One of the fundamental prerequisites for long-standing business associations is having an understanding of the client’s needs and continuously delivering value. Dainik Jagran Inext and VIT (Vellore Institute of Technology) first collaborated to organise Engineering Gateways in 2012. Since then, there has been no looking back. It started with eight cities and has now become a mega event in 16 cities across four states.

The team at Dainik Jagran Inext designed and executed the concept for Engineering Gateways 2018 by keeping in mind the two biggest objectives for our client:

1. VIT wanted to enhance its positioning and reputation among aspiring engineers. Although the Institute was a recognised name, it wanted to be higher in the preference list.

2. The client wanted quality admissions coming from a fairly large and unorganised pool of candidates — so effective filtering was an important part of the process. 

After formulating the structure and creating the roadmap, we started the two-month long School Connect Programme. With knowledge dissemination in our pre-build-up print editorial series, we informed students about the various colleges and branches in engineering and shared tips to gear up for the entrance exams. 

The next step included students visiting these schools, where a team of qualified professionals conducted some quality sessions for the aspiring engineers. The seminars consisted of Q&A sessions with experts and interaction with some distinguished VIT alumni, who shared key takeaways from their journey.

We reached a total of 272 schools with the connect programme, conducting more than 62 seminars for more than 40,000 students. The programme was very well accepted as we saw a steady increase in the number of students enrolled across schools.

In a country like India, where passion for engineering as a career option is immense, young minds were eager to participate in the event. These inquisitive students left no stone unturned in trying to figure out the best methods to prepare for their bright future. The alumni connect and the expert sessions were very helpful and a huge hit among the students. It was heartening to see their passion and dedication, and that, combined with our talented team of experts, ensured that the seminars were very productive. 

Our print and radio coverage amplified the event reach, making sure that many more people knew about the activity. Parents were also an important stakeholder, and some very positive feedback from them further boosted the spirits of our team.

As a result of Engineering Gateways 2018, VIT saw a 27% increase in enrollment with more than 4,000 students who participated in the seminar enrolling for their entrance examinations. A 9% higher conversion rate in comparison to last year ensured the Institute successfully achieved its objective. 

We also delivered value to the students and helped them in their goal to reach the best possible institutions. Dainik Jagran Inext as a brand resonates with young audiences. Since we have a good understanding of the student community, we worked as a bridge between the client and the students.

Our role was to understand the client’s requirement and provide a customised solution by bringing the desired target audience to a common platform. 

The client was extremely satisfied with the campaign, which generated a good return on investment. The Engineering Gateways initiative will also help the future generation of Indians build a strong foundation for their professional journey. This was our small contribution toward nation building.

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