“On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This Genius can stop time in India!” -Peter Roebuck
Frenzy, mania, fanaticism, craze, hysteria, madness, rage…And if you thought that these words were too fervent or exaggerations of emotions, well, think again. All these words stand as mere euphemisms when compared to the phrase ‘Cricket in India’. And it doesn’t get any bigger than this. It is cricket, it is the World Cup-the biggest cricketing event on the globe, and it is being held in India. With less than two months left for the mega event, the buzz can already be felt. There is an unmistakable excitement in the air and discussions, no matter where they start with, end up with the World Cup. The soon to follow IPL only serves as the icing on the cake for cricket lovers of this country.
For cricket fans in India it is never either-or. The upcoming months promise a huge overdose of cricket and an equally huge opportunity to build brands. With the viewership touted to be breaking records in these months, media channels are already in a battle to seize the advantage. Marketers prepare to allocate a large share of their budget to this part of the year. In the coming months with excessive exposure to cricket the consumer will also be excessively bombarded with ads.
Some advice for marketers. One, they cannot afford to miss the bus and hence have to be there. It does not matter which sector your business is in, you have to be conspicuously present at the scene of action. Two, to marketers as well as ad agencies, do not overexpose any one piece of your creative as it will lead to ennui and fatigue amongst the audience. Have at least three-five executions in the pipeline else your entire strategy will boomerang. Three, have your commercials to about 20 to 30 seconds and air them not only on cricket telecasting channels but others too, as this will result in an increase in OTS (Opportunity-To-See).
And fourth, instead of casting third grade cricketers in ads focus on making them entertaining and enjoyable as such. To consumers, all I will say is that be prepared to see more and more of advertising and less and less of cricket. And to GECs, hide away your soaps wherever you can and let the lather of cricket settle down on this nation.
For cricket in India, is not just a sport. It stands for something much bigger. Something that brings us hope in moments of despair, fills us with joy in times of sadness, triggers an adrenaline rush in hours of boredom and is irreplaceably entwined with the lives of the people of this country.
(The author is National Creative Director, Leo Burnett)
