Pearson’s vision is to become the preferred partner of choice for learners, educators and the government: Siddharth Banerjee

• In its efforts to step up its India play and accelerate its growth plans to become the global digital powerhouse of learning, Pearson recently announced its first brand ambassador, Vicky Kaushal.
• We spoke to Siddharth Banerjee, Managing Director & SVP, India & Asia, Pearson to discuss the idea behind choosing Vicky Kaushal as the face of the company, trends in the education sector and Banerjee’s larger vision for the company.

When the pandemic hit, digital education exploded across the world and with the introduction of National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020, which was widely acknowledged as a transformational move, newer ways of teaching and learning emerged in our country. It created several opportunities for learning and EdTech platforms to rise to the forefront. Learners have also slowly and steadily accepted online education.

UK-based education and publishing major Pearson has been on a mission to make learning more accessible to everyone by enabling collaboration between all the stakeholders in the education sector and removing the digital divide in India. It is aiming to construct a vibrant educational ecosystem in our country, strengthen its direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy and direct relationship with the higher education ecosystem across the APAC region.

So, to discuss what lies ahead, Advertising and Media caught up with Siddharth Banerjee, Managing Director & SVP, India & Asia, Pearson. We tried to understand the brand’s marketing strategy behind onboarding Vicky Kaushal, the future of online education in India, his larger vision and a lot more.

Q. Can you tell us how 2021 was for Pearson India and for the education sector?

2021 has proved to be a transformational one for the education and learning sector. We have seen increased investments in education and technology, and major focus on online/blended modes of teaching and learning, and new business models being developed in India - all of which provides a universe of choices to learners and helps create a diverse array of learning environments.

2021 was also a high action year for Pearson India as we ensured the delivery of our revenue plans, launched innovative products, initiated the launch of a new technology centre in India and levelled up our conversations with some of the critical stakeholders across the Indian Higher Education spectrum, all while building a high performing teamwork culture within the organization. Besides an array of partnerships, we also launched the Pearson e-Library 2.0, a comprehensive 360º digital learning platform that gives access to over 4000+ titles, gaining great response from some of India’s leading business schools and engineering colleges registering on the platform.

Q. You have recently onboarded a brand ambassador. Firstly, why did you think now was the right time for the company and what was the thought behind choosing Vicky Kaushal? What are you eyeing to achieve from this partnership?

Globally, Pearson’s focus is on how we can strengthen our digital-first proposition and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) strategy to build a long-term, direct relationship with millions of learners across the globe. India is a strategic growth market for Pearson and therefore it is essential for us to establish a stronger brand connect here. Vicky Kaushal, besides being a great actor, is also one of the most popular youth icons in the country today, an inspiration for young learners to dream big and chart their own journey and hence, he’s a great storyteller for us, at Pearson India. In addition, we are going to work with study tubers, sports icons and other relevant storytellers to strengthen our brand connect with our audience.

Q. Now that you have your brand ambassador, you have clearly upped your marketing budget. Which advertising medium will get your lion's share from this budget?

Pearson is entering into a new era of digital and D2C with an aim of building a stronger connect with the youth. Social Media is emerging as the most active driver of brand choice amongst the youth today. It has become important for brands to mine ‘closer-to-life’ stories on social for building authentic connections with the audience. Social media & PR will be key channels for us to reach out and connect with a wider audience.

Q. What is your larger marketing strategy? How will your messaging change now that you have a new brand ambassador onboard?

Given our larger D2C approach, the overall marketing strategy revolves around creating a learner-centric narrative and enabling digital transformation of our offerings, which will motivate learners to focus on quality content and right outcomes. While specific details will be revealed closer to the initiation of campaigns , the aim would be to inspire students to prepare with Pearson and put in their best efforts.

Q. On a larger level, what are some of the trends that you are expecting to see in the Education sector?

The Indian education sector is currently at the brink of a momentous digital transformation and based on some of my recent interactions with key stakeholders in the sector, here are some important trends will reshape the overall education landscape:

• The future of education will be led by learners: No-one-size-fits-all approach and hyper personalization, enabled by data analytics and artificial intelligence, to meet the unique needs of every learner will drive fresher innovations.
• Technology will enable the rise of a more intuitive teacher who has access to tools to create a more conducive learning environment for each student, thus helping both, the teacher and the taught.
• Imagining Education & Learning in the Metaverse: Personalized, immersive, and engaging content will remain to be key for a robust education system and what’s more exciting are the ways in which this content will be consumed, especially with the emergence of AR/VR technologies.
• With NEP being a potential game changer, there will also be greater collaboration between all the stakeholders in the education sector towards removing the digital divide – thus addressing the age-old debate of access of education in India.
• An era of massive partnerships for the Education Ecosystem in India: Greater participation of organisations from different industries in the sector as they look to invest in building customised courses to help develop industry-specific technical skills and expertise.

Q. How has the consumer behaviour in the Education industry changed after the pandemic?

Like most sectors, the Education sector has undergone a massive digital transformation in the wake of the pandemic, which has led to a significant shift in consumer behavior. Hybrid learning models have become popular, with around 94% children, globally, engaged in some kind of online or blended learning.

At Pearson, we’re committed to being at the forefront of the rapidly growing and changing learning needs, which is why we reach out to learners, educators, employers and working professionals to identify major trends in the education sector through our annual Pearson Global Learner Survey. Some of the key trends that came up in 2021 show:

• The clash of COVID-19 with the world’s increasing reliance on technology has finally pulled education systems fully into the digital age.
• Learners want to take control of their learning and demand innovative modes of education which provide an anytime, anywhere access model.
• Focus on new, innovative, and practical skills has increased; 88% of students want colleges to teach career-oriented skills to prepare them for the 21st century workplace.
• Learners are concerned about how COVID is widening the gap between the haves and have nots, especially for younger students.
• Nearly 90% of world’s women are taking action to change their career paths and 81% are using the pandemic as an opportunity to re-evaluate their lives and careers.

Q. Can you tell us what would be some of your focus areas in 2022? What is your larger vision for Pearson India?

As the global digital powerhouse of learning, our larger vision is to become the preferred partner of choice for learners, educators and government and provide world-class content, tech-based learning solutions and tools to contribute towards an outcome-based learning framework in India. In order to do this, we need to address the challenges of affordable access, quality learning, and employability, in the education ecosystem which is why we will focus on (1) Strengthening our product portfolio and DTC proposition. Naturally, this will require a lot of support and collaboration from other stakeholders in the market and hence we’ll look at (2) Creating meaningful partnerships in the education ecosystem to jointly build learning solutions. The success of this will rely on the strength of our technology backbone, which is why, we will (3) Enhance process and operations by focusing on Tech and Innovation and, lastly, but importantly, all of these will be built upon a (4) Strong foundation of our people, and high performing and collaborative teamwork and culture within the organization.