Cricket 2012- The Businessmen’s Game

Cricket 2012- The Businessmen’s Game

The game of cricket which is otherwise known as the Gentlemen’s game has been evolved in the southern England in late 1500s has become the new mantra of entertainment today. From the 5 days long test matches to 50 overs a side one day matches to the newest avatar, the Twenty 20 format, the game of cricket has certainly come a very long way. 

Cricket, whenever this word is uttered, many bats are wielded in a hurry to play, as the striker goes ahead to smash the balls. This is the game of “cricket” which is another name of religion in a country like India. In India, every child is given a bat and a ball on his/her birthday, and this is something which has been followed traditionally all over the country. And in tune to that, the branding process in cricket has also evolved in a dramatic manner over the years.

From the beginning of the human civilization, the process of communication or what we say delivering one’s understandings to another person seems to be very vital in every stage and every age. From the days in the caves to this modern day ultrasonic jet age, it is the one by virtue of which the man has proved its mettle against the time and against all other creatures. From this very concept of sending or spreading the understandings from one to another the concept of

Advertisement has taken birth.

And to advertise or simply spreading the news or views about a product or service in this hyper-competitive market place is very important to survive and thrive for modern day marketers. And to rip on this, now-a-days marketers have started to exploit every opportunity as they are starting to attach their brand names with various products, services and events.

Branding which is known as giving a unique name, sign or term to one’s product so that it will acquire a specific position on the minds of the consumers and differentiate the product of various companies.

In this post I am trying to focus on the same branding effect on the new kingpin in the world of entertainment, the game of cricket!

A flashback into the Gentlemen’s game 

If not long, only we can go back to some 20 to 25 years back, we can see the very classic and very cleanly image of cricket. With scenic arenas, large spans of green grasses, clean wickets, clean stadiums, unbranded equipments like bats, wickets, boundary ropes, perimeter boards, spotless white clothes, basic score boards, simple presentation ceremonies…etc. In addition to that the players, be at a national or International level were also involved in very few endorsements.

The Change

With the advent of liberalization and the growth of television viewership have given a huge popularity boost to the game. With the birth of cable and satellite television came a deluge of programming options for Indian advertisers. Cricket stood alone, as a means to cut through barriers of age, gender, geography, language and socio economic class classifications. It is today a medium by itself; one which accounts for approximately 15-20% of total television advertising in a given year.

Cricket has allowed marketers to effectively combine the power of television and the potential of the sport. And the result is that today, astronomical sums of monies are being pumped in to garner a slice of this highly lucrative pie.

So seeing this big opportunities, the marketers need to disregard the old ways of advertising and bang out to mega advertising efforts both on ground and on television which will help them to stand out and get noticed. Whether the brand is relevant to the spot it is getting advertised or not, it has added value to the whole game; both on ground as well as on television resulting in involvement and consumer appreciation. We can say here that, pockets do get deeper when it comes to cricket.

The Changed

The painted Playground on all four sides

The bill boards around the Boundary

The brands that find their way on to the Bats of the players

The main and associate sponsor of the team whose logo gets reflected on the Jerseys

 

Various brands that get advertised on the Wickets

Brands advertised in between the Over

Last but not the least The Drinks trolley – vehicles that carry drinks in to the field during breaks

HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO NOTICE THE CHANGE BROUGHT ABOUT. STAY CONNECTED.

“BOLLY BRANDING” ON THE RISE

The entertainment has remained the part and parcel of the human life for years. Hollywood is the flagship of all the entertainment of the world. There are versatile ways of entertaining the world. In course of time different sorts of human being joined the earth to teach and propagate entertainment to the world. Especially, in these days the Indian bollywood movies have touched the heart of every Indian across the globe.

A brands association with the bollywood movies is a rising trend. For obvious reasons, this type of association minimizes the risk element posed by infilm branding. Moreover, with technology advances, any brand can be placed in a suitable scene from the film after it is made.

Bolly Branding is a term introduced to bring about the combination of bollywood movies and the brands for their mutual benefits. To be very logical in explanation this type of branding activity results big screen joining hands with the small screen. The practice, is quite popular in Hollywood, is making its presence felt in Bollywood too, recent examples being

Parachute Hair oil from Marico and Sunsilk shampoo with movie Cocktail;

Nimbuzz with movie Kya Super Cool Hain Hum;

Nokia Lumia, Citizen Watches and Cadbury Bournville with movie Dark Knight;

Amul macho with the movie Agent Vinod;

Montecarlo Celebrates the movie Barfi ;

Lakme, Head and Shoulders, Monarch, Universal, Cera, Rupa, Jealous21, Sugar Free and Cocoberry have associated with the film Heroine &

Thums Up and Suzuki with movie Ek Tha Tiger.

