Non-traditional Cricket ad firms score high

Backed by a defined objective of increasing brand recall and sales in limited advertising budget and within limited timeframe, non-traditional cricket advertisers like Havells India, Appy Fizz, Ambhuja Cements, Cotton County, Rashmi Cements among others together spent only about Rs 70 crore in 110 days of cricket in 2007-08 and got a jump of 30-45 per cent in sales.

In comparision, traditional cricket advertisers like the automobile makers, wireless service providers, banks, and beverage companies together have a defined ad-budgets in excess of Rs 500 crore earmarked for cricket alone.

But unlike the non-traditional cricket advertisers, the big ad-spenders do not indulge in measuring quarter-on-quarter review of their sales based on their advertising strategy on cricket, said media planners.

But brands like Havells or Appy Fizz with limited ad-budgets have used cricket to get higher visibility, says a senior Delhi-based media planner.

"Look at Havells for example. It increased its ad-spends by 150 per cent on cricket, primarily on ESPN Star Sports and has got high brand recall and product awareness. This will translate into increase in sales too," said a media planner.

Confirms Anil Gupta, joint managing director, Havells: "We have not measured the returns on our ad-spends on ESPN Star Sports but I am sure we would have grown by over 30 per cent compared to last fiscal. Our objective was to spend smartly on cricket and reach our target group of male, 25-40 years, who is also the purchase decision makers at home on electrical equipments."

According to sources, Havells advertising spends accounted for nearly one-third of all the advertising ruppee spent by non-traditional advertisers on cricket in 2007-08.

Another brand to have got a high brand recall due to its spends on cricket (specially ESPN Star Sports) is apple-drink Appy Fizz.

According to a senior ESPN India executive, who did not wish to reveal the ad-budget of Appy Fizz on ESPN Star Sports, Appy Fizz has gained a very high brand recall after it started spending on quality cricket.

"We created this innovative property called 'Appy Fizz Trivia' while the game is on. This property may see a long-term ad-spends committment from Appy Fizz has it gives the brand a very high recall," the ESPN executive said.

Similar story is of Cotton County, an apparel brand from the Vardhman Group and Rashmi Cements. Both these traditional print advertisers together decided to spend on Zee Sports, the host broadcaster for ICL, the rebel cricket league promoted by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group.

"Both these brands have a strong pressence in northern India. By advertising on Zee Sports backed by an on-ground promotions at Panchkula, they got good visibility. We will have more such advertisers in our future events too," said a senior Zee execuitve.

According to media planners, the trend of innovative advertising with small ad-budgets by non-cricket advertisers will contiue for now as the business from cricket getting segmented to leagues--India Cricket League of Zee, and the forthcoming India Premiere League of BCCI--and pacier formats like Twenty20 tournaments (on ESPN-Star Cricket) becoming the order of the day.

In the past, invertor brand Luminous spent over Rs 25 crore during 2004-05 till 2005-06 on cricket and its converage on various news channels in order to gain higher visibility.