Localisation is vital in global education technology (EdTech), and for, India-based EdTech company, Byju’s, it goes hand-in-hand with their ethos of empowering young people through learning while serving underrepresented communities. Providing generic services clearly doesn’t work on a global scale. While the globalisation of resources can seem to be the easy option, understanding the needs, complexities and nuances of different communities and facilities is complex, but does ensure that all outcomes are relevant. In this blog, we look at the importance of language localisation in EdTech.
Breaking into the premier league
Professional language service providers are skilled at breaking down the barriers that may inhibit a business’s aim by identifying drivers within communities and highlighting the needs and specificities of each particular location. For example, in Byju’s case, one community may need EdTech resources that offer a robust numeracy outcome, whereas another location rather requires a strong focus on literacy. Identifying community needs and expectations is crucial due to the vast differences caused by community, educational facility type, funding systems, and curriculum specifications.
World cup set piece
Improving educational offerings is paramount for Byju’s, and is at the heart of their rapid business growth. Offering video-calling platforms to the parents of prospective students, employing more teachers, and strategising the redirect of marketing expenditure are all factors likely to enable Byju’s to grow further during 2023 and beyond.
As official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup In Qatar, Byju’s has never been more visible. The World Cup is indeed perhaps the largest global sporting event, with an estimated 3.56 billion people watching at least one minute of coverage at the last World Cup in Russia in 2018. This sponsorship means that the EdTech giant will be able to reach out to a vast, previously untapped audience: a real pinnacle of brand awareness.
The positive impact of sports sponsorship has a definite precedent, with Red Bull, for example, sponsoring a range of sports, from tennis and volleyball to aerobatic and wingsuit flying. Their “fingers in many pies” approach (they not only sponsor but also own three major football teams: New York Red Bulls, RB Leipzig, and Red bull Salzburg) has paid dividends. They sold a record 9.804 billion cans of energy drink in 2021, placing them firmly on an upwards trajectory, with no obvious signs of slowing down. As far as marketing and business growth goes, Red Bull is, without doubt, an international success.
A game of two halves
Any international strategy needs to incorporate localisation at its core to ensure that the hoped for spread of brand awareness actually pans out in the real world. It is challenging as a global business to attempt to provide all things to all people all the time, but it is not impossible, and implementing the right solutions by using localisation experts can make this task far less daunting (and much more effective).
Adopting a scattergun approach or using guesswork to fine-tune product and service provision across different cultures, can be a waste of time, money and resources. To give an example, any business operating within India will need to implement a localisation strategy to ensure that nothing gets “lost in translation”. There are over 19,500 dialects and languages spoken as mother tongues throughout the country. The linguistic dividing lines can differentiate between dialectal regions, but this does not mean there is only one spoken language in each state. For example, the languages in the state of Gujarat include Gujarati, as well as Hindi, Marwari, Sindi, Urdu, and Marathi.
Localising your business and its messaging is critical for communication. Who would consider buying a product or service if it did not speak their language? Localisation capabilities will help your business navigate the complexities of language, ensuring the message applies properly to the identified community. Any business growth strategy needs to keep one eye on the intricacies of cultural differences to avoid inadvertently excluding an entire region or, at worst, a country, of potential consumers.
Making sure your strategy hits the back of the net
It will be hard for Byju’s not to experience significant growth following such a high-profile sponsorship deal. However, it’s easy to lose sight of the (FIFATM) ball when it comes to ensuring localisation strategies are on point, which is where the use of a translation expert like Albion Languages comes in. By researching localities, identifying consumer needs and expectations, and recognising the necessary languages, we can ensure that your message is relevant and appropriate, wherever your audience may be. To find out more, speak to one of our experts today.