Marketing: Hitting Sixes On Uncharted Terrain

The unabashed show of money, glamor, glitz, and power called the “Indian Premier League” had the entire nation in frenzy, with the recently held player auction. The show was filled with unexpected twists and turns, with many unheralded players hitting the jackpot, and many experienced players being shown the door by franchises. The event attracted the attention of the entire cricketing fraternity across the globe with many foreign stars in the fray for IPL spots and the big bucks that accompany them.

 

The show was an expression of the growing power of cricket in the global sports arena. Already, the IPL is an event of global popularity, and interest levels are growing exponentially with each passing year. Also, the CL-T20 is also growing as a brand with each passing year. These are great times indeed for the game, and India is leading the way forward in revolutionizing the sport. The leading IPL stars would receive pay equivalent to some of the top stars in the English Premier League. These are interesting times for cricket, and if properly marketed and branded, IPL and
CL T-20 can become global brands that can widen the reach of cricket to unexplored regions, and can help in realizing the dream of all true cricket fans; that of seeing cricket become a truly global sport one day.

Already, we have seen the unique marketing strategies that the IPL has used in the last three years which have led to the ever rising popularity of the event. Along with showcasing world class athletes competing at full tilt, an IPL match features many other sources of fun. These include cheerleaders swinging to the tunes being played, while pumping up the crowd along with them. We also have bands playing exciting music, energizing the public gathered. These are some of the marketing gimmicks that have been employed to make cricket even more fun. And these have borne fruit too. IPL matches have attracted audiences across all age groups including youngsters, children and women too. It has been publicized as a three hour fun event where youngsters have a wholesome fun experience along with quality cricket, and it has clicked big time.

The success of the IPL experiment in India provides clues to all budding marketers interested in the field of sports marketing, regarding the importance of innovative strategies and tools that can help in selling any brand. 

And sport is emerging as one of the biggest entertainment sectors in the 21^st  There were some suggestions earlier of organizing a T-20 event in USA with international stars to help popularize the sport there. However, it couldn’t materialize. century. It will fight with cinema, theme parks, malls and many others as the prime source of entertainment. Currently, football is the leading sport in the world. In this competitive scenario, cricket has to come up with continuous innovation and changes to carve a niche for itself. It is here that the youngest version of cricket, called T-20 can help in transforming cricket into a globally watched sport.

As a true cricket fanatic, I sometimes dream of the day when cricket will be played all across the globe in the US, China, Japan, and indeed everywhere. That dream can only materialize if those at the helm of cricketing affairs formulate the right kind of marketing strategies to promote cricket aggressively across the seven seas, and create brands which can attract public attention across all sport loving cultures and countries; brands like the IPL. The time is ripe for the ICC to take the next big step in globalizing cricket, thus revolutionizing the world of sports. God willing, the day isn’t far when cricket will become the no.1 sport in the world. Amen!!!

Manish Kumar Verma

Marque

IIM Rohtak