The Hindu Business Line : Business, Twenty20-style

Twenty-three-year old Neha walked into the living room to find her dad and brother watching a one-day match between India and Australia. “Guys! One-day matches are not so cool anymore,” she said, ruffling her dad’s hair as she went past him to sit in the sofa opposite. “Welcome to the Twenty20 world. Who has the time or the inclination to spend a whole day watching cricket?”

Avinash looked at his daughter over the rims of his spectacles. He was a successful businessman who had an electronics showroom. He shot back: “That is the problem with your generation; you want everything to happen quickly. What do you think, Rahul?” he asked his son.

Rahul was 30 and worked as a copywriter with an ad agency. He grabbed a handful of chips from a bowl beside him and spoke incoherently. “Hmm, I’m not sure. Twenty20 may be exciting, but it doesn’t have the charm of a one-day or a test match. But it sure makes a lot of business sense.”

Faster and smaller

Neha, eager to show her B-school knowledge, interrupted him. “Exactly. Look at the business world, dad, for example your own electronics business. Some years back you used to sell a lot of those bulky goods. I remember the big radio we used to have. And Rahul’s massive computer. The scene is changing so rapidly. Everything in this world is getting miniaturised. This is the age of the iPod, and handheld computers. Everything is getting faster and smaller.”

“Including the skirt you wore to the party yesterday, huh?” her dad grinned, enjoying Neha’s evident discomfort and embarrassment.

“What you have to understand, my dear, is that in the world of business, being flashy or looking for shortcuts will get you nowhere. A lot of businesses do well in the short term but quickly fizzle out. You have to plan your goals for the long term; just like a test captain would.

Short on strategy

“Twenty20 does not involve strategy or planning. The business world is like the world of test cricket. You are trying to constantly outdo the competition (the opponent team) and also have to keep the market conditions in mind (the pitch, weather). Twenty20 is too much of a gamble. It doesn’t matter who your opponents are, what the pitch is like, you just heave at everything. Poor bowlers. They don’t even get a second chance...”

“There is no second chance in the world of business too, dad,” said Rahul. “As a lot of failed companies would testify, there is only one chance in the big bad business world. Unlike a test match, there are no second innings. You slip up and you are dead.”

Neha chimed in excitedly: “Every product in the market is successful only if there are customers for it. You need to segment, target and position your product well to attract the attention of the fickle customer. The authorities have realised that the biggest viewers of cricket are the younger generation.

“Test matches are not holding their attention anymore. Who has the time to watch five days of a sport which does not guarantee a result at the end? So they’ve come up with what is called a line extension in the world of business — a snazzier, shorter and more interesting version.”

A distinct image

Mr Avinash winced as another wicket went down for India. “See what is happening, the Twenty20 champions are being beaten comprehensively by Australia. A lot of teams can play well for a short time; in order to do well consistently, you have to sustain that level over a longer period. The slowness of test cricket that you keep harping about is, in fact, its USP. People enjoy the slow pace of the game.

“Spectators discuss the game at the end of each day. That is the differentiation of the product. It occupies a distinct image in the mind of the viewer. Making it shorter would ensure it clashes with other sports like soccer and tennis, which have a similar time-span, in the mind of the viewer. It no longer exists in an uncluttered market space. Anyway, from a purely advertising point of view what is your take on Twenty20 Rahul?”

Ad sense

“It makes a lot of sense to advertise when a Twenty20 match is on. The attention of the viewer is declining, and Twenty20 at least ensures that the viewer is glued to the television for the entire duration of the match.

“So the advertisers reach a larger mass of people. In test or one-day matches, a lot of viewers keep flipping channels, so much of the advertising goes waste. It is also interesting to see the brand ambassadors that the companies use while advertising in Twenty20 cricket. The likes of Dhoni and Yuvraj appear more often as brand ambassadors. This is because the target audiences are younger and they would probably associate better with these younger stars. Moreover, these brand ambassadors reflect the image of the game — exciting and fun.”

Neha continued: “The software industry’s project turnaround time has shortened immensely. The lead time for a company’s supply chain has become smaller. Bollywood is cutting out the song and dance sequences to make its movies shorter… people don’t have the time anymore to sit and watch television all day.

“You remember the makeover that mom had a couple of years ago right? I think you loved it. Well, Twenty20 is the equivalent of a makeover for test cricket.”

More the better

Avinash switched off the television, shaking his head in dismay. “Another terrible performance by the Indians. Look, Neha, let’s just say that both of us represent different market segments. What are your views on the Indian Cricket League?”

Rahul spoke up: “The monopoly of the cricket board is not good for the game. It is similar to how the country was before liberalisation. When the markets opened up, look how the economy has taken off. The entry of more entities will benefit the game. Competition is good for business, right dad?”

Just then, Rahul’s mother, Sunita, came in with hot pakoras. Avinash and Rahul grabbed their share from the plate, leaving Neha with the smallest piece.

“Now let us see if Neha changes her mind about ‘small is beautiful’,” teased Rahul.

They all laughed.

Racy@TheHindu.co.in http://Racycases.blogspot.com

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