Three steps India’s ed-tech companies can take to address questions on marketing and ad practices

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Synopsis
Marketing and advertising of education, and ed-tech companies in particular, has for long been built on the flimsy foundation of hyperbole, at times extending to outright falsehoods. These companies have tried to tap into parents’ guilt that they may not be doing enough for their kids. Here’s why this must change and how companies should mend their ways.

In the show Mad Men, a take on advertising life, while pitching a copy for Kodak, the protagonist, Don Draper says these immortal words: “This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It takes us to a place where we ache to go again.” Good advertising can evoke emotions and inspire connections. But advertisements that mis-sell can erode trust, and that is especially true in a sector like education. Over the last few months, there have been