BTL ACTIVITY- MARKETING STRATEGY

OF UPGRAD EDUCATION PRIVATE LIMITED

REPORT ON FIELD
PROJECT

Submitted by

Tanya Aggarwal
11813787

in partial fulfilment of Requirements for the award of the

degree of

MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Mittal School of Business

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Jalandhar, New Delhi GT road
Phagwara
Punjab

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2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Writing this report has been a great opportunity for me. I had to deal with the real working
community, had to face some more or less important problems and I have been able to gather
a great amount of knowledge during the whole period of the project. That is why I would like
to acknowledge all the people who helped me to accomplish my internship.

I would like to give the special thanks to Lovely Professinal University, who gave me the
opportunity who gave me the chance to transfer my skills and knowledge straight to the
company, which was challenging and interesting at the same time.

Mr. Sagar Rane, Area Marketing Manager, Hyderabad and all his staff need to be thanked.
Sagar Rane always welcomed me for any type of questions, and very gently shared his
experience within the upGrad Education Private Limited. He was always upto discussion with
me about different problems concerning the problems in general.

Tanya Aggarwal

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 EXCLUSIVE SUMMERY

The internship at upGrad Education Private Limited provided me the chance to learn about the
various aspects of the Ed-tech platform. The traditional learning is taking over the online
learning. It provides me the opportunity to interact with different people from various IT parks
and Co-workings and get to know about their work experience and the problem they are facing
while working.

upGrad Education Private Limited is the India’s top-rated higher education platform for the
working professionals. The company basically provides the courses into three different
segments i.e. Data, Technology and Management. In the future the traditional education will
be taken by the online education.

Working with upGrad provided me the great opportunity to learn the various aspects of
Marketing. I learned how to convince the people to buy your product. Working with sales team
taught me how to deal with different type of people. I learned that what sort of course will suit
to which type of job profile.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

S.NO CONTENT PAGE NO

1. Company Profile 1-2

2. Courses Introduction 3-19

3. Sales Process 20-24

4. Job Profile- Admission Associate 25-30

5. Conceptual underpinning 31-32

6. Problem framing 33-34

7. Competitive Scenario 35-36

8. SWOT Analysis 37-38

9. References 39

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 CHAPTER-1
COMPANY PROFILE
Introduction
upGrad Education Private Limited is an online education platform that enables individuals to
develop their professional potential in the most engaging learning environment. Online
education is a fundamental disruption to the traditional model and will be having a far- reaching
impact. At upGrad, we work towards transforming the online education wave into a tsunami!
At upGrad, our objective is to help individual climb their future career ladder and transition
smoothly into promising job profile.

upGrad is an online higher education platform providing rigorous industry-relevant programs

designed and delivered in collaboration with world-class faculty and industry. Merging the
latest technology, pedagogy, and services, upGrad is creating an immersive learning experience
– anytime and anywhere.

Vision

• Building Careers of Tomorrow

Mission

• To provide opportunities to advance your professional journey through rigorous online

programs that offer personalised support, developed in collaboration with best in class
faculty and industry professionals.
Founders
1. Mayank Kumar (Co-Founder & MD)
2. Phalgun Kompalli (Co-Founder and operations)
3. Ronnie Screwvala (Co-Founder & Executive Chairman)

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How it Started?
upGrad began in 2015 with the conviction that in an ever-changing industry, professionals need
to continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. Since then we have always focused
on building a great online learning experience by collaborating with the right universities and
industry partners. We then steadily built a strong support system around our learners. Starting
with our first program in Entrepreneurship, upGrad has created some of India’s largest online
programs to help thousands of professionals achieve their career goals in the areas of data
technology, and management.

upGrad Values & Cultural Pillars

LEAD the future of education with upGrad

L
Long Term Thinking with Clinical Execution

E
Empathy and Impact

A
Accountability and Ownership

D
Delivering Excellence

Figure 1.1 upGrad Value

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 CHAPTER- 2

COURSES INTRODUCTION

The company provides the courses into 3 different segments-

• Data
• Technology
• Management

Figure 2.1 Different Verticals

In the field of data there are different courses like PG Diploma in data science, Masters in
Data Science and PG certification in Data Science.

Data Vertical

Post Graduate Diploma from IIIT Bangalore

It is the 12 months program. One has to complete all the courses successfully to obtain this
prestigious recognition from IIIT-B with a specialization in any of the following: Natural
Language Processing, Deep Learning, Business Intelligence/ Data Analytics, Business

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Analytics, Data Engineering. The fee for the program is Rs. 285000. Eligibility for the
program is person should be graduate with minimum 55% in his graduation. Person gets the
following benefits-
• Connect with a global network of accomplished IIIT-B Alumni
• Widely recognised and valued Post Graduate Diploma in Data Science
• Network with Data Science professionals across all industries

Figure 2.2 PG Diploma in Data Science

Key Highlights for the program

• Designed for Working Professionals
• IIIT Bangalore Alumni Status
• 14 Programming Tools & Languages
• 60+ Industry Projects
• NASSCOM validated 1st PG Diploma
• 360 Degree Career Support
• One-on-One with Industry Mentors
• Dedicated Student Mentor
• Job Assistance with Top Firms
• No Cost EMI Option

