least have some laughs while still wondering the point of such ads? These devices work the audience exposed to the old referred advertisement. They may even engage the new generation with a curious WTF expression. Maybe there is more to it. Maybe.

     

    Slice Cards Changes Gear

    Slice cards’ recent advertisement uses its differentiated execution as a clutter-breaker. These are short and fast-paced TVCs delivering the message- Slice For the fast one. Too fast for me- I needed to slow it down to get the message. Maybe I am not the TG. Earlier, the brand has used slow-motion as a device to deliver the message. But this clutter-breaking device does not seem to work.

    https://youtu.be/casGBFWVh6E

     

    Jaquar Double Take To Clutter Break

    Jaquar, the brand known for nath fittings, once again attempts to communicate its presence in the lighting segment. It uses its strength of bath fittings to help create a clutter-breaking visual representation before delivering the message. The new  JaquarTVC uses imagination as a clutter breaker. For a more detailed journey of Jaquar lighting, read the Karthik blog. See the brand’s earlier attempts in the lighting category since 2016 and how the clutter-breaking device in the latest ad plays on its strength.

     

    Dinshaw’s Tactical Break- Leveraging Known Communication.

    Some time back, Dinshaw’s, the leading brand of milk, milk products and ice cream in central India, ran an outdoor campaign based on other well-known communication lines. It was a short, tactical campaign. The headlines played with famous ad lines enhancing better audience engagement and creating a buzz in the market.

     

     

     

    NET-NET

    Clutter-breaking communication is not new. Every brand wants clutter-breaking ads. They have their own strategic devices and creative ways to do so. When it is strategically aligned, as in the case of Vodafone, Flipkart, Jaquar, AajTak and UpGrad, it works and delivers. However, at times they are just a waste of time and resources.

     

    Disclaimer. The author is associated with Dinshaw’s as a brand and marketing consultant.

     

  • 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.”

     

  • The Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) ran a telephonic survey on Sunday, October 4 reaching out to 892 respondents during the day to check out recall of brands, their celebrities and their messaging

    Byju tops on IPL ads recall. Dhoni, Kohi most recalled celebs: IIHB study

    By A Correspondent

     

    Byju’s was the most spontaneously recalled brand on the IPL last weekend as MS Dhoni had the highest spontaneous recall as a celebrity endorser. The Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) ran a telephonic survey on Sunday, October 4 reaching out to 892 respondents during the day to check out recall of brands, their celebrities and their messaging. There were 41% female respondents, ad 59% male. All respondents were between 15 to 35 years.

     

    So while Byju’s was the most spontaneously recalled brand on the IPL last weekend, its celebrity endorser Shah Rukh Khan trailed behind other celebrities who were more visible, hence more recalled. Dream 11 was at No 2 with multiple endorsers.

     

    Swiggy, Thar, UpGrad and Altroz ranked highest amongst brands that did not use a celebrity. VI was not spontaneously recalled, notes the study.

     

    MS Dhoni had the highest spontaneous recall as a celebrity endorser. Virat Kohli was a not-so-close second. Akshay Kumar was at #3; Ayushmann Khurrana at #4.

     

    Said Dr Sandeep Goyal, Chief Mentor of the IIHB: “So far in the IPL, MS Dhoni is the biggest celebrity. Virat Kohli trails. However, it is surprising that Shahrukh Khan has not done as well as the brand, BYJUs, that he represents. Aamir, though supported by much lesser media weightages, is a better performing celebrity this season at IPL. Non-celebrity brands have done well too. Swiggy, Thar, UpGrad, Altroz, Lenskart, MG Gloster, Facebook, Amazon, Kellogg’s, cricket.com, and VI were mentioned in significant measure by respondents. PhonePe and Swiggy were rated as the best ads of the ones on the IPL. But, the feedback on qualitative goodness was inadequate and is mentioned here only as part of data received by default.”

     

     

  • The campaign talks about the edtech major providing ‘Sirf Naam Ki Nahin, Kaam Ki Degree’ for working professionals

    UpGrad unveils new TV & digital campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    UpGrad, the online higher education company, has unveiled its latest mass media campaign. The TV commercial, featuring a donkey, draws from the cultural insight that in the corporate world, everyone wants to climb the ladder and choose various ways to get ahead – one of the most common being the tendency to ‘lick ass’.

     

    Shot in Estonia, the film has been developed by creative agency The Womb and has been directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi, aka Bob, co-founder & director, Good Morning Films.

