Indian ed-tech start-up, BYJU’s has roped in football superstar Lionel Messi as its global brand ambassador for its “Education for All” social initiative. Messi’s association with BYJU is expected to increase the ed-tech firm’s visibility overseas as football has billions of fans worldwide. Moreover, Messi has a huge social media presence with over 370 million followers on Instagram alone.
The company announced its partnership with Argentina through a statement acknowledging the footballer’s global appeal. “This association with one of the world’s most popular players is in line with BYJU’s growing global footprint and its commitment to making education accessible, equitable and affordable to all”, read the company statement.
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Byju’s announcement comes on the eve of FIFA World Cup 2022 which will be held in Qatar. Byju’s arrangement with Messi comes at a time when its investors are pressuring the company to do tough cost-cutting as it posted the biggest ever loss to an Indian start-up of Rs 4,589 crore in FY11. has been registered. However, Byju’s has doubled down on its advertising and promotional activities as it has signed up as an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup.
Interestingly, Raveendran, the co-founder of Byju’s, is known for his love for football. Messi has also been associated with the field of education for a long time. The football legend has worked with UNICEF in the past and also runs his own charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, which invests in education and health services that cater to underprivileged children.
Notably, Byju’s is also associated with other high-profile sponsorships. The EdTech chief is also associated with the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. It became the major sponsor of the Indian cricket team in 2019. Earlier, BYJU’s first picked the actor Shahrukh Khan as its ambassador. Meanwhile, Byju’s recently laid off 2,500 employees.
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