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Benefits

• Post Graduate Diploma without quitting your job

• Cutting-edge curriculum designed by industry experts
• Alumni status from IIIT Bangalore
• Career transition with 58% average salary hike

Post Graduate Certification from IIIT Bangalore

It is the 5-month program. Student have to complete all the courses in the program successfully
to receive Post-Graduate Certification in Data Science from IIIT-Bangalore. The fee for the
program is Rs. 75000 + GST. Benefits after completing the course-

• Connect with a global network of accomplished upGrad and IIIT-B Alumni

• Upgrade to a widely recognised and valued post-graduate program in Data Science
• Network with Data Science professionals across all industry sectors

Key Highlights
• Designed for Working Professionals
• 300+ Hours of Learning
• 7+ Case Studies and Projects
• Timely Doubt Resolution
• Dedicated Student Success Mentor
• upGrad Alumni Status
• No Cost EMI Option
• Fortnightly Mentorship with Industry Experts

Benefits

• Post Graduate Certification Without Quitting Your Job

• Cutting-Edge Curriculum Designed by Industry Experts
• Alumni Status from upGrad
• upgrade to PG Diploma in Data Science

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Masters of Science in Data Science
It is 18 months program. Student have to complete all the courses successfully to obtain this
prestigious recognition from LJMU. The program fee is Rs. 485000. The eligibility of the
program is the bachelor’s degree with 55%. The Key benefits of the program is-

• Connect with Global network of Faculty from LJMU

• Get access to complete digital library of LJMU.
• Earn a Master's degree same as on-campus degree at 1/10th the cost

Figure 2.3 Masters degree in Data Science

Key Highlights
• Only online M.Sc. in DS for working professionals
• 500+ Hours of Learning
• 60+ Case Studies and Projects
• Fortnightly Group Mentorship with Industry Mentors
• One-on-One with Industry Mentors
• Timely Doubt Resolution
• Dedicated Student Success Mentor
• IIIT Bangalore & LJMU Alumni Status
• Global access to job opportunities
• No Cost EMI Option

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Benefits
• M.Sc. & Post Graduate Diploma without quitting your job.
• Cutting-edge curriculum designed by industry experts.
• Alumni status from IIIT Bangalore & LJMU.
• Career transition with up to average 58% salary hike.
• Hiring opportunities from Uber, Microsoft, PwC, Genpact and more

PG Diploma in Machine Learning and AI

It is 12-months program. The student have to complete all the courses successfully to obtain
this prestigious recognition from IIIT Bangalore. The minimum eligibility of the program is
Bachelor's Degree with minimum 1 year of work experience or a degree in Mathematics or
Statistics. The program fee is Rs. 285000. The benefits of the program are-

• Connect with a global network of accomplished IIIT-B Alumni

• Widely recognised Post Graduate Diploma in Machine Learning and AI
• Network with Machine Learning professionals across all industries

Figure 2.4 Machine Learning Program

Key Highlights

• Designed for Working Professionals

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 • 450+ Hours of Learning
• 30+ Case Studies and Assignments
• 5+ Practical Hands-on Capstone Projects
• 25+ Industry Mentorship Sessions
• Timely Doubt Resolution
• Dedicated Student Success Mentor
• IIIT Bangalore Alumni Status
• Job Placement Assistance with Top Firms
• No Cost EMI Option

Admission Process

Step 1: Take the online eligibility test

Complete your application to take a 18 question online eligibility test to start the admission
process. The test is designed to assess your quantitative & logical aptitude ensuring you’re
ready for the program.

Step 2: Get shortlisted & receive your offer letter

Our Admissions Committee will review your test score & profile. Upon qualifying, an offer
letter will be sent to you confirming your admission in the PG Diploma in Machine Learning
& Artificial Intelligence.

Step 3: Confirm your seat & begin with your prep - course

Confirm your seat by enrolling into the program by making an initial payment of INR 25,000.
Begin with your preparatory course & start your start your career in Machine Learning.

Masters of Science in Machine learning and AI

It is 18-months program. The student have to complete all the courses successfully to obtain
this prestigious recognition from LJMU. The program fee is Rs. 485000. The eligibility criteria
for the program is Bachelor's Degree with minimum 1 year of work experience or a degree in
Mathematics or Statistics. The benefits of the program is-
• Connect with Global network of Faculty from LJMU
• Get access to complete digital library of LJMU
• Earn a Master's degree same as on-campus degree at 1/10th the cost
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Key Highlights
• Only online M.Sc. in ML & AI for working professionals
• 450+ Hours of Learning
• 30+ Case Studies and Assignments
• 5+ Practical Hands-on Capstone Projects
• 25+ Industry Mentorship Sessions
• Timely Doubt Resolution
• Dedicated Student Success Mentor
• IIIT Bangalore & LJMU Alumni Status
• Access to Global Opportunities
• No Cost EMI Option

