The Hindu Business Line : Culture, cricket and consumers

One-day cricket with all its vagaries and unpredictability may not be appropriate for a new brand attempting to create sports association. The cost of failure/risk would be too high for the brand. An established brand, on the other hand, could take some rude shocks.

SPORT'S HEDONISTIC APPEAL and the glamour of celebrities and consumerism have created a new identity for the consumer across socio-economic classes.

The drums of destiny, like in several facets of life, have once again upset the dreams of millions of Indians at the World Cup. If there has been mass hysteria at the Indian team's performance at the event, marketers have been shocked that their meticulously planned `brand-cricket' associations have gone awry. While the current setting is perfect for academic case studies, it may be worthwhile to discuss the practical implications of such a fall-out for marketers.

The beginnings

Three aspects should be considered while discussing `brand-cricket' associations: the past context in which cricket celebrities were used, the changes in consumer behaviour, and the present-day context in which celebrities are used. Endorsements by cricketing celebrities date back more than three decades. Kapil Dev's "Palmolive da jawab nahin" for shaving cream (when gel and brushless creams were not available) was the most memorable one that played at cinema halls across the country. Sunil Gavaskar too endorsed the same brand. Andy Roberts of the West Indies appeared for Erasmic blades.

Since the TV era began during the early Eighties, cricket celebrities have cast a spell on consumers/masses that has remained unchanged till date (post-World Cup?)

People have always appreciated the sensual aspect of sport, be it the coliseums of Rome or the picturesque cricket fields of England. The hedonistic pleasure-oriented appeal of sport coupled with the glamour of celebrities and consumerism have created a new identity for the consumer across socio-economic classes.

Consumer behaviour and sports celebrities

Cricket and celebrities associated with the game have become a part of Indian culture. In fact, sport is associated with the culture of most countries, whether it is reflected in the cult following enjoyed by football clubs such as Manchester United, or the soccer violence witnessed frequently in countries where the sport is a rage.

Cricket as a game has had a long history of being a part of Indian culture, with regional celebrities hogging the limelight at the local rather than the national or international level. M. J. Gopalan of Madras and Vijay Hazare and Vinoo Mankad of Bombay were stalwarts of the game, who probably ignited celebrity status for cricketers long back.

But, more than the celebrities, the game has been a part of millions of households (though the number may be insignificant as compared to the present-day numbers) for long, its appeal lying in its nuances. Television, technologies and the need for entertainment in an increasingly high-pressure commercial world has brought in millions of viewers seeking hedonistic entertainment pleasure as opposed to connoisseurs of the game deriving hedonistic pleasure from watching it. This difference is important in tracking the passion and rage associated with the celebrities of cricket in the present day context.

Cricketers were probably elevated to celebrity status during the Eighties through the diffusion of TV channels, much before satellite TV entered the scene. Cinthol with Imran Khan and several advertisements endorsed by Sunil Gavaskar (from suitings to television brands) were just the beginning of such celebrity ads.

The celebrity status of cricketers was amplified by multi-sensory experiences involving visuals and jingles, which brought in millions of viewers overnight. Cricket celebrities became icons and brand endorsements by them became the order of the day.

While the practice of following the personal lives of celebrities has been prevalent since time immemorial, the spread of television sets has made this habit almost aspirational among the youth. As the next logical step, mega brands started using mega events like the World Cup as a context to link their brands with the event. Product variants such as Pepsi Blue (and Pepsi Gold for the current World Cup) were launched to add to the sensory experience, with consumers associating the consumption experience with the event (either consciously or unconsciously).

Fair & Lovely linked the changing culture (of the confident, urban, consuming-class woman aspiring for a career) with cricket, roping in a cricket celebrity. The historical aspect of the culture associated with cricket was given a contemporary angle, with the aspiring woman becoming a successful cricket commentator (traditionally dominated by men).

Today's context

In the present day context, brands have employed several strategies to capture the attention of consumers during mega events like the World Cup.

Today the passion for the game is so great, a cross-section of consumers buy/upgrade their television sets during mega events. Brands run special promotional offers that may not just be limited to discounts, but may also include free tickets to the venue.

Cricketing celebrities are also used to influence the purchase process of consumers. A recent addition to the typically "considered decision-making" categories that use cricket celebrities is real estate. The charisma of cricket celebrities is useful to attract consumers across age groups and categories.

But, it is not that brands associate with cricket celebrities at mega-events alone. For instance, a low-penetration category such as jam has also been endorsed by a cricket celebrity. Though a low-cost product, such a strategy enables the brand to achieve trial rates. This is essentially to enlarge the base of consumers for the category, even assuming a small cross-section stays with the brand/category.

TVS Victor has associated with Sachin Tendulkar to market its brand on the strength of a number of attributes/benefits. Sachin has also endorsed Colgate Total's ``12-hour germ free" proposition. The basic approach in using cricket (or other celebrities) is to plan how well the celebrity association (with or without the mega event) fits in with the brand's overall communication strategy.

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) that aims to provide a consistent set of associations for the brand over a period of time is a useful concept for a brand when marketers plan celebrity/mega event associations.

Planning mega event associations

The objectives of the association attempted with the mega event should be clear. Is it to create brand awareness? Brand excitement? Sell a concept that requires the consumer to experience the benefits of a brand? In such a case, should sales promotion be a part of the mega event association plan? (For example, a private brand of dish TV with a set-top box)

What is the extent of celebrity usage? Pre-event and post-event? Is it just to capture the attention of consumers or to provide the brand a personality association? For instance, a consistent, cool-headed and non-pretentious batsman could add a "reliable, friendly and confident'' personality to a brand of durable.

Choosing the game/sport is equally important. One-day cricket with all its vagaries and unpredictability may not be appropriate for a new brand attempting to create sports association. The cost of failure/risk would be too high for the brand. An established brand, on the other hand, could take some rude shocks.

Target audience considerations are also important. While a brand of fairness cream for young girls could associate itself with cricket with a well-planned theme, it is doubtful if the brand would want to associate with an event like the World Cup, despite the fact that female anchors are becoming popular at such events. Opportunities with regard to qualitative effectiveness as well as metrics are important in choosing the mega-event.

The quirk of enigma associated with mega events can be greatly reduced by basic, uncomplicated, conceptual thinking that reminds us of the power of simplicity in a complicated world.

(S. Ramesh Kumar is Professor of Marketing at IIM, Bangalore.)

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