Learning from a carnival

Cricket’s biggest festival kicked off this month. As a flurry of big hits, shattering stumps, cheering fans and event specific ads erupt into our consciousness, it might be instructive to examine how the IPL brand itself has embarked on an inspiring journey for others to follow.

Now in its eighth edition, the IPL has weathered many a storm. And in the short time of its existence, has risen to create a slot in the year quite uniquely associated with it. Few manage that, even after being in the market over longer periods. Waving all that cursorily aside, by attributing it to extravagantly large promotional budgets, is perhaps missing the point.

Lots has gone right for the IPL to be still standing confidently today. It is in objectively analysing these facets and borrowing ideas for our own challenges at hand that the brands that we steward can truly be set on course for record totals in the marketplace.

It might not be fair to classify the IPL as a sporting event exclusively. There are so many other things at play there. Cinema and politics are in the mix. As are music and dance, fashion and lifestyle. Probably only ‘world peace’ misses out, because once the toss is under way, it is all out war. But on a more serious note, it is this flexibility to accommodate and integrate diverse influences which has contributed significantly to the allure of the IPL brand. Previously brands used to pride themselves on monochromatic shades. They stringently sought to stand for ‘that one thing’.

But in this technology-enabled age of distraction, taking on more is not such a bad thing. Cellphones became the most coveted technology devices in the world after they increased their functionality way beyond merely being vocal communication devices. Today they could be repositioned as mobile digital interface ports, where absolutely anything and everything is possible.

Hence allowing more ingredients to participate in one’s brand mix just might be the right call to make these days.

There is a fascinating aspect to the IPL which, whilst commonplace in other sport, especially soccer, has not been really seen in an Indian cricketing context. It is the fact that whilst Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers were locked in conflict only a few weeks ago, they have to find a way to work together for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to succeed.

And there are such similar tales across all IPL franchises. Foes are friends and friends foes in this melting pot.

Perhaps this illuminates the necessity of always having one’s lines of communication open with the competition, not only at an individual career level, but also from a company brand perspective. Ray Noorda, the former CEO of Novell, spoke many years ago about ‘cooptation’, the art of competing and collaborating at the same time. But this new century, with its diffused market lines and overlapping technologies and business models, is probably the time when this concept will really be embraced.

In fact, the one domain in India which seems to have some experience in this, is politics. Here people have no inhibitions in coming across, changing team jerseys, and then washing dirty linen in public.

An interesting idea which the IPL celebrates is the strategic timeout. That small interval when the team gets to pause and reflect on how the match is unfolding.

It is the opportune moment to add a tactical perspective to things. Interestingly and inevitably after a timeout, something does tend to happen.

There are a few corollaries this nuance throws up, as regards the branding world. Obvious ones could be the need to give campaigns a much needed rest, during media bursts. Not only does this present an occasion to evaluate how things are going, it also gives the chance to extend the influence of the communication.

A lateral idea might be to incorporate a ‘sporting timeout’, when strategic huddles on the brand take place. Often these sessions, conducted in windowless, unforgiving rooms, tend to falter on the quality of thinking after a while.

Adding a sense of play and giving the participants the opportunity to stretch their limbs, with say an informal short duration game, just might be the cerebral break they all need. In all probability the discussions are likely to be significantly enriched, after all the fun and games are over.

One facet of the IPL which truly stands out is how it has made it easier for just about everyone to watch it. Considering it competes on prime time television with programmes catered to family viewing, there has to be something for everyone, and there absolutely is. Cricket is the main course, but there are some riveting side dishes on offer. From glimpsing film stars and other celebrities, to viewing cine award show-type stage performances, and having games involving the spectators with lavish prizes on offer, everyone in the household finds her own reason to get hooked.

Brands which make experiencing them easier go a long way with consumers. Google’s initial success was also down to how it sensed what the user was searching for, and offered suggestions even as she was typing. Twitter makes it extremely easy to join in by tweeting articles through embedding. Big Bazaar made shopping easier for scores of Indians. Flipkart has become the convenient one-stop online shop. The old adage needs to be modified in this new market driven era to, ‘make it simple and keep having them come back.’ To sum up, these are but a few thought-starters the IPL saga lights up in a branding context. The discerning eye is sure to spot many more. And that is the idea. So while you are enjoying an IPL match this year, sit back and think. Just which element in that experience might help catalyse your thinking on the brand challenge at hand? Chances are you might be set for a power play in the boardroom.

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