Advance certification in Machine Learning and Cloud from IIT Madras

It is the 9-months program. Complete all the courses successfully to obtain this prestigious
certification from IIT Madras. The program fee is Rs. 200000. The minimum eligibility for the
program is Bachelor’s degree with proficiency in any one of the programming languages
R/Python/Java/C/C++ and at least 2 years of industry experience in Software/Data domain.
The benefits of the program are-

• IIT Madras, India's no. 1 Rank Engineering Institute for last four years by NIRF
Ranking
• Widely recognised Advanced Certification in Machine Learning and Cloud
• Network with Machine Learning and Cloud professionals across all industries

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Key Highlights

• Learn from the faculty of IIT Madras

• Designed for Senior Working Professionals
• 8+ Case Studies and Assignments
• Practical Hands-on Workshops
• One-on-One with Industry Mentors with timely doubt resolution
• Advanced Certification from IIT Madras
• Job Placement Assistance with Top Firms
• No Cost EMI Option

Management Vertical

Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool University

It is 20 months program. Become a part of global & strong alumni network of one of UK's Top B-
School - Liverpool Business School. Minimum eligibility for this program is Bachelor’s Degree with
minimum 50% marks and at least 2 years of Full-Time Work Experience. The fee is of the
program is Rs. 400000. The key benefits of the program are-

• Get an MBA Degree from a leading UK B-School at 1/10th the cost.

• Become a part of strong alumni network of Liverpool Business School.
• Learn industry relevant skills to enhance your career

Figure 2.6 MBA from Liverpool Business School

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Key Highlights

• Get an MBA Degree from Liverpool Business School

• Get a PGP in Management from IMT Ghaziabad
• Experience 1-week immersion program at University campus (included in program fee)
• Alumni status by Liverpool Business School and IMT Ghaziabad
• Get 1:1 Mentorship from Industry Leaders
• Network with peers at Offline BaseCamps
• Advance your career with 360° Career Support
• World Education System (WES) recognized. Move one step closer to working abroad
• Specialize in any of the key functional domain through a 4-month long industry project
• Learn with students from 15+ countries across the world

Key Benefits

• MBA Degree from UK's leading Business School

• Earn PG Program in Management from IMT Ghaziabad
• 1-week immersion program at university campus
• Alumni Status from Liverpool Business School & IMT Ghaziabad
• Industry relevant curriculum for Career Growth
• Regular interaction with Global Faculty & Industry Experts
• Peer-to-peer interaction via offline networking events

MBA (Global) Deakin Business School

It is a two-year program. Become a part of global & strong alumni network of one of Australia's
Top B-School - Deakin Business School. The minimum eligibility criteria for the program is
Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50% marks and at least 3 years of Full-Time Work
Experience. The program fee is Rs. 500000. The key benefits of the program are-

• Get a MBA (Global) Degree from Top 1% of Business Schools Worldwide

• Graduate from a B-School with dual accreditation - AACSB and EQUIS
• Learn industry relevant skills to enhance your career

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 Figure 2.7 Global MBA

Key Highlights
• Get a MBA (Global) Degree from Deakin Business School
• Get a PGP in Management from IMT Ghaziabad
• DBS is Top 1% B-Schools Worldwide
• Alumni status by Deakin Business School and IMT Ghaziabad
• Get 1:1 Mentorship from Industry Leaders
• Network with peers at Offline BaseCamps
• Advance your career with 360° Career Support
• Get a Dedicated Student Success Manager
• World Education Services (WES) recognized. One step closer to working abroad
• Learn with students from 15+ countries across the world

Benefits

• MBA (Global) Degree from Australia's leading Business School

• Earn PG Program in Management from India's leading Business School
• Alumni Status from Deakin Business School & IMT Ghaziabad
• Industry relevant curriculum for Career Enhancement & Growth
• Regular interaction with Global Faculty & Industry Experts
• Peer-to-peer interaction via offline networking events

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MBA (Executive) with Specialisation in Business Analytics

It is the 18-month program. Become a part of a community of management leaders with a

degree and alumni status from NMIMS Global Access School for Continuing Education. The
program fee is Rs. 400000. The eligibility for the program is Bachelor’s degree (10+2+3) in any
discipline from a recognised university with minimum 55% marks and 3+ years of work experience
OR, Bachelor’s degree (10+2+3) in any discipline from a recognised university with minimum 55%
marks and a postgraduation / professional degree with minimum 55% marks and 2+ years of work
experience. The key benefits are-

• Get an MBA (Executive) from a NAAC A+ accredited and category 1 university

• One-of-a-kind MBA (Executive) with specialisation in Business Analytics
• Complete your MBA (Executive) without leaving your job

Figure 2.8 MBA (Executive)

Key Highlights
• MBA (Executive) from NMIMS Global Access School for Continuing Education
• Designed for working professionals
• 1000+ hours of rigorous learning
• 3-month industry-driven capstone project
• 200+ hours of live faculty interaction
• 10 hands-on projects

