In an exclusive interview ahead of the Digital Marketing World Forum (DMWF), Ritza Trivedi, marketing director, APAC at multinational publishing and education company, Pearson, shares profound insights on how AI-driven personalisation is reshaping marketing strategies in the education sector.

With more than 16 years of marketing experience and a track record of digital innovation, including recognition among India’s Top 50 Best Digital Marketing Professionals, Trivedi offers a unique perspective on the intersection of EdTech, MarTech and AI.

“AI is significantly transforming education,” Trivedi says. “It is essential to engage with all stakeholders – learners, parents, educators, institutions, and accrediting bodies – about AI’s purpose, implementation and benefits, with transparency and clarity.”

Her perspective will be explored more during a panel discussions at DMWF, where she’ll be participating in sessions on “Exploring How Data & AI Can Create Highly Personalised Experiences” and “Shaping Your Digital Strategy With Personalised Experiences.”

Navigating the digital divide: APAC’s education marketing landscape

The rapid digitalisation of education across APAC has created opportunities and challenges for marketers. Trivedi explains that strategies must be tailored to each country’s digital adoption levels.

“Mobile first strategies become important in emerging markets with higher smartphone penetrations but inconsistent bandwidth access,” she says. In contrast, “in more mature markets, desktop still plays a significant role while apps-based mobile-friendly platforms are gaining ground.”

The complexity of the APAC market requires sophisticated localisation strategies. Trivedi shares how Pearson adapts its campaigns across different markets while maintaining brand consistency.

“Our campaign platform ‘PTE, do it worry-free’ became ‘PTE Kar, Befikar’ in India, it took the shape of ‘Shine with PTE’ in Vietnam,” she explains, demonstrating how cultural nuances influence marketing execution.

Trivedi outlines four key themes regarding AI implementation in education marketing: positioning AI as an enhancer rather than a replacement, engaging stakeholders through social proof, showcasing personalisation benefits, and crafting localised AI narratives.

She emphasised that “AI will not replace educators, but learners and educators who don’t use AI will get left behind.”

The future of marketing leadership: Data, AI, and purpose-driven strategies

Drawing from her extensive experience in the fintech and education sectors, Trivedi highlights how marketing technology is evolving. “Both Fintech and EdTech deliver technology-driven experiences to the consumers, taking them on a personalised pathway to achieve their financial and learning goals, respectively,” she says.

Technology integration has accelerated, particularly during COVID-19, and benefited consumers and the industry. Looking toward the future of marketing leadership, Trivedi identifies three important skills for the next five years: Data analytics and AI proficiency, digital marketing expertise, and adaptability.

She predicts that “as marketers continue to evolve as impact partners, marketing will become increasingly data-driven,” and highlighted the importance of analysing complex data to inform strategies.

Her approach to purpose-driven marketing is exemplified in Pearson’s recent #PTEforFairness campaign in India, which addresses unconscious bias in testing. “As marketers, we strive to create narratives that would appeal to both the hearts and minds of our target audience,” Trivedi said, emphasising that authentic purpose-led campaigns can drive awareness and impact policy change.

The rise of automation in marketing has also transformed team dynamics. “Teams are now more cross-functional and integrated not just in marketing but also with Sales and Customer Services through shared data insights via tools like CRM platforms,” Trivedi says.

This integration has made adaptability and continuous learning essential skills for marketing professionals.

Attendees at DMWF can gain deeper insights from Trivedi during the panel sessions. She’ll share more about using AI-driven personalisation for advanced customer segmentation and explore the latest innovations in digital experiences.

Her participation promises to offer valuable perspectives on how AI and personalisation are shaping the future of marketing in education and beyond.

See also: Digital product marketing evolution in APAC: A PwC perspective

Interested in hearing leading global brands discuss subjects like this in person? Find out more about Digital Marketing World Forum (#DMWF) Europe, London, North America, and Singapore.