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'Marketers like what consumers like. And consumers like cricket'

World Cup -- a win-win marketing strategy

And so, even as the 12 teams battle for the seventh World Cup in England, ad wars continue in any medium with visibility -- newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the Internet, what have you. What is hope for the CLCCs is the Big Opportunity for the marketing whizkids.

Zutshi is convinced the World Cup will propel Samsung's turnover up 50 per cent in the first quarter of 1998-99, and 81 per cent up over the same quarter of 1997-98. "We are very sure of a 45 per cent hike in sales of colour television sets over last year. Even the soccer World Cup last year sparked good business."

Soccer reminds LG Electronics' Karwal of an interesting pattern in sales. "Last year, Bengal, Kerala and Goa were the most active regions during the World Cup. Colour television sales spurted almost 400 per cent there. Cricket has a wider appeal. So sales this time will hopefully be up 15 per cent at the national level."

Such optimism, Karwal explains, stems from the fact that day-time cricket matches in England become day-night television affairs in India. "The office-goers, especially males, reach home early and park themselves in front of the telly. They won't move away, come what may. Even food has to be served in the television room. For five to six hours, advertisers will get their undivided attention.

"We estimate that 200 to 250 million people will watch every match that India will play. So what an India match in the World Cup can deliver in a single day, any normal media plan will take seven to eight days to deliver, at almost 25 to 30 per cent extra cost."

One more aspect of the television ad blitz is that sponsors have an advantage over their competitors: the latter can collectively run their ads in just 60 per cent of the airtime that the former has bought.

Seth of Equus feels Indian companies have overdone the World Cup ad bit this time. "We are witnessing a crowd. The surfeit of ads is confusing. Recall value has gone for a six!"

"That is not all," he continues. "Two or three companies will dominate the scene: Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Hero Honda. So people who are going to make money are the main sponsors, and one hopes, companies like us in advertising."

Seth is certain that all the WC-happy clients of ad agencies won't gain market share -- there will just be a temporary surge in sales. "People won't start eating biscuits merely because you are sending them to the World Cup. At the end, you will not remember any brand; you will just remember Tendulkar.

"Perhaps, at the end, even Tendulkar might forget which brand he endorses -- there are so many endorsements. I find this whole thing crazy. There isn't enough strategic focus. It's a nice bandwagon to hitch onto because it's the simplest."

He explains that only two categories can be associated with the World Cup: one which has something to do with sports, and another which has something to do with physical activity, like an energy drink and refreshers. "I don't think there is a need for biscuits to be there. It's not as if Tendulkar is going to have a 50:50 biscuit and hit a fifty!"

Kumar of Mudra says that is not how marketers look at things. "They like what consumers like and Indian consumers just love cricket. So it becomes an obvious choice for any marketer. Also, it is a tremendous opportunity, because during these five weeks of World Cup activity, India will just be breathing, eating and drinking cricket. That's why cricket is the obvious choice for marketers".

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