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 • 360-degree career support
• One-on-one interaction with industry mentors
• Dedicated student success manager
• Offline events for peer-to-peer networking

Executive Program in Blockchain Technology Management

It is a 5-month program. Receive the prestigious certificate from IMT Ghaziabad, ranked #12 in top
B-schools in India by Business Today, 2018. The minimum eligibility for this program is, the
applicant should have at least 2 years of work experience. The Program fee is Rs. 118000 +
taxes. The benefits of the course are-

• Earn the prestigious IMT Ghaziabad MDP Alumni status

• Connect with a global network of Blockchain Professionals

Figure 2.9 Blockchain Program

Key highlights

• Designed for Working Professionals

• 4 Annual offline workshops
• 1-on-1 Industry Mentor
• 13 Case studies and Assignments
• Personalised Resume Feedback
• Mock Interviews by Hiring Managers

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 • IMT Ghaziabad MDP Alumni status
• Dedicated Student Success Manager
• 0% EMI Option

Key benefits

• Executive Certificate in Blockchain Management

• Earn the prestigious IMT Ghaziabad MDP Alumni status
• One-on-One Industry Mentorship
• 200+ Hours of Learning
• 14+ Projects and Assignments

Product Management certification program

It is 6-months program. Joint certificate from Duke Corporate Education and upGrad. The
program fee is 150000+ GST. The minimum eligibility for the program is, the applicant should
have an undergraduate degree. The benefits of the program is-

• Duke CE, Ranked top 3 for 19 consecutive years in Executive Education by the
Financial Times
• Lifetime access to Duke CE’s Thought Leadership journal ‘Duke CE Dialogue’
• Certificate easily shareable across LinkedIn, Naukri etc.

Figure 2.10 Product Management

Key Highlights
• 200+ Hours of Learning

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 • DUKE CE Certifications
• 15+ Case Studies and Assignments
• 300+ Recruiting Partners
• 15+ Live Q&A Sessions
• 1:1 Mentorship from Product Experts
• Personalised Resume-Building Exercise
• Mock Interviews with Industry Leaders
• 360⁰ Placement Assistance
• 3 Years Unlimited Content Access

Key Benefits

• Globally recognised Product Management program

• Become a Product Manager without an MBA
• Rigorous and customised feedback on assignments
• 100% placement assistance
• One-on-one industry mentorship

PG Certification in Digital Marketing and Communication

It is 6.5 to 12-month program. The student needs to complete all the modules successfully and
receive a Post Graduate Certificate and Alumni Status. Join a vibrant digital marketing
community and become part of one of India's top marketing universities. There are 4 different
specialization in digital marketing i.e. Branding and communication, Social media and content
marketing, Marketing Analytics and Marketing Communication- Public Relation. The course
fee depends on the number of specializations the student opts for. The fee ranges from Rs.
87750 + taxes to Rs. 127750 + taxes. The minimum qualification is bachelor’s or equivalent
degree. The benefits of the program are-

• PG Certificate from MICA

• Join MICA alumni network
• Easily shareable across LinkedIn, Naukri, etc.
• Valedictorian ceremony at the MICA campus

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 Figure 2.11 Digital Marketing

Key Highlights
• Certifications from MICA and Facebook
• 15 Case Studies and Live Projects
• MICA Alumni Status
• Hands on Experience of 20+ Tools
• Dedicated 1:1 Student Mentor
• Fortnightly Coaching by Industry Mentors
• Personalised Resume Feedback
• Mock Interviews by Hiring Managers
• Offline Basecamps for Networking
• No Cost EMI Option

Key Benefits

• PG Certificate without Quitting Your Job

• Alumni Status from MICA
• Hands-on Experience with the Latest Tools
• Certificate from MICA and Facebook
• Hiring Opportunity from Uber, Genpact, Microsoft, PwC and More
• No Cost EMI

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Technology Vertical

PG Diploma in Software development Specialization in Blockchain

It is 11-month program. The student receive the prestigious PG Diploma from IIIT Bangalore.
Become a part of the Blockchain community with Alumni status. The fee of the program is Rs.
225000. The minimum eligibility of the program is bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science
or Mathematics (B.E., B.Tech., B.Sc., BCA/MCA). No prior coding experience required. The
benefits of the program are-

• Connect with a global network of accomplished IIIT-B Alumni

• Widely recognised Post Graduate Diploma in Blockchain
• Access to on campus facilities and offline events
Key Highlights

• 9 Projects & Case Studies

• Content Access for 3 Years
• One-on-One with Industry Mentors
• IIIT Bangalore Alumni Status
• Job assistance till 1 year after completion
• 4-tier Timely doubt resolution
• 500+ hours of content
• 4 Annual offline workshops
• 250+ Hiring Partners
• Dedicated Student Success Mentor
• No Cost EMI Option

PG Diploma in Full-Stack Software Development

It is 11-month program. The student has to complete all courses successfully and receive a Post
Graduate Certificate. Become a part of the developer community with PG Alumni status from
IIIT Bangalore. The program fee is Rs. 225000. The minimum eligibility for the program is
Bachelor's Degree in Engineering; no coding experience required. The benefits of the program
are-

