What is the nature of Reebok’s relationship with sports today?

As a brand Reebok is rooted in sports ideology. It is a believer in associating with the sportsman and not just the sports star. In cricket we provide cricket gear and equipment to players at an early stage of their career and also make super-customised bats for the top-notch players of the Indian cricket team. We support football and tennis players as well while contributing regularly to fitness through the Reebok Instructor Alliance (RIA) which till date has about 900 certified instructors.

At the recent felicitation ceremony done for the World Cup champions where Reebok presented the team with Golden Bats, Maninder Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, the key architects of this win, acknowledged Reebok’s support of athletes citing their own experiences. Such advocacy proves a relationship of trust and support means far more than one of sheer endorsements.

What is Reebok doing in India with other sports, and at the grassroots?

At its core, Reebok promotes sports and fitness by sponsoring various sports stars and teams in India. The aim is to spawn a new genre of sports and fitness enthusiasts making immense sense for a brand that is known for its expertise in fitness and sports.

We believe in discovering, encouraging and supporting athletes in all sports. Be it Sunitha Rao in tennis, Rennedy Singh in football, Rohit Sharma and Joginder Sharma in cricket, at Reebok we believe in nurturing talent right from the start. Such efforts do not focus on promotions or sales. They are about the real thing that gets missed in all the hype and glamour. Reebok’s relationship with athletes is about the support of what leads to success – talent, hard work, perseverance and the sacrifice in getting there. That is what makes us have an eleven-year-old relationship with Rahul Dravid still going strong and what leads to us being the number one authentic sportswear brand in the country. We have a tie-up with the All India Tennis Association, as the ‘Official Kit Sponsor’ of Indian Davis Cup and the Federation Cup Teams, both in the senior and junior category till the end of this year.

We are among the first to promote soccer in a big way and have a longstanding association with Indian soccer clubs. We sponsor top soccer clubs in India. We have also sponsored football gear for the Football Academy Training based in Chennai. We are closely associated with the movie Goal. Starring John Abraham it is based on the life and ambitions of a soccer player. In Goal, releasing this month, customers will get to see Reebok’s new range of sports shoes.

Nine out of the 11 cricketers of the ICC Twenty 20 winning team endorse Reebok. All Man of the Match Awards from the Indian team were backed by Reebok athletes. We have a line-up of some of the biggest and most exciting players as our brand ambassadors. Reebok is also endorsed by the captains of Test-playing teams India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies. We have emerged as market leaders in the cricket sports goods industry in India. Post endorsements of bats by leading cricketers we have cornered 25 per cent of the cricket bat (performance) market in one year.

What are your plans for India?

We plan to continue to dominate cricket while strengthening our hold on other sports. The good news is the rising sports consciousness in India, the trend of sports being perceived as cool and hip and an increase in the number of passionate sports players and enthusiasts clearly reflected in TV viewership trends, increased number of sports bars and sports publications.

This year we tied up with Zee Sports for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Next year we plan to do similar tie-ups on a large scale and create excitement around soccer. We will also look at the interactive digital medium to promote sports in India with the youth. We might look at getting more young tennis players on board and sponsoring more of domestic cricket.