Celebrity endorsements

Is celebrity endorsement really necessary in the field of Education? What impact does it have on student’s decisions?

Advertisement is a key for any business to grow. Companies spend millions on the advertisement to attract people towards their products and services. Celebrities endorse various brands as they have an influence on the society plus people believe their words. From healthcare, tourism, e-commerce to automation, banking and now education; celebrities are impacting the decision-making power of people in every sector.

Celebrity/VIP endorsement has been a critical part of the Indian market. Confirmed by the fact that more than 60% of endorsements in India feature celebs when contrasted with around 25-30% in the Western countries. With the expanded infiltration of smart TV and developing reception of social media as a promoting device, the decade starting 2010 has seen a huge advancement in the Indian advertising space.

According to industry sources, over the previous decade, the number of celebrity endorsements has expanded from 650 promotions in 2007 to 1660 advertisements in 2017. At present, big Bollywood faces overwhelm the advertisement business with a 76% portion of the endorsement market.

So how does a celebrity endorsing any school, college, or e-learning app (trending) will impact the future of education in India? Is it a good choice to choose a career on the word of your favorite celeb?

A few years back, when e-learning apps were not launched and online classes were just for the distance learning students, how many celebrities did you saw promoting an institution or the University? Barely any or close to zero, because education doesn’t need a star face for many reasons like education, was local and personalized, a mindset like “education means going to school”, and so on. But now, after a pandemic, things have changed and every sector has turned digital including education.

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Relationship between celebrities and e-learning apps

BUJU’s was the first among all e-learning apps to engage the top Bollywood Actor and almost every known e-learning app has a celeb or a sportsperson as their brand ambassador.

It is not a lie that advertisements endorsed by a celebrity have more influence on buyer’s intent. The appeal of the endorser impacts the adequacy of the message. Different variables like music and illustrations in a business similarly impact student’s consideration. Simple signals like alluring slogans, music, or symbolism impact people.

Embraced by a well-known face, it builds the popularity and credibility of the product or service than when the service advert is not endorsed. Notable celebrities within the general public bring out the similarity and great standing towards a product and service.

Another side of the coin

Stardom helps businesses to grow. But there are certain drawbacks like celebrity tie-up with other brands and in some circumstances, it is a high chance if that business unrest with their brand + the celebrity, it will have a shadow effect on these educational brands + same celebrity.

In some cases, celebrities have zero ideas about a particular brand and still endorse it for money or to improve their social image. So, it is important to whom you believe with your career decisions because education is not a beauty product.

In conclusion, there are brands like Bansal Classes, FIIT JEE, Aakash, Super 30, where teachers have played a huge role in these brands big and now they have their applications too. Every student looks after their teachers for guidance because teachers have seen the performance of an individual. E-learning is an extension of the teacher and not vice-versa.