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 • PG Diploma from IIIT Bangalore
• Alumni status
• Graduation ceremony at IIIT Bangalore

Figure 2.12 Full-stack Program

Key Highlights
• Designed for Working Professionals
• 500+ Hours of Learning
• 9+ Projects and Assignments
• Practical Hands-on Workshops
• One-on-One with Industry Mentors
• 3 Guaranteed Job Interviews
• Personalised Feedback on Assignments.
• IIIT Bangalore Alumni Status
• No Cost EMI Option
• Job Placement Assistance with Top Firms

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 CHAPTER-3

SALES PROCESS

SALES

Sales is a term used to describe the activities that lead to the selling of goods or services.
Businesses have sales organizations that are broken up into different teams. And these sales
teams are often determined based on:

• The region they're selling to

• The product or service they're selling
• The target customer

Salespeople reach out to contacts that might be interested in purchasing the product or service
that their company is selling. And the contacts that demonstrate interest (e.g., visiting the
company website, downloading a piece of content, interacting with your company on social
media). The goal is to reach out to leads who have shown interest or fit the description of
their target customer, in hopes of providing them with a solution that results in them purchasing
your product or service.

AIDA MODEL

The AIDA model is perhaps the best known marketing model amongst non-marketers of all
the classic marketing models. Many marketers find it useful, perhaps since we apply it daily
whether consciously or subconsciously when we're thinking how to make our marketing
communications effective.

The AIDA Model identifies cognitive stages an individual goes through during the buying
process for a product or service. It's a purchasing funnel where buyers go to and for at each
stage, to support them in making the final purchase.

It's no longer a relationship purely between the buyer and the company since social media has
extended it to achieving the different goals of AIDA via information added by other customers
via social networks and communities.

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 Figure 3.1 AIDA Model

1. Awareness: creating brand awareness or affiliation with your product or service.

2. Interest: generating interest in the benefits of your product or service, and sufficient
interest to encourage the buyer to start to research further.
3. Desire: for your product or service through an 'emotional connection', showing your
brand personality. Move the consumer from 'liking' it to 'wanting it'.
4. Action: CTA - Move the buyer to interact with your company and taking the next step
i.e. downloading a brochure, making the phone call, joining your newsletter, or
engaging in live chat, etc.
5. Retention: We all know that this is key to upsell, cross-sell, referrals, Advocacy and
the list goes on as companies are also focussing on LTV.

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Buying Behaviour Process

The customer buying process (also called a buying decision process) describes the journey your
customer goes through before they buy your product. Understanding your customer’s buying
process is not only very important for your salespeople, it will also enable you to align your
sales strategy accordingly. The five stages framework remains a good way to evaluate the
customer’s buying process. John Dewey first introduced the following five stages in 1910:

Figure 2.2 Buying Behaviour

1. Problem/need recognition

This is often identified as the first and most important step in the customer’s decision process.
A purchase cannot take place without the recognition of the need. The need may have been
triggered by internal stimuli (such as hunger or thirst) or external stimuli (such as advertising
or word of mouth).

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2. Information search

Having recognised a problem or need, the next step a customer may take is the information
search stage, in order to find out what they feel is the best solution. This is the buyer’s effort to
search internal and external business environments, in order to identify and evaluate
information sources related to the central buying decision. Your customer may rely on print,
visual, online media or word of mouth for obtaining information.

3. Evaluation of alternatives

As you might expect, individuals will evaluate different products or brands at this stage on the
basis of alternative product attributes – those which have the ability to deliver the benefits the
customer is seeking. A factor that heavily influences this stage is the customer’s attitude.
Involvement is another factor that influences the evaluation process. For example, if the
customer’s attitude is positive and involvement is high, then they will evaluate a number of
companies or brands; but if it is low, only one company or brand will be evaluated.

4. Purchase decision

The penultimate stage is where the purchase takes place. Philip Kotler (2009) states that the
final purchase decision may be ‘disrupted’ by two factors: negative feedback from other
customers and the level of motivation to accept the feedback. For example, having gone
through the previous three stages, a customer chooses to buy a new telescope.
However, because his very good friend, a keen astronomer, gives him negative feedback, he
will then be bound to change his preference. Furthermore, the decision may be disrupted due
to unforeseen situations such as a sudden job loss or relocation.

5. Post-purchase behaviour

In brief, customers will compare products with their previous expectations and will be either
satisfied or dissatisfied. Therefore, these stages are critical in retaining customers. This can
greatly affect the decision process for similar purchases from the same company in the future,
having a knock-on effect at the information search stage and evaluation of alternatives stage.
If your customer is satisfied, this will result in brand loyalty, and the Information search and
Evaluation of alternative stages will often be fast-tracked or skipped altogether.

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On the basis of being either satisfied or dissatisfied, it is common for customers to
distribute their positive or negative feedback about the product. This may be through reviews
on website, social media networks or word of mouth. Companies should be very careful to
create positive post-purchase communication, in order to engage customers and make the
process as efficient as possible.

