The seventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament which started off on a tepid note on April 15 is turning out to be a mixed bag for both franchises and the sponsors associated with them. An advertiser associated with a popular franchise said on the condition of anonymity that the event was compromised by several factors, which included a delayed Supreme Court judgment on the fate of the teams, general election, first leg of the tournament being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and issues of betting and match-fixing which remain unresolved. ?We had not anticipated that the events would snowball in this way, at the time of signing the deal.? he said.
HDFC Standard Life which was associated with the Rajasthan Royals till recently said that there were huge issues of transparency, which was why it was not associating with the IPL. ?The image of the event has been severely dented by controversies; transparency is a huge issue. Moreover, the timing is not ideal due to the Lok Sabha elections. Viewership will be a challenge. The short time gap between World T20 and IPL would also add up to the existing challenges,? said Sanjay Tripathy, senior executive vice president,?head -marketing, product, digital and e-commerce, HDFC Life. The IPL this year is a lot more subdued this year than previous years, he noted. ?As significant amount of money is involved, all stakeholders would be keen to have the event cleaned. The Supreme Court has also come down heavily on them, with the appointment of Sunil Gavaskar and Deepak Parekh. I am confident that these appointments would bring the desired result,? he added.
IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab said things had started off on an uncertain note due to elections in India. Mohit Burman, co-promoter of Kings X1 Punjab and director, Dabur India said, ?Initially, all franchises were concerned to a certain extent from the revenue generation perspective. I believe our concerns were similar to that of others with regard to the venue, closing sponsorship deals, activations with sponsors, reduction in gate money, etc. However, with the venue being finalised, we have closed on some fantastic partners that have come on board this year with us. Also, UAE is a cricket friendly nation and we are hopeful of seeing cricket fans thronging the stadia to witness the tournament and with the second leg being organised in India, we also remain connected to our fans in the country,? he said. Burman added that once the announcement of the second leg of the tournament being played in India came in, things fell into place. ?We are positive about this season with 14 sponsors on board and with a strong, balanced team in place; we are looking forward to the tournament.?
Issues such as compensation to the franchises on ticketing are yet to be resolved since the first few matches are happening in the UAE. ?As far as expectations from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are concerned, we have worked with them over the years and we know that as an organisation they are fair. We have complete faith in the BCCI and the decisions are taken keeping everyone?s interests in mind,? Burman said.
Another franchise owner said on the condition of anonymity that his team had not been able to attract pedigreed brands. ?The new sponsors are not the top brands,? he noted.
Sponsors such as Pepsi and Vodafone have already been in overdrive regarding their marketing plans for the IPL. This is also the coming out party for Amazon. The Amazon spokesperson said that Amazon.in is working across platforms for the IPL. ?More than 50% of the products that our customers demand is available for guaranteed next day delivery and with our mobile Amazon shopping app our customers have access to a seamless on-the-go, anywhere, anytime, online shopping experience. As our target customers around the country will be watching IPL, we hope to entice and delight them with our trusted online shopping experience,? she said, while not commenting on specific plans.
Ajay Rawal, national marketing head, JK Ansell Ltd said that the brand?s range of KamaSutra deodorants is the official grooming partner for Delhi Daredevils. Both the brands are about excitement and connect with the youth, as per him.
When asked about the many issues that the IPL is grappling with, including competing with the Lok Sabha polls for eyeballs, Rawal said that that the IPL still remains a popular sporting event that offers great visibility to brands. ?We have seen in the past that IPL as a property peaks post the initial group stages of the tournament and we are confident that this association with Delhi Daredevils is a successful one as the new team this year is hungry for success and set to bounce back,? said Rawal.
Usha International has just signed up with the Mumbai Indians as one of the sponsors. Komal Mehra, sports and event consultant, Usha International, said that the move will help the company strengthen its footprint in the western part of the country. She refuses to let the viewership and other issues mar her enthusiasm for the cricket property. ?Every sports property has teething issues before it finally settles down,? she says. In her view, the IPL could well provide a breather from the election coverage by media.