The art and science of betting long pre-date casinos. According to the >artofbetting.com , “Successful betting comes about when you have sufficient information at hand. Online Bookmakers provide such information and there are so many to choose from.” Stating the obvious? Let's contextualise.
For brands investing in India's fortunes in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, such information comes in the form of innumerable media reports and analyses. For television companies airing competitive sporting events, it is important to ensure that the (air time) buying mood is positive.
This has an uncanny way of influencing the media writers, who have no option but to go to the media buyers or sellers to arrive at the (‘estimated') going ad rates! One wants to bring it down, the other wants to push it up. No wonder no one can go on record to state specifics.
When this magical situation gets interwoven with the ‘game of glorious uncertainties', it's nothing but betting, all the way.
Is it prudent to spend big monies to advertise during the World Cup? Is it too much of a risk?
Do we have a way of predicting what the outcome will be? It's important to have a sense of what will happen.
Here's why: 5.46 TRPs (viewership, TAM) at the start of last World Cup hosted by the West Indies. 7.25, during India's first match (vs Bangladesh!). And after India's early exit, after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the ratings went down to 0.71!
This is a big bet. The 2011 World Cup which kicks off today is of a 50-over format, and will feature 49 matches over 43 days. That's a lot of cricket, and a lot of air time. But hey, the Indian team is among favourites. There's hope. And, a lot of prayers, all around, understandably.
Remember the MasterCard commercial? Tweaking it a bit, we have:
Cost of brands investing in cricket: XXX crores.
A billion people praying for the Indian team to win: priceless!