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 CHAPTER-4

JOB PROFILE - ADMISSION ASSOCIATE

Introduction

Admissions associate responsibilities include assisting the director in several duties related to
admission procedures, selection of students, maintaining the database of all the information
related to the admissions, general administration and relevant management, etc. The job is
mostly office based. However, he may be required to travel occasionally.

Under this BTL Activity we used to go to different IT Parks and Co-Workings. We to set-
up marketing campaign over there. The main motive was making the public aware about
the upGrad as a company. We used to meet different people from different company with
different designations and used to understand their education background.

Tell them the relevant course that would suit to their profile. Our main work was to
generate the leads for the company. After understanding the desire of the person, we used
to book the free counselling session for them with subject matter experts i.e. Admission
Counsellors.

BTL Activities

BTL activities are creating a buzz in the current scenario and are blooming with full
potential, delivering excellent results. Digitalization has taken a troll all over the world
and marketers are researching more innovative ways to promote their brand while
connecting and engage their audiences.

Ever since experiential marketing solutions came into existence, BTL activities have
completely taken over the traditional form of marketing. Below the line activations create
a niche for a brand while allowing it to connect with audiences.

Marketing trends keep on changing with times, to gain the desired goals, marketers must
be well versed with the latest digital forms of marketing that will help a brand to gain a
much-desired hike. In the world of digitalization, where a target audience is found on
various social media platforms without any geographical boundaries, BTL activations play

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a great role to catch audience sight while giving exposure to the brand. BTL marketing
activities allow a brand to build a relationship with its customers which later results in
Brand loyalty and an increase in the sales lead.

Benefits of BTL Activity

Below the line activities are used to promote the product and give the much-desired hike
to stay ahead of the competition. BTL activations induce a list of activities that uses
innovative ideas to engage its audiences. In the earlier times, BTL marketing activities
revolve around direct mail campaigns, trade shows, catalogues, brand promotion activities,
telemarketing, free sampling & exhibitions.

Figure 4.1 BTL Activity at IT Park

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 Figure 4.2 BTL Activity at Co-working

But, in this digital era, BTL activities have taken a notch higher with out of the box ideas
and approaches to reach the target market with digitalized brand promotion activities and
search engine marketing. BTL marketing activities allow brands to connect with their
customers on an emotional level. It allows customers and brands to know each other in a
more refined way while giving exposure and loyal customers to a brand.

Experiential marketing solutions are a top priority for digital marketers to gain the
attention of the masses and create two-way communication. BTL activation boosts the
marketing game for any brand as it has many benefits associated with it. You must be
thinking about how BTL activities can give a boost to your brand? Let’s discuss some of
the benefits of BTL activations and experiential technology that will speed up your
marketing game and make you the known name while leaving your competition behind.

1. Below the line activities creates a direct point of contact between customers and
brands, helping them to understand each other in a better way.
2. BTL activities create brand awareness while attracting more customers, resulting
in more sales leads.
3. Below the line activations help in reaching your target audience with much ease as
compared to traditional ways of marketing.

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 4. BTL activities give an advantage to your brand by marking its presence. It
makes your brand stand out while saving it from getting lost in the clutter.
5. Below the line activations help in building a positive image of a brand with instant
results.
6. BTL activities make the brand memorable and remarkable. It creates an impact on
the audience with its dynamic strategies.
7. BTL marketing activities allow audiences to get the insight of a product. It al lows
the audience to feel the product if sampling is taken as one of the measures in BTL
activations.
8. BTL activities help in getting valuable feedback from the customer which helps in
improving the product or service.

As time has changed so does BTL marketing activities. Traditional ways of BTL marketing
are followed by every other brand, resulting in no gain no loss situation. As the scenario
is moving more towards digitalization, new experiential technology ideas for brand &
event promotion has come into existence.

Event Partners

1. CupShup
2. Barcode

Figure 4.3 News related to CupShup and upGrad Event

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One of the event management team which was with upgrad was Cupshup. They used to
setup the events in various IT parks and Co-working spaces within Hyderabad. The had their
promoters who used to promote upGrad within these IT parks. They used to promote upGrad
and people after getting aware used to come to us for further information.

PITCH

Greeting

One of the main thing in the sales is how you greet the person. The proper greeting with
Good Morning/Afternoon is done. Whenever we meet the person, we used to greet him. After
that we used to ask him about how he was doing. For the greeting we use to take around 5
seconds.

Hi, Sir, my name is Tanya Aggarwal. How are you? How is your day going?

Introduction

After the greeting we used to introduce them about upgrad. What we are as a company. What
are we doing. Before telling tell we used to ask if they knew about upGrad or not. We used to
tell them the reason why we are there. The introduction takes around 15 seconds.

Do you what upGrad is all about? We are India’s top rated higher education platform for
working professionals. We are into 3 different segments Data, Management and
Teachnology. We are here for the awareness campaign, like we got information from our
hiring partners that Hyderabad IT sector needs lot of rescaling and upscaling.

