Sustainable Development Goals > Prosperity

TR FOR TEACHER

FCB INTERFACE, Mumbai / NAVNEET / 2023

Awards:

Bronze Cannes Lions
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Overview

Credits

Overview

Background

Navneet Education Limited is a purpose-driven organization, that has built its business doing what it takes to move the needle and promote knowledge and education in India. But promoting education can only be done when you promote educators too.

For the last 60 years, Navneet has been partnering with teachers to create content that helps students learn and perform better. But this year, on Teacher's Day 2022, Navneet wanted to celebrate teachers and recognise their role in shaping the country.

Through the communication, Navneet wanted to bring about a change in the way teachers were looked at, but more importantly start a conversation about the value of teachers in a country that didn't value them at all.

Describe the cultural / social / political climate and the significance of the work within this context

The Indian school education system is one of the largest in the world, with over 26 crore students and 95 lakh teachers. However most of these teachers are severely undervalued, many working without official contracts, extremely low salaries and no health or maternity leave benefits.

The creation of the title of Tr. For Teacher not only celebrated teachers and their role in shaping the country, but also sparked a conversation about the value and recognition they deserve. The campaign encouraged people to speak up about the lack of respect the teaching community received and rally for institutional and government reform.

Describe the creative idea

Most highly valued professionals have an official title attached to their name. Ironically, the profession that makes all these professions possible; teachers, don't have one. To bring the value and recognition to teaching, Navneet decided to create an official title for teachers - Tr. for Teacher

The idea was brought to life with a social experiment. People were asked to name the most and least important persons among a panel of four professionals by looking at their names. Three of the names had titles of Dr., Capt. and Justice and were hence deemed more important than the fourth one; an elderly lady with no title to her name.

It was then revealed that she’s a teacher. Not just any teacher. But the one who taught the Captain, Judge, and Doctor. The film urged viewers to sign a petition to help recognise and honour teachers with the official title of Tr.

Describe the strategy

India's ed-tech industry is growing tremendously and is estimated to reach $10.4 billion by 2025 with 37 million paid edtech users.

Navneet Education Limited is India's largest text book publisher and has been the go-to for students and teachers for the last 60 years. But, with the rapidly emerging trend of online learning, Navneet is quickly losing relevance.

Schools and school teachers for years have been recommending our books to students as study material. As a brand we needed to do something that would help make an impact on these teachers. Something that would make us relevant to them again.

Describe the execution

The campaign was launched on Teacher's Day, 5th September 2022 with a social experiment film. It was aired on several platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The film invited the country to reflect on the value of teachers and asked people to sign a change.org petition to create an official title of Tr. for Teacher.

We drove the same conversation on social media with the help of social media posts, stories and videos, asking the public to come together and support the initiative.

We conducted a massive on-ground programme where we reached out to prominent schools to start using the title in their classrooms. And even created a microsite where schools and teachers could create their own personalised Tr. kits to use every day.

Describe the results / impact

Once launched, the campaign stirred a national debate about the respect given to teachers across the country.

Over 350 schools supported the cause and adopted the use of the title of Tr. in their classrooms.

Over 2500 teachers attached the title to their names and created their own personal Tr. for Teacher kit. While several also used the title before their names on social media.

The campaign got everyone talking on social media, it saw 250 Million media impressions and earned media of 21,8 MM

And for the first time in years, Navneet Education was talked about online and in the press. So much so, that brand impressions increased by 5,674%

Newspapers and news channels picked up the story and started a conversation that caught the attention of law makers and education ministers. Eventually leading up to the Maharashtra government announcing that the Title of Tr. would be made official.

Is there any cultural context that would help the jury understand how this work was perceived by people in the country where it ran?

In India, Teachers' Day is celebrated on 5th September. This is the birth anniversary of the second president of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was a great philosopher, teacher.

This day marks the accomplishments, contributions, and efforts of teachers across the country by identifying, celebrating, and motivating them. This day serves as a platform for policymakers and experts to identify and resolve challenges facing the teaching profession. Schools around the world celebrate this day by organising cultural events for their teachers

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