I have enlisted in details the style in which brands carry out BOLLY BRANDING

MOVIE NAME: - Cocktail

RELEASES ON: - 13 July 2012

ACTORS: - Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty

DIRECTOR: - Homi Adajania

Deepika in Cocktail: A vision to behold

Deepika plays the role of a character named Veronica in the film, a girl who looks like a million bucks, and knows it. Confidence drips from her as she struts around in her casual day wear and sexy party wear.

Sunsilk a famous hair nourishing cosmetic company came to with an ad campaign “When you have thick hair like Veronica’s, you can style it anyway you want! GET Veronica’s cocktail style TODAY!

It said -If you want Veronica’s rocking look, just remember, the side ponytail style will only look good if you’ve got thick, healthy, voluminous hair. So make sure you’ve got Sunsilk Thick and Long shampoo and conditioner, which makes your hair look 2 times thicker.

MOVIE NAME: - Agent Vinod

RELEASES ON: - 23 March 2012

ACTORS: - Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor

DIRECTOR: - Sriram Raghavan

Where the previous ads of Amul macho really made you smile, this ad goes a bit far. The ad tries to be too funny, but actually it isn’t. Although the buildup of the ad is good and has humor in it, the end is disappointing. However, it does fit the tagline “Bade aaram se”.

Saif ali khan is probably promoting his own role from his upcoming movie Agent Vinod. He is dressed in an Amul macho and is cross questioning several people for the murder of the owner of the house. Of the four people he questions (including the owners wife) each of them has red liquid on their clothes (meant to be blood) and each of them has some reason for the blood to be there. Finally Saif begins thinking who will give the answer to the mystery. The dead owner then wakes up and points to his wife and says that she had done the murder. Saif ali khan then says the tagline “Bade aaram se”

MOVIE NAME: - Barfi

RELEASES ON: - 14 September 2012

ACTORS: - Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D'Cruz & Rupa Ganguly

DIRECTOR: - Anurag Basu

This film brings about a concept of Co-branding. Co-branding has been there for ages but as picked up rapidly in resent few years. We can say it is utilization of two known brands to come up with a new product or service. Co-branding refers to use of two renowned brand names in a way that they can collectively offer a distinct product/ service that could not be possible individually. The success of composite branding depends upon the favorability of the ingredient brands and also upon the extent on complementarities between them.

“Montecarlo Celebrates Barfi”

This campaign is good example of co-branding activity between apparel brand Montecarlo Fashions Limited and UTV for the upcoming movie Barfi.

Montecarlo has come with an interesting campaign to promote its association with the movie Barfi and named it as “Montecarlo celebrates Barfi” wherein users answers few simple questions and get a chance to win Barfi movie passes which will be facilitated by Montecarlo. The gratification is a mixture of Barfi movie passes, Barfi CD’s and Montecarlo merchandise.

Montecarlo has also come up with a co-branded TV commercial currently promoted on all the television channels.

MOVIE NAME: - Ek Tha Tiger

RELEASES ON: -15 August 2012

ACTORS: -Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey , Girish Karnad & Roshan Seth

DIRECTOR: -Kabir Khan

In Ek Tha Tiger, Suzuki in-film branding is being complemented by a TVC and a contest. The film has also associated with Ireland Tourism, close on the heels of the Spain Tourism-ZNMD success. Ireland Tourism has its hopes pinned on Salman Khan, considered an opinion leader, and a TVC around the film has just gone live. Suzuki has launched the ‘Ek Tha Tiger, Ek Hayate’ campaign, which offers Suzuki Hayate buyers a chance to meet Salman Khan in person. Six winners will meet Khan in Mumbai and one of them will get a free Suzuki Hayate motorcycle. The campaign has reportedly received tremendous response.