Connect

The main point is to make the connection with the client. For that we used to ask them
various questions about their work and about their future plans. This is the most time
consuming part of all the pitch. In this we used to ask them whether they are looking forward
to upscale themselves in any of the particular field of interst.

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Data Collection

If the person shows some interest then we used to collect their details. For that we were
supposed to fill the form that was provided by the company. The form contains various
details like the Name, E-mail, Contact Number, Designation, Company he is working, Course
in which he is interested.

Figure 4.4 Data Collection

Counsel

After collecting the data, we used to counsel the person. We used to tell them about the
relevant course with his profile. What all benefits he will get after enrolling into the course.
Whats there in it for the person. For the couselling we used to take around 70 seconds.

Exclusitivity

We used to give the little bit idea of the course. Futher the lead was taken by the Admission
Counsellers. We used to tell them why are we better than our competitors.

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 CHAPTER-5

CONCEPTUAL UNDERPINNING

The internship period in upGrad is 6 months and I joined on 20th January 2020. After the one-
week training in Mumbai, I got assigned to the BTL team of Hyderabad. My primary duty is
to conduct marketing campaigns in different tech parks across Hyderabad to create awareness
among the working professionals and to generate an intent of purchase.

APPLICATION OF CONCEPTS TO THE STUDY

1. Lead Generation: It is the process of attracting leads (your potential customers) into a
contact management or marketing software system with the hope of nurturing them
throughout the buying process to help convince them about your offerings and then
convert them into a paying customer. Lead generation is all about building trust with
your audience and educating them about your industry and offerings along the way.
Here are the five steps to more effective lead generation:
a) Acquire Leads
b) Nurture Existing Leads
c) Score Each Lead
d) Pass Along Leads to Sales
e) Evaluate Lead Generation Process
2. Create Brand Awareness: It is the way in which consumers recognize and remember
your business. The greater the brand awareness you have, the more audience will be
familiar with your logo, messaging, and products. It is a term for how aware and
informed people are about what your brand has to offer. Following are some tactics to
increase brand awareness:
a) Run Facebook and Instagram ads
b) Partner with influencers to review your brand
c) Take part in Brand Partnerships
d) Start a podcast
e) Improve your SEO
f) Start a referral program
3. Effective Follow Up with Sales Leads: Conducting proper follow up is a subtle art. It
must be strategically and effectively done without letting any leads fall by the wayside

36
 or scare them off by coming on too strongly. Following are a few tips for how to
follow up with leads and increase your odds of turning them into a paying customer:
a) Segment or Score your Leads
b) Respond in a Timely Fashion
c) Personalize your Communication
d) Use Various Communication Channels
e) Create a follow-up schedule
f) Track Communications with a CRM System
g) Learn when to abandon lost causes

The day to day activities that I do in my company are consistent with the learning I gained from
various subjects like Integrated Marketing Communications, Sales, Business Communication
and Consumer Behaviour. The concepts that I learnt have been helping me to complete the
work assigned to me diligently and effectively.

37
 CHAPTER-6
PROBLEM FRAMING

PROBLEM DEFINITION

Lack of employable professionals with the desired skillset that is required in the market today
is the problem statement of upGrad. For example, around 17 lakh engineers graduate each year
in India out of which 70% are not employable. There is an expected shortage of 10 lakh data
scientists in India and nearly 80% companies report a shortage of qualified digital talent. Even
though India is having the largest college going population in the world, we are not able to
supply the demand of quality workforce in the market. To combat this shortage of qualified
employees in the market, upGrad has created an array of online programs in different industry
relevant fields. But sadly, not many people are aware of upGrad and what it offers to people
looking to upskill themselves. Therefore, upGrad has taken the initiative to start a new vertical,
that focusses on BTL marketing campaigns.

BTL marketing is short for below the line marketing, which refers to an advertising strategy in
which products are promoted through non-traditional channels. Traditional channels of
advertising include mainstream radio, print formats, movies, billboards, and television. Below
the line marketing sets aside these formats in favour of reaching out to people directly, either
through trade shows, catalogues, direct e-mail campaigns or ads that appear when people use
search engines. The biggest advantage of below the line marketing is its affordability. Paying
for advertisement space in traditional media channels can be expensive, and this might be
particularly harmful for smaller businesses that cannot afford to appear in those channels. A
BTL agency finds ways of marketing to consumers even when a business lacks a large budget.
An added benefit is that below the line marketing, while remaining affordable, is also a targeted
approach to marketing. In upGrad, I have been selected to be a part of the BTL Hyderabad
team.

