Learning In A Well Rounded Way

Much before the lockdown accelerated the growth of education technology, Marketing, Think & Learn, better known after its founder’s name, Byju’s, was already a household name. From brandishing its presence on Indian cricket team’s jerseys to partnering with celebrities for making learning fun, to joining hands with media companies — the central messaging was the same — keep learning in a well- rounded way.

For Atit Mehta, the vice president and head of marketing of the company that is called the world’s most valuable edtech company, there was never any ambiguity on this message. Every initiative that Byju’s undertook in 2020 is reflective of this thought process, which is why he makes it to BW Top 50 Marketers 2021.

Sports Equally Critical

Sports marketing was already big on Byju’s agenda. Mehta explains, “While our entire business is around education, which is from kindergarten to standard 12, we strongly believe that every child is unique and different. It is important for a child to have well-rounded education and holistic understanding in early years. While there is Byju’s for academics, but sports also plays a critical role. This is why we are playing it big in sports.”

Byju’s has not only been associated with Team India but in 2020, it also continued to keep its eyes on the Indian Premier League.

Showcasing Young Geniuses

What also notably was seen as its strategy were associations with media companies to continue to grow its cause. In November 2020, it partnered with News18 Network to set in motion the work for a national campaign for showcasing, recognising and inspiring young geniuses in different fields across the country. The centerpiece of the campaign was a weekly episodic TV show. As e-learning became the new normal, it also joined hands with The Times of India to launch the #KeepLearning initiative. #KeepLearning aims to empower students, educators and anyone in the education space with information on the best practices of online learning.

Byju’s has always roped in celebrities ranging from Shah Rukh Khan and Mahesh Babu, as was seen in 2019 to signing on Kannada Superstar Sudeep Sanjeev to launch its first television ad- campaign in Kannada.

Acquisitions Galore

Through the year, the Bangalore-headquartered company planned expansion with acquisitions such as coding school for kids WhiteHat Jr, a strategy it continued in this year with brick-and-mortar test prep leader Aakash Educational Services. It also managed to raise funds to keep its momentum going. This enabled it a higher share of mind and share of voice. In September 2020, it embarked on a socialinitiative ‘Education for All’ that aims at democratising education by ensuring that children across all economic backgrounds get equal access to learning opportunities.

Reflecting on the road ahead, Mehta says, “Going forward, the aim continues to be to stay on course, and do what we are here to do. The product pipeline is looking strong over the next few months. We would be rolling out more features and personalisation will be available on the online app, which is going to further enhance the experience of online education.”