Commerce and the Cup

As the ICC Cricket World Cup unfolds, there's a lot riding on not just the Indian cricketing stars and their reputations but also on a host of brands, television channels, food companies, merchandisers and retailers. In the 20 days the World Cup has been on, there has been as much frenzy off field as there has been on it. After the fiasco of the last World Cup in 2007 in the West Indies, when India did not make the cut, marketers are looking for redemption and more bang for the buck in this edition of the Cup. From sweat-shirts to potato snacks and banks to car-makers, all kinds of unlikely brands are trying to leverage the passion the Cup has generated, and are pinning their hopes on India going all the way to the final.

Television-makers are already looking at sales as explosive as Sachin's scorching cover drive. Two of the biggest TV-makers expect sales of their flat panel sets in the first half of this year to be double what it was the same period last year. The broadcasters of the tournament too are, no doubt, rubbing their hands in glee, expecting to rake in Rs 750 crore in advertisement revenues. And, if India reaches the knock-out stage, they could charge up to four times the current advertising rates for a ten-second spot. Even though all manner of brands are pouring big bucks into the World Cup, the challenge for the organisers has been to get fans into stadiums for the non-India games as well as garner eyeballs for TV viewership. Many brands have spent a big chunk of their annual advertisement and marketing budgets on the World Cup, expecting the tournament to give their sales a big boost. And, if the biggest brand in Indian cricket, Sachin, can help India win, then the cheers from advertisers could well reach a crescendo.

However, advertisers would do well to remember that the pressure on this Indian team is enormous and that their huge spends on the tournament will be vindicated only if the team goes on all the way to the final. The last time India won the Cup, it was as the underdog. This time the Indians are the most fancied team and these high expectations can raise the pressure several notches. Some of the matches so far have been too close for comfort. Advertisers and channels that broadcast cricket must also realise that overkill isn't good for their brands. The recent telecast of the India-South Africa series even had ads between balls and a well-executed shot's replay was cut short to screen an ad. Rather than garner goodwill and raise awareness for a brand, that could well leave the viewer irritated. Spewing ads of all kinds on the small screen at the wrong time will only score a duck with the viewers.

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