Indian group's campaign helps young think of the future

Feb 07, 2018 at 01:38 am by Staff


A viral video to support Mathrubhumi's 'future careers' campaign generated more than three million Facebook views and ten million impressions.

Joint managing director of the Kerala-based group M V Shreyams Kumar says the response to the multimedia campaign was staggering.

"We reached out to 50 schools, and more than 2500 schoolchildren were educated through seminars and participated in discussions about how they could specialise in exciting new fields," he says. "Parents learned how they can support their children in a competitive world."

As part of the campaign, a number of film celebrities shared their childhood memories and spread their message to parents and children.

"In this age of intense competition, many parents feel burdened with the immense pressure of helping their children make the right career choices. Out of well-meaning intention, some parents put enormous pressure on their kids, pushing them to opt for traditional professions because it seems like the safest route," he says in an INMA post.

Our "brave new world" includes a staggering variety of avocations, fuelled by gigantic strides in technology. "The challenge is to create a career choice process that takes advantage of these changes and the new ambitions of our youth population."

Mathrubhumi's 'Reimagine the Future' campaign included profiles of individuals with unique careers and school events to educate students and their parents about the growing range of opportunities in non-traditional fields. It also included profiles of individuals with unique careers and school events to educate students and their parents about the growing range of opportunities in non-traditional fields.

M V Shreyams Kumar says India's median age is projected to be only 29 in 2020, while that of China will be 37, Europe 46, and Japan 47.

"Given these trends, Mathrubhumi launched a unique initiative. We employed an integrated campaign to communicate awareness about career choices through our various media platforms: print, radio, television, online, and social media.

As part of the awareness campaign, the campaign shared more than 100 stories about young people who made successful, yet not-so-typical, career choices. Some of the interesting jobs they hold include ethical hacker, food designer, subtitler and tattoo artist.

All 14 editions of the newspaper organised school-level activities for children, teachers, and parents. These included one-on-one interactions with professionals who opted for alternate careers. Discussions encouraged parents and children to communicate about their aspirations and dream jobs.

A 'Reimagining the Future' video featured various careers, including costume stylist, hair and make-up artist, food scientist, nutritionist, fitness trainee, pet groomer, video game developer and watch dial scientist. The objective was to educate and enlighten parents to help them understand how choosing an alternate career is a positive choice made with an open mind.

M V Shreyams Kumar says the group's efforts were applauded by tens of thousands of parents. "Many shared their views about how great it is that our news institution, with a rich legacy of 94 years, is at the forefront of promoting cutting-edge career opportunities for the next generation," he says.

Sections: Newsmedia industry

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