Q1. Throw some light on your brand, ‘Sesame Street’. What made you interested to create a brand in Education & Training Industry?
Sesame Street Preschool is the latest initiative of Sesame Workshop in India. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the landmark television programme that has proven impact in preparing children to arrive at school ready to learn. The Workshop began in 1969 and led the way in using the media to educate children. For over 40 years and in 150 countries around the world Sesame Street has entertained and engaged children making them ready for school and for life.
Delivered through a variety of platforms, Sesame Workshop develops research-based content – including television programmes, books, games, mobile apps and community engagement. We use the power our characters have to reach and teach children – and influence their behaviour. Beyond ABCs and 123s, our programmes deliver lessons crucial to school readiness, including health, emotional well-being, and respect and understanding.
Hence Sesame Workshop has been a pioneer in the preschool education space. The extension to Sesame Street Preschool is just another way to distribute our content.
There is a gap in the preschool space, validated by the fact that the government too is now seeking to put guidelines to improve the quality of preschool education. Hence we have entered the Indian preschool market to create a paradigm shift in preschool education by offering a high quality curriculum, content, resources and spaces.
Q2. There are various ways for brand expansion. What made you choose the franchise route?
As regards the business model, we know that franchising is the way forward for businesses to grow and expand substantially. According to KPMG India estimates, the franchising industry is expected to quadruple between 2012 and 2017. There is a scope for the franchising industry to contribute almost 4 per cent of India’s GDP in 2017 (assuming 6 per cent Y-o-Y GDP growth between 2012 and 2017), growing from a current estimated contribution of 1.4 per cent of GDP.
Q3. How do you see the growth of ‘Sesame Street Preschool’? In which locations Sesame Street Preschoolmark its presence?
In the past 3 years we have opened quality centres across Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Bhopal, Patna, Udaipur, Pune, Ghaziabad, , Alwar, Dehradun andMeerut . We are also expanding across India.
Q4. What kind of backend and frontend support you would provide to your franchisees?
We offer our partners the following support:
- Complete operational assistance and guidelines in setting up the centre.
- Policies and guidelines for all aspects of the business.
- Furniture, teaching aids and library books are supplied by the company.
- Marketing support on a continuous basis.
- Continuous visibility through the Galli Galli Sim Sim television show, broadcast 6 days a week on Pogo and Doordarshan channels
- Online marketing and PR
- Marketing support during launch
- All marketing creative artworks are provided by the company.
- Assistance in the recruitment of Centre Head and Educators.
- Induction training to franchise owner and academic staff.
- Specially created educator resource, the Sesame Street Kit, for educators to transact the curriculum.
- On -site and ongoing online training throughout the year.
Q5. What is the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of ‘Sesame Street Preschool’? How is your brand different from your competitors?
- Globally acclaimed Sesame Street curriculum and content.
- A curriculum that integrates audio-visual, digital, print and outdoors in a unique set of activities.
- A curriculum that instils the skills of Imagination, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration in children.
- Specially created Sesame Street resources for educators that help them transact the Sesame Street Preschool curriculum and methodology.
- Curriculum, methodology, teacher training, policies and infrastructure benchmarked to the best in international and national early childhood education practices.
- Great emphasis on child protection and safety, empowerment of children, positive role modelling, inclusion, mutual respect and tolerance and parent involvement.
- A 360 educational experience beyond the Sesame Street Preschools, through the Galli Galli Sim Simtelevision show and on digital platforms such as com, sesamestreet.org, Airtel VoD and games on IPad, Google play.
- Children are ready not just for school but for life.
Sesame Street is the only brand that has a global presence. Also in India we are the only brand that is present in schools, on television ( through the Galli Galli Sim Simtv show) and on digital platforms . Being preschool educators ourselves we are continuously developing high quality and innovative educational materials across all media that is bound to keep us a step ahead of competition.
Q6. Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
We have 20 operational centres at the moment and are looking to increase this number to over 500 schools in the next 5 years.. Our expansion plans are mostly focused in North, West and South India.
Q7. Please share the franchise facts of ‘Sesame Street Preschool’ with us.
- Total Investment: Minimum 15 -18 Lacs
- Franchise fees: 3 lacs
- Area Required: 2000 sq. ft. on ground floor with 500 sq. ft. (Minimum) open area for outdoor activities.
- Royalty: 15% for preschool; 20% for afterschool programmes
- Margin:
- Payback period: 2 Years