The evolution of sports marketing in India – Brand Wagon News

By Sayantan Guha

Sports Marketing has evolved with the sport itself, consumption of the games have changed, emotions around the games thrived with one big generational rivalry that made way for bigger stars. Now brand loyalty has built on individual stories that drive the collective narrative. Characters have been woven around the game understanding consumption patterns which has now become an integral part of sports marketing.

Today cultural personalisation is the name of the game, we are at an age globally where aspirations have truly come home, hence to build aspirational narratives, recognitional and adulation of stories closer to home is more relatable. Digital has reduced the gap of access, reducing global boundaries,it’s taken away the western aspiration. Brands such as IPL, ISL Pro Kabbadi or the PVL have made us witness India’s domestic strength rubbing shoulders with the best of the world.

Content marketing, the future:

Humanising sporting greatness, documenting lifestyle aspects while establishing sporting genius has become the fabric of the narratives that are driving sports engagement. It might take different forms and shapes depending on the sports and how it is engaging its first community. It gives you the lens beyond the game and allows you to enter into the mindset or the closet of greatness.

Having had the opportunity to lead the team that became the first official agency in India to partner with Federation of International Volleyball (World’s second largest sports federation) branding their first ever initiative capturing the imagination of Indian Volleyball dream, through Brahmaputra Volleyball League.

Community dialogue:

Crafting communication that resonates with the innate emotions of an individual, someone who has played the sport in some capacity, thrived, failed, been a spectator or maybe still goes back to it or even plays it virtually. Identifying the emotion and creating dialogue that resonates and becomes sharable. Bringing out the joy of the sport that hides behind the lanes and bylanes of today’s India.

Inculcating cultural personalisation, we launched our first campaign with a teaser stating “Banglar Ball Bodle Gechhe” or “Bengal’s favorite sport has changed”. Generating a lot of curiosity we extended our campaign digitally highlighting how different characters in influencer to politician to sporting to economist bengal’s favourite sport has changed, culminating it to reveal our brand tagline of ‘Khelbe Bangla, Jitbey Bangla’ which embodies undying passionate spirit of Bengal that resides across generations who’s hustling and winning everyday, this team would embody that everytime they take the ground, bringing every community together.

The AI revolution:

Revolution in understanding customer consumption is here, AI is not only going to allow us to understand better but also would let us into intricate incites of pattern and reason consumption. That would not help marketers pivot and adapt faster, but also give a huge power to manipulate narratives from a long term behavioral lens. Though I still feel AI would only add fuel to our crazy and help us push further as ideators, thinkers and creators.

Sporting IPs:

Creators, visual storytellers and compelling character or property ideas have grown to become successful aggregators of content, from Mr. Nags to Chahal Tv to Breakfast with Champions, I think sporting IPs have changed the face of sports marketing at large, becoming the insider they are given access to the secret code of a sports person’s life. They not only become extended brand voices but also become marketing avenues for the brand.

The author is creative director at PromotEdge

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