Free taster classes and short-term scholarships will feature in English UK‘s new marketing campaign in Brazil, expected to raise awareness of UK ELT among 17 million people, which launched this week.
The ‘English is GREAT: Speak to the World’ campaign is backed by “significant” government funding, according to English UK, the country’s representative body of English language teaching providers.
“Brazil is one of our key priority markets for 2015-2017. We see it as having good potential for short to mid-term growth”
The organisation has partnered with BMI Media, organiser of the Salão do Estudante fairs, as its Brazilian delivery partner to put on seven fairs across Brazil this month, each featuring an ‘English is GREAT’ pavilion for members to promote their schools.
English UK’s traveling classrooms will accompany four of the fairs in Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, teaching up to five classes of 50 potential students a day.
“Brazil is one of our key priority markets for 2015-2017,” Annie Wright, deputy chief executive of English UK (business services), told The PIE News. “We see it as having good potential for short to mid-term growth, our student data shows it has preformed relatively robustly in recent years; we also know however that we are losing market share in Brazil.”
The organisation will also be running two competitions for students in the UK and Brazil to make videos about studying English, the best of which will be used to promote UK ELT through social media.
Prospective students attending the fairs will be encouraged to make a one-minute video explaining ‘what English means to me’ and including the ‘English is GREAT’ slogan using video booths on-site. The best will be displayed in an online gallery, where students will also be able to submit entries.
Five entrants will win a two-week scholarship to the UK in early 2016, making vlogs about their experiences and presenting special seminars at Salão do Estudante fairs next spring. The scholarships will include homestay accommodation and return flights to the UK.
A compilation of the best video clips and vlog excerpts will also be used to create a promotional film to be used in future marketing activities.