     

    Said Arjun Mohan, CEO – India, UpGrad: “Our primary objective is to define the kind of education UpGrad provides, that is not constricted by the mode of learning – which just happens to be online. The next ambition was to compellingly summarise all the types of courses we provide – post-graduate degrees, certifications and diplomas. We chose the word ‘degree’ because in India, the concept of a ‘degree’ holds emotional and practical heft across all socio-economic classes. While degrees are available a dime a dozen, the conflict occurs when they tend to be generic, outdated and from not so credible institutions, that are ultimately not valued by employers. Thus, the genesis of ‘Sirf naam ki nahin, kaam ki degree’ – upGrad’s promise to provide outcome-oriented specialisations that help learners to achieve the ROI on education – job/profile switch, increment or promotion, in other words, Employability.”

     

    Talking about the campaign, Kawal Shoor, Co-Founder, The Womb added: “UpGrad and The Womb got together a few months back to start working on building its brand and business in India. COVID-19 has hastened the need for edtech as a category. UpGrad is a very substantive brand in the midst of many lightweight educational institutions that have mushroomed all over India. It has a great culture, knows how to teach, and has tie-ups with some of the best universities in India, and the world. It can fulfil the learning needs of working professionals and undergraduates. We had to bring its various offerings under one, clear positioning idea for the brand that stems from and can influence culture. This spot introduces that idea, along with a clear proposition for working professionals.”

     

    Added Navin Talreja, Co-Founder, The Womb: “UpGrad’s Data Science and Management programs for working professionals have great pedigree with tie-ups with institutions like IIIT Bangalore, IIT Madras, and Deakin Business School. To make this resonate culturally, we borrowed from culture – work/corporate culture to be specific. We uncovered a very rich insight – in organisations, those who’re not good enough to find other means to rise. We built our proposition around this insight. What was even more challenging was to find a way to execute this in a lockdown – so what you’ll see, are Indian-origin actors from the UK, performing in an office in Estonia, being remotely directed from a villa in Goa. The clients at UpGrad have to be complimented for believing,”

     

     

  • Upgrad is India’s largest online higher education company, basis gross revenue generated from the Indian market

    Meanwhile, Upgrad gets Tatvic Analytics for digital

    By A Correspondent

     

    Upgrad has selected Tatvic Analytics as its digital marketing consulting firm to strategise and implement data-driven marketing campaigns over the brand’s digital channels and programmatic space.

     

    “Understanding our consumers’ needs and catering to them has always been our priority and Tatvic demonstrated the potential to deliver on our learner centricity. It is through a rigorous and robust screening process, that we decided to onboard Tatvic as our digital analytics consultants. Their team is highly capable and is well aware of the latest industry trends which allows them to hit the ground running, which is exactly what we need at the moment to launch Upgrad’s biggest marketing campaign in calendar year 2020,” added Mayank Kumar, Co-founder & MD at UpGrad.

     

    Added Ravi Pathak, the CEO & Co-Founder of Tatvic Analytics: “We are excited to partner with Upgrad since we share their belief in data-driven marketing and their fierce commitment to focus on driving customer value using marketing data. It is very inspiring to work with a team like upGrad that has an advanced digital maturity and knows exactly where they are headed in order to be future-ready.”

     

     

  • Phase 1 of 9-month PG programme to be completed by June 2020

    Adfactors, Upgrad to train PR professionals in digital mktg

    By A Correspondent

     

    PR major Adfactors PR has signed an MoU with leading education company Upgrad to train 300 of its client-servicing employees in a post-graduate certification programme on digital marketing and communications. The course has been designed by experts from MICA with additional modules co-created with Adfactors PR, for PR professionals.

     

    The objective, notes a communique, of this transformational initiative is to foster a 360-degree digital ecosystem-readiness within the firm by building a deep understanding of social media, online reputation management, multimedia content capabilities, content marketing, digital analytics, campaign planning, and digital crisis management skills.

     

    While the first batch of over 100 employees, drawn from the Delhi and Bengaluru offices of Adfactors PR, have already started their training, two other batches of 100 each will start from August 16 and October 1, respectively. The course will have participation across levels from Account Executives to Vice-Presidents.

     

    The entire programme is funded by Adfactors PR for all its employees. The Phase 1 of this program, to be completed by June 2020, will be followed by Phase 2, where the remaining 300 client-servicing executives will complete this training.

     

    Said Mayank Kumar, Co-founder and Managing Director, Upgrad: “Adfactors PR’s endeavour is the largest digital transformation initiative that we have seen from a non-IT company. This unique enterprise partnership fits in wonderfully with upGrad’s own vision that in an ever-changing industry, professionals need to continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. We are extremely happy to see that a new-age PR firm is also committed to a similar goal.”

     

    Added Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director, Adfactors PR: “As India’s leading PR firm, we have to be future-ready to meet the evolving needs of our clients. For our employees, such comprehensive education will serve as a bridge to migrate to the digital future. By March 2021, we expect every single employee of the firm to have post-graduate capabilities in digital marketing and communications.”