Banzai Direct Is Here
For close to 10 years Banzai’s software has served schools, and schools alone. Sure, anyone on the internet can use it — Scouts, after-school clubs, church groups and seminars have used Banzai to learn real-world finance. But the fact remains: we built it for schools; and using the program outside the classroom is at best clunky and unintuitive.
Sponsors like CPI have asked us for years: How can we extend a solid financial education program to our neighborhoods, to our customers, and to the families we serve?
Today Banzai is excited to share Banzai Direct — a new implementation of Banzai — designed for a new audience:
your community!
Banzai has also wanted this product for a long time. It was delayed in part by desire to build it atop a Banzai platform, a software system that could support more than one course. Earlier this year, we completed that platform. The elementary-aged course was the first to be delivered over it. What a tremendous hit it’s been:
- The students thoroughly enjoyed all the activities, and they eagerly wanted to play the game several times. Most of the concepts and vocabulary were new to the students. They learned a great deal about earning money, managing expenses, and saving money. This program was an engaging way to learn about real life!
— Teacher, Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Kansas
Now that Banzai has proven the new platform, we’re ready to release Banzai Direct.
First, why did we call it “Direct”? When we began batting around possible names at the office (if you’ve ever tried naming a product, you’ll agree it’s a frustrating exercise), we knew it had to convey an important message: This is the same Banzai you know and love, but designed for the community. And that’s when it hit us: Banzai Direct — direct to parents, direct to their children, direct to your customers.
Let me share a few highlights of the new product.
Community Marketing Website:
First, Banzai Direct features a beautifully designed, community-facing website:
Like Banzai’s other marketing sites, it’s co-branded and the color theme and URL are customized to your brand. The program comes with a new domain name: LearnBanzai.com Anyone, anywhere can sign up on your website and access Banzai’s nationally acclaimed courses.
Keep in mind, Banzai Direct is not licensed for schools — mission-critical features for grading and organizing classes have been removed. In contrast, Banzai Direct is designed for individuals and their families, giving them the same first-class experience TeachBanzai.com offers teachers and students.
Two New Courses
Banzai Direct brings two new courses — Banzai Junior and Banzai Teen — to families in your area. We launched Banzai Junior at the beginning of 2017 for elementary schools, and Banzai Teen is currently being prepared for use in middle and high schools for the coming 2017/18 school year
A third course is coming to Banzai Direct in 2018: Banzai Plus, a financial literacy program designed for adults. Like our other courses, Banzai Plus will emphasize learning by doing and will feature subjects like qualifying for a mortgage, maintaining good credit, and protecting your identity.
Banzai Manager
Finally, to help you understand and measure the impact Banzai Direct is making on your community, we’ve added a new tab to the Banzai Manager. Here you can track individual users (aged 13 and older) and their progress in the courses:
You can also summarize the experience your users are having as a group (all ages):
The Manager will answer questions like:
- How many users are completing the program?
- What’s the average age of our users?
- Are they retaining what they learn from the course?
What do they think of the courses?
Summary
Banzai Direct is a new way to fulfill one of your most important missions— to educate the community — while offering a benefit to your customers and their families that can last their whole lives. Banzai Direct includes a highly attractive marketing website for your community program, two nationally recognized courses for kids and teens (with a third for adults on the way), and a sophisticated reporting tool to help measure its impact.
You’re going to love it. Landon Glenn, Banzai’s Chief of Sales, is eager to arrange a demonstration around your schedule. Email him at
Kendall Buchanan
Cofounder, Banzai