The campaigns by the BTL vertical of upGrad were decided to be conducted in tech parks,
corporate offices, and co-working spaces in all the major metro cities of India. UpGrad tied up
with two different BTL agencies named CupShup and Bar Code. They were hired to help get
the permissions for setting up the required stalls and kiosks of upGrad from the respective
authorities of the tech parks, corporate offices, and co-working spaces. Furthermore, upGrad is
planning to spread to tier 2 cities by the end of 2020 depending on the results of the BTL

38
campaigns done till then. Being one of the interns in the pilot batch of the BTL campaign,
it is my duty to understand the key responsibility areas and deliverables expected from me and
perform accordingly. The main areas where I will be evaluated on are:

i) Quantity of leads
ii) Conversions
iii) Extra Initiatives

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Since I am working in the BTL Hyderabad team of upGrad, my main objectives are:

• Create brand awareness

• Build an intent to purchase
• Strengthen the brand image
• Generate quality leads for the sales team
• Conduct proper follow up of the generated leads
• Push for conversions
• Monitor the marketing strategies used by our competitors

My personal objectives are:

• Improve my communication skills

• Learn how to effectively delegate work to my teammates

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 CHAPTER-5

COMPETITIVE SCENARIO

Being an Ed-tech company there are various platform for the online education. The major
competitior is Great Learning, Simplilearn.

Great Learning

Great Learning is an ed-tech company that offers programs in career critical competencies such
as Analytics, Data Science, Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud
Computing, DevOps, Full Stack Development and more.

Their programs are taken by thousands of professionals globally who build competencies in
these emerging areas to secure and grow their careers. At Great Learning, their focus is on
creating industry relevant programs and crafting learning experiences that help candidates
learn, apply and demonstrate capabilities in areas that are driving the future.

Simplilearn

They provide online training in disciplines such as Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, Project
Management, Digital Marketing, and Data Science among others, where technologies and best
practices are changing rapidly and demand for qualified candidates significantly exceeds
supply.

40
Based in San Francisco, California and Bangalore, India, they have helped over one
million professionals and companies across 150+ countries get trained, acquire
certifications, and upskill their employees.

Their training courses are designed and updated by 2000+ renow ned industry experts.
Our blended learning approach combines online classes, instructor-led live virtual
classrooms, project work, and 24/7 teaching assistance. Their vibrant community of
experts and certified professionals is a powerful resource pool of t ips, tricks, and
insightful advice. More than 40 global training organizations have recognized us as an
official provider of certification training. They have been named the 8th most influential
education brand in the world by LinkedIn.

Coursera

About Coursera Coursera is one of the biggest players in the industry with over 24 million
users (February 2017) and 250+ employees. Started in the year 2012 by two Stanford
professors- Andew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera grew at an extremely fast pace, acquiring
$146 million till date. It offers more than 2000 courses with each course lasting somewhere 4
to 10 weeks

Why upGrad is better than competitors?

The main reason why upGrad is better than their competitors is that other provide the
certification course but when is comes to upGrad they give the degree that too from the top-
notch universities like IIIT-B, IIT Madras, NMIMS, LJMU.

upGrad provides the placement opportunities with the top MNCs. There are around 300 hiring
partners associated with upGrad.

upGrad provides the hybrid course i.e. online + offline. In this type of program, the student
used to attend 25 offline classes in their own cities. The CEOs from top MNCs used to come
for the sessions and live lectures.

41
 CHAPTER-6

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strength

1. The company provides one on one academic and non-academic support for all its
students by providing them with live projects, case studies, group assignments, access
to live lectures, mentorship programs and interactive content.
2. Team comprising of industry veterans like Ronnie Screwvala and Mr. Mayank who has
a deep expertise in the education sector.
3. Extremely high course completion rate of 90-95% in the industry where average course
completion rate of MOOCs is less than 7%.
4. Content developed and delivered in collaboration with industry leaders.
5. Strong offline experience provided to the students as well including workshops,
meetups, webinars etc.
6. One of the very few companies in the online ed tech segment to offer job assistance to
its students.

Weakness

• Has very few courses to offer.

• Comparatively less certificate recognition as compared to Coursera and Simpilearn.

Opportunity

• Opportunity to diversify and add more courses.

• Opportunity to add more niche courses that may lure more people to join the program.

Threat

• upGrad courses start from Rs. 25,000 and go up to Rs. 5,00,000 and it is a major threat
since many MOOCs offer the course for free.

42
• There are niche courses that upGrad offers like certification course in
Entrepreneurship and Product Management but there are courses in Data Analytics and
Digital Marketing which again would bring it into generic market and may pose as a
threat.
• Organizations with heavy financial backing, more course offering and a wider reach
already in the market.

43
 REFERENCES

exchange4media staff. (2020, Feb 27). https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-

news/cupshup-launches-btl-activation-across-3000-corporates-for-edtech-major-upgrad-
102996.html. CupShup launches BTL activation across 3000 corporates for EdTech major
upGrad.

https://wootclub.com/blog/all-about-below-the-line-marketiang-
activities/#:~:text=BTL%20activations%20induce%20a%20list,telemarketing%2C%20free%20
sampling%20%26%20exhibitions. (2019, July 19). All About BTL Activities – Significance,
Benefits & Ideas for Brand Activations.

https://www.greatlearning.in/. (n.d.).

https://www.simplilearn.com/. (n.d.).

https://www.upgrad.com/. (n.d.).

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