In a nation of more than a billion people, 28 humongous states (some the size of developed countries), diverse ethnicities and evident regional leanings, India is one complex landscape.
It is often debated that in a country so dispersed on every parameter, could there be a unifying element or subject (barring national politics) that is fancied by all and sundry regardless of the depth and width of their social or cultural orientation. Well, as we know of it, there exist two common weaves that run through the populace and geographia. The frenzy surrounding the world of celluloid and the proverbial gentleman’s game – cricket.
Assessing the first among these, it is but obvious a country that is home to the world’s largest film industry is going to have a powerful and lasting impact on the masses. With every Friday churning out a probable blockbuster, droves flocking to the nearest viewing arenas and shelling out huge premiums for the ‘first look’, shrines being built to honor cinematic icons of the present and canonize stalwarts of the past; the spell of the Indian film industry has long transcended the boundaries of fanaticism.
But is cinema a truly encompassing medium? That stature is questionable. Though this industry might be a global front runner on throughput and viewership, it is an amalgam of fragmented zonal and more recently state-centric produce that is focused to serve and appeal to the local milieu and audience. Moreover, interest levels of this medium could also have sketchy trajectories owing to the performance of stars, films, banners etc.
So, then is cricket the only refuge? And does it deliver on all tenets of being ordained as the “great leveler” for this nation. Incidentally not our national game, but this has never deterred a billion people from experiencing the sheer pleasure of watching (or hearing) 22 men duel in a picturesque ovular, grass-laden battlefield. The fervor of which can only be equated with religion in our nation. The interest and stickiness is sustained depending on India’s presence and performance, but is completely indemnified of regional biases. One cricket – One nation, or maybe One world, considering its effective use as a new-age tool for diplomatic ice-breaking.
A ‘world’ of difference
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Cricket, historically and more so in its newer, more flamboyant avatar, has been a sport with an innate potential to unify the country’s voice, spirit and emotion – a country that was reminiscent each day of a glory achieved 25 years ago, till they lived that déjà vu moment again on April 2 this year. Previously guarded, muted and somber celebrations on milestone victories have now given way to chest thumping brigades and high octane gaiety coming alive on the streets; the game has truly come of age and so has cricket consumerism with a good measure of adrenalin thrown-in.
In all formats, old and contemporary, the game seems to be gaining popularity by the hour, and seems to present an unparalleled platform to marketeers for any mandate – brand launches, building brand salience and familiarity, creating specific campaigns around the property (Pepsi’s 'Change the Game' and Nike’s 'Bleed Blue', to name a few).
For the advertiser, the entire prospect seems a little too lucrative, almost surreal, and numbers stand testament to this claim – reported TRPs for crucial India matches were in the range of a staggering and unprecedented 20 points!
While sports marketing has emerged as a multi-million dollar business in India, with cricket being the most sought after medium by the marketers. Today, brands are leaving no stone unturned to leverage form the growing popularity of the sport and its stars. Some major players are actually putting that thought to action, with the top six advertisers during world cup 2011 spending an average of INR 50 crores. Clearly an opportunity of this scale has merited a disproportionate apportioning of monies from the annual marketing spend for mighty players in the telecom, consumer electronics and automobile sectors. According to media reports, there has been a rise of nearly 35-40% in total spends on cricket by brands, resulting in mammoth advertising revenues being generated by the broadcaster during this world cup.
Cricket consumption
The modern cricket fan is more dynamic in his consumption patterns. Today, the popularity or excitement of the game is not limited to radio, television or stadiums. The nation has evolved and so have the cricket consumption patterns. Bars, pubs and restaurants are busy raking in the moolah while accommodating up to ten times their cover capacity, the sale of fast food joints almost doubled during the world cup, the internet is bursting with cricket mania as live telecasts can be seen not only at home but in office by just logging onto a sponsor website. Twitter and Facebook are the modern versions of scoreboard, malls are bedecked with cricket jerseys and supporters cheering in front of the large screens and cinema halls are giving more show time to matches than movies. Where cricket goes, advertisers will follow, so advertising is no longer limited to TVCs or print, it has graduated to reach the consumer at all touch points. On ground activations by brands in malls, restaurants, pubs, cinema halls, open amphitheatres with live screening assure the desired traction and ‘viewership’ for the brand as well.
IPL – the game changer
The curators of IPL need to take a bow as we applaud them for bringing together what is befittingly titled the great cricket tamasha, what with players sporting psychedelic jerseys, cheerleaders doing a jig for every boundary and a game that is paced for the adrenalin junkie. The idea of state leagues, peppered with the glitz of an NBA all-stars final, the IPL has ensured that far in the past are the days when males were the prime TG during a cricket match. This version of the game makes watching cricket akin to a family gala. Realizing this fact, the top 5 advertisers in last year’s IPL splurged an average of approximately 40 crores, with the advertiser basket also comprising of brands that were predominantly targeting the female/combined family viewership. This year’s TRPs exceeded last year’s rating by a mile and overall spends are going to see a 20% fillip from the previous season’s ‘Bharat Bandh’, notwithstanding the quick succession of this tournament after the world cup extravaganza!
Nationalism vs. spectacle of cricket
Any given day, a Team India match will far outweigh viewership and audience stickiness as compared to the nascent league formats. However, the latter’s popularity has a meager dependence on performance of any particular team and would at best marginally effect state-centric viewership trends.
So, the verdict is out… Cricket has no contemporary in the India context…. Its akin to our religion…. With eleven demi-gods….
The writer is Director - Brand and Corporate Communications Religare Enterprises Ltd