You might be aware that the Toofani campaign being carried out on all television channels all across the country. Coca Cola officials (Thumbs Up’s parent company) are ready to confirm the deal with Salman. Recently, Salman Khan had everything but not a cola brand to endorse. The wait however is over as we hear the man has been roped in for Thumbs Up’s ‘Aaj Kuch Toofani Kartey Hain’ campaign.Only time will tell if Salman really is seen endorsing this fizz! I must also add, that Thumbs Up also went in to a brand association with Ek Tha Tiger.

MOVIE NAME: - Heroine

RELEASES ON: - September 21, 2012

ACTORS: - Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami

DIRECTOR: - Madhur Bhandarkar

Women-centric films have caught the right attention in recent times, thanks to unique content and strong roles. But for Heroine, Kareena Kapoor has gone a step ahead and managed to bring as many as eight brands on board – said to be the most for any female-oriented Hindi movie so far.

Lakme is launching Heroine branded makeup under the Absolute range, endorsed by Kareena, and apparel brand Jealous21 will introduce a special clothing line inspired by the clothes worn by Kareena in the movie, which narrates the behind-the-scenes life of an actor.

Lakme, Head and Shoulders and Monarch Universal are the brands Kareena endorses and have associated with the film, apart from others like Cera, Rupa, Jealous21, Sugar Free and Cocoberry which have come on board for in-film integration and various media associations.

These all above mentioned array of cases bring about the clear scenario of branding of the new era. These are the strategies that the brands are executing in order to gain maximum coverage over the minds of the audience.

Starting from munni ki badnami to life ki naughty kahani yeh halkat jawani brands have associated themselves with the upcoming movies and have gained remarkable results.

Social Media Inspirations

Social Media Inspirations

In this tech-savvy world, these social media-inspired styles demonstrate the tip of the iceberg on just how integrated online socialization has become a part of one’s everyday life.

There is a growing desire to have everything from status update t-shirts to tweeting sport shoes, so that other people will know what users are thinking at all times in both the physical and digital worlds.

Social media-inspired wardrobes are totally in vogue as fashionistas and fashionistos rock anything from Internet timepieces to Facebook-inspired cuff links to show off just how well connected they are in the online world.

Soon programmable hi-tech tees will become a ubiquitous fashion piece allowing for truly customizable clothing. Even celebrities have jumped on the social media bandwagon influenced to wear the user-generated content of fans.
An example of this is Imogen Heap’s Grammy Awards Twitter dress that featured a live Twitter feed displaying messages sent from fans to the singer.

These stylish social media-inspired styles provide some inspiration to future fashion designers looking to incorporate digital love into their latest threads.

Daniel Reese Customized Sneakers Feature Pop Culture Heavyweights

My days of rocking customized kicks are little behind me but I have got to admit that these Daniel Reese customized sneakers are incredible.

The Imogen Heap Grammy Awards 'Twitdress' is Geekalicious

Twitter was officially pulled onto the red carpet with this Imogen Heap Grammy Awards Twitter dress. This “twitdress,” as it has been dubbed, is a social media and fashion first.

Lumen Bigott's Social Media Shoes Bring Your Laptop Love to the Streets

So long as you own a Smartphone, you don’t need to leave your online life at home. Nevertheless, for those wishing to publicly broadcast their enthusiasm for social networking to the physical world, wearing Lumen Bigott’s Social Media Shoes is the first step.

Tshirt OS Offers Users a Wearable and Interactive Digital Display

The digital apparel company Cute Circuit has created the T-shirt OS, an interactive digital T-shirt that combines self-expression with technology. As the company points out, T-shirts have been the ultimate canvas for self-expression for ages, and now, with the T-shirt OS, your tee can display and do exactly what you want it to.

Lysander Follet's iLIKE Silver Pendant Pays Homage to Facebook Liking

The Internet has inspired artists, designers, fashion catwalks and museums, and certainly has been an inspiration for Lysander Follet’s iLIKE Silver Pendant.
For a round of Facebook-inspired jewelry, young French designer Lysander Follet from French studio Minigorille has created a pendant that is fully handmade out of silver 925. 

It’s a limited edition, 30-piece pendant made in Lyon, France that may look familiar to some of you social network lovers out there. That’s right, the design is formed in the shape of the “Facebook Like” button icon that you use every day.
For lovers of the largest social network in the world, here is an original jewelry gift to offer or to be offered.

The 'b for bel' Outfits Will Match Your Online Profile

Society’s obsession with social media has now extended to the spaces within closets, thanks to the ‘b for bel’ outfits. This stunning collection of fashion-forward apparel pays tribute to various social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Tumblr. 

