 "Brand Bachchan bridges the generation gap")
At a well-attended gathering in Mumbai, superstar Amitabh Bachchan started off with his signature line delivered in his trademark baritone, 'deviyo aur sajjano' (ladies and gentlemen) to an audience that could barely hold back its applause every time he paused after a sentence. This was no film launch or the sets of a television show. It was an event organised by the family-owned, Mumbai-headquartered MT Educare, among the biggest advertisers in print and on hoardings in the city and one of the early education companies to seek PE funding. While the company refused to disclose the amount spent on bringing Bachchan on board, industry analysts believe this could be the most expensive branding exercise by an education company in the country. It could also trigger off a spate of celebrity endorsements in a sector that is largely known to depend on past students and teachers as brand ambassadors.
Bachchan unveiled a learning management system Robomate+, of which he is the brand ambassador. This is among the first instances of a large education brand signing up a Bollywood celebrity as a brand ambassador. According to the company, Bachchan will be brand ambassador for a year. The campaign will run around two-three times a year across media and across urban and rural India.
Using star power to stand apart
At the event, Bachchan drew an analogy between Robomate+ and the story of Eklavya from the Mahabharata, implying that the product could help students learn even without a teacher being present to guide them every step of the way, just as Eklavya had done because guru Dronacharya had refused to let him into the charmed circle of his students. Bachchan used his inimitable style to explain the relevance of the guru and how Robomate+ could fill in the missing gaps in a person's learning graph. 'Modern cool gurukul' is how he described the new product.
N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA said that an endorser like Bachchan will act as a differentiator for the company. It also works for the star, he points out. Given the brouhaha over celebrity endorsements in recent months, the education sector is being seen as a safe haven and largely benign. It is thus a good fit for brand Bachchan too. It is likely that other education companies and endorsers would look at a similar engagement, but most would prefer to play the waiting game and see how this experiment works.
Trust and inspiration
Established in 1988, MT Educare started out with a small operation out of Mumbai but has since expanded significantly with teaching centres across India and specialised coaching for a range of entrance examinations. Chhaya Shastri, director, MT Educare explains that they believe Amitabh Bachchan is a good fit as an endorser for the group because not only is he popular across age groups, he could act as an inspiration for aspiring students across any field.
The company is also banking on the trust that Bachchan's name evokes, hoping that he will help give its new product an edge over similar applications available in the market. Shastri adds that the product is affordably priced. Apart from individuals, schools can also make bulk purchases. Given Bachchan's mass market appeal, the company hopes the brand will find easy acceptance across the country.
The application has had 500,000 downloads till date the company says. And schools across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Dehradun and now Maharashtra are implementing these solutions.
Currently, there are several players who offer smart classrooms and also digital assistance for education away from classroom. While they have seen some success, this market largely remains under-served. And many would be looking to draw lessons from MT Educare's experience with the star endorser to further their brands.
Bachchan's association with the company also includes his commitment to promote the product on social media. With 21.3 million followers on Twitter, Big B as he is also called is a big influencer. While this is certainly not the typical FMCG product that he usually endorses, industry experts point that Bachchan will provide the much needed impetus to get the message across to the right audience. As for the star, he must hope that education is a safer bet than chocolates, colas and noodles.
Bachchan unveiled a learning management system Robomate+, of which he is the brand ambassador. This is among the first instances of a large education brand signing up a Bollywood celebrity as a brand ambassador. According to the company, Bachchan will be brand ambassador for a year. The campaign will run around two-three times a year across media and across urban and rural India.
Using star power to stand apart
At the event, Bachchan drew an analogy between Robomate+ and the story of Eklavya from the Mahabharata, implying that the product could help students learn even without a teacher being present to guide them every step of the way, just as Eklavya had done because guru Dronacharya had refused to let him into the charmed circle of his students. Bachchan used his inimitable style to explain the relevance of the guru and how Robomate+ could fill in the missing gaps in a person's learning graph. 'Modern cool gurukul' is how he described the new product.
More From This Section
The product, a curriculum-based learning application is available on Android smartphone and digital devices for students. A student can access study material in the form of recorded lectures (audio and video), notes and test series. As far removed as this is from the world that Bachchan inhabits, how does his endorsement help the product?
N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA said that an endorser like Bachchan will act as a differentiator for the company. It also works for the star, he points out. Given the brouhaha over celebrity endorsements in recent months, the education sector is being seen as a safe haven and largely benign. It is thus a good fit for brand Bachchan too. It is likely that other education companies and endorsers would look at a similar engagement, but most would prefer to play the waiting game and see how this experiment works.
Trust and inspiration
Established in 1988, MT Educare started out with a small operation out of Mumbai but has since expanded significantly with teaching centres across India and specialised coaching for a range of entrance examinations. Chhaya Shastri, director, MT Educare explains that they believe Amitabh Bachchan is a good fit as an endorser for the group because not only is he popular across age groups, he could act as an inspiration for aspiring students across any field.
The company is also banking on the trust that Bachchan's name evokes, hoping that he will help give its new product an edge over similar applications available in the market. Shastri adds that the product is affordably priced. Apart from individuals, schools can also make bulk purchases. Given Bachchan's mass market appeal, the company hopes the brand will find easy acceptance across the country.
The application has had 500,000 downloads till date the company says. And schools across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Dehradun and now Maharashtra are implementing these solutions.
Currently, there are several players who offer smart classrooms and also digital assistance for education away from classroom. While they have seen some success, this market largely remains under-served. And many would be looking to draw lessons from MT Educare's experience with the star endorser to further their brands.
Bachchan's association with the company also includes his commitment to promote the product on social media. With 21.3 million followers on Twitter, Big B as he is also called is a big influencer. While this is certainly not the typical FMCG product that he usually endorses, industry experts point that Bachchan will provide the much needed impetus to get the message across to the right audience. As for the star, he must hope that education is a safer bet than chocolates, colas and noodles.