The Indian cricket team may not be on a strong wicket due to a spate of weak performances recently, but a host of new sponsors are padding up to support the Men in Blue, when they take to the field during World Cup 2015 next week.
Companies including Nestle, Marico,Yepme.com, Paytm, Raymonds, Lloyd, iBall, among others, are lining up for top ad spots in the World Cup matches, which begin on February 14.
The official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports’ new business strategy — selling a package of 15 best matches (including quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals) at a reasonable price of 12 lakh per 10 seconds — seems to struck the right note with advertisers.
The channel had jacked up ad rates for finals to 24 lakh per 10 seconds and 12 lakh per 10 seconds for semi finals in the last World Cup.
And with not too many seeing India as a likely contender for the Cup this time, the channel has made smart move to attract brands, experts said. “Going by the current performances of Team India, the smart decision would be to sell inventory at best price, which is neither low nor high,” a media buyer said on the condition of anonymity.
“This World Cup is seeing the emergence of new categories and advertisers,” said Navin Khemka, managing partner, Maxus, GroupM.
The channel will also broadcast matches in six different languages for the first time, a move likely to attract regional advertisers.
“The addition of southern languages has resulted in significant interests from south-based clients. TI Cycles, Dixcy, Manappuram have signed for their maiden World Cup association,” said Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India.
Domestic brands are also making commercials in different languages to grab eyeballs. “This year, the format allows frequent short breaks, making it apt for advertisers to create an impact,” said Vivek Sharma, chief marketing officer, Pidilite Industries.
Source: Hindustan Times, February 02, 2015 | Page 11