Now individuals can sport their addiction to social media and networking platforms through these fashionably formed garments.

The Adidas Facebook & Twitter Shoes Bring New Meaning to Follow Friday

The Adidas Facebook & Twitter shoes may or may not increase your friends and followers, but they are a cool way to make a social media statement. These shoes are each one-offs designed by English designer Gerry McKay.

Edoc Laundry

Edoc Laundry, a Seattle based clothing company, is all about encouraging the interactive social experience. By combining fashion and technology mediums, Edoc Laundry creates garments with codes and messages that most people can’t see unless they are searched for thoroughly.

Keith Lane's CafePress Clothing Line is for Non-Facebookers

Keith Lane’s Anti-Social Networker apparel proves that social networking isn’t for everyone. With a full line of CafePress apparel printed with taglines like “Do Not Follow Me,” “Not an Engaging User Experience,” “Bottom of the Search Engine,” and “LinkedOut,” these clothes aren’t for early tech adopters.

Share & Wear Your Status With the UpdateMeTee Shirt

Taking social media to a tangible and fashionable form, now you can really tell everyone what you’re doing by updating your status with the UpdateMeTee Shirt.
This new Facebook designed shirt allows you to write and erase messages on the clothing item. Share what you’re doing and wear it proudly. The t-shirt even has a comment section for people to write posts on. 

The 'Dislike' Button by Dislike Lets You Express Your Discontent

For months, the Facebook community has clamored for a ‘dislike’ button to counteract the widespread ‘like’ button. Now Dislike has come up with an offline version of the ‘dislike’ button that you can wear to express your dismay on the go.

The Twitter Handle Necklace Boasts Your Site

Calling all social media geeks! The Twitter Handle Necklace is here! You can get an At Symbol or a Birdie Twitter charm with your Twitter handle engraved and a Swarovski crystal that comes in birthstone colors.
The necklaces are made from stainless steel and sparkles, which enable you to show your love for the site every day! 

The Facebook Dress is Sure to Get You Poked Anywhere You Go

The true fans of Facebook will have at least one Facebook Dress in their closet. This dress was designed by a young Romanian fashion designer named Lana, and features a full Facebook design on the front and back.
The front part of the Facebook Dress features a profile that can be your own or someone’s else, while the back appears to be the ‘add as friend’ Facebook page. 

Social Media Watches for the Ultimate Geek

These social media watches are perfect for those who are Internet savvy and are addicted to sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

With so many new social media inventions, including pillows, mouse pads and t-shirts, it only seems fitting that watches would be the next Internet-branded creation.

These Internet Dresses by Neko-Vi are Elegant

The Internet Dresses by Neko-Vi are what Cinderella would wear to a social media ball. All of these elegant gowns are based off a major website and that website’s color scheme.

Ramblers Follow Every Step You Take

Twitter was created to log everything you do and every step you take. These Ramblers

also do just that—except in a more literal way.

Rambler shoes track your speed and pressure while walking and Bluetooths these signals to your phone, which then sends it to your Twitter account as tweets.

Every One Will Like These Thumbs-Up Cuff Links

It is hard not to like these social media-inspired Thumbs-Up Cuff Links. Created by the online retailer ThinkGeek, the Facebook ‘Like’ symbol was transformed into a pair of geek-chic cuff links. These accessories will sure add a dash of fun to any dress shirt.

The InstaGraham Crackers are Creative Baking Creations

Baking goddess and blogger Bakerella has engaged in some clever word play and delicious social media integration with the InstaGraham Crackers. These homemade Instagram-inspired graham cracker snacks are a cute way to express and applaud the instant artistic merit commonly contracted by avid Instagram users.

Tomislav Zvonaric Conceptualizes a Facebook-Themed Ice Cream

Tomislav Zvonaric previously conceptualized a Facebook-themed bed, which mimicked the iconic “f” shape of the social media platform’s logo, but he wasn’t finished with the company just yet. Seen here is his latest creation, ‘The Facecream,’ which once again harnesses Facebook’s logo, only this time it’s used as the shape of ice cream popsicles. 

Picture a Klondike bar, with an edible blue exterior instead of chocolate, and with the bar itself being placed on a stick and you get a general idea of what ‘The Facecream’ entails.

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