IPL has a lesson for marketers

The idea of IPL was mooted to rival the gang led by Subash Chandra. At every step Modi and his team at IPL were making news for the large deals they struck, be it media rights, logo rights, sponsor deals etc. The auctions that followed for the franchisees and the players saw money being pumped into the game of cricket like never before. They had clearly got the edge with the backing of the parent bodies. However there were questions raised about the chances of the league becoming a success for a variety of reasons.

The challenges for the bosses at IPL were many.The franchisee did their bit by organizing promos, launching memorabilia, release music albums etc.....but everyone knew at the back of their mind that if IPL had to succeed for the game and nothing else. The much needed hype before the event took off was created.At the same time there were opinions expressed about cricket being a game of national loyalties and how an Indian could never celebrate when Bret Lee broke Sachin's wicket.


I too had the same kind of concerns about the prospects of the league for a variety of reasons. I had developed a feeling that probably this country has had a overdose of cricket and it was time people enjoyed watching other sports,well, I guess it was not to be.

A ball is yet to be bowled nevertheless the first game at Bangalore is a sell out. Selling rates have gone up 5 times in the grey market. For me the league is a success even before the first ball is bowled. I am convinced that the people of this country can never have enough of cricket.

As it's rightly said, there's a place for everything in this world and this new avataar of the game will find it's place and meet with success. For the sake of the game I love, Congrats and best wishes to Modi and team for changing the lives of a bunch of talented cricketers who dreamt of donning the Indian cap. They can hope for a life out of IPL for the sacrifices they have made in life.

Lesson 2

I was passing through the Chinnaswamy stadium members entry gate when I noticed a board which said........"Black Dog Members Stand". I was wondering what the hell was a "Black Dog" .

Later I found the stadium map and saw that the names of stands go like this......

• Antiquity
• Black Dog
• McDowells
• Bagpiper Special
• Royal Challenge...........

And the team is rightly called Royal Challengers.

I'll skip mentioning what theese names stand for (I wouldnt wanna reveal my knowledge on these!!). Does anyone bother that ads and publicity for alcohol is prohibited.............Mallya and his team found a way to bend the rules. A event like the IPL has done the trick for the UB group. It is advertising budget well spent!

The IPL extravaganza has arrived!.......exciting times ahead.