<font color="#ff0000">Guest Article: </font> Sudarshan Banerjee: I PLay; your turn now

Marketing wisdom tells you that consumers can’t predict what they want, marketers need to read into consumer trends and insightfully come up with something new, to which consumers will then flock

Marketing wisdom tells you that consumers can’t predict what they want, marketers need to read into consumer trends and insightfully come up with something new, to which consumers will then flock. As Henry Ford said, “If I’d done what the people wanted, I’d have made a faster horse.” This is similar. The marketing oriented Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has restaged the brand of instant cricket.

‘Karmayudh’, the ads proclaim – the call for duty, to fight for a cause, to give it your all and not to question the powers that control your karma. Not strange for a billion-dollar spectacle of auctioned hires of disparate origin – the soldiers on the battlefield of Kurukshetra were also procured for love, money or fear.

Sudarshan Banerjee

So, the setting is perfect. There’s only one problem. Despite the best efforts of the marketers, will there be fervour for the city teams? If there had been fervour for teams from the various regions, would there have been only a handful of people at the Ranji trophy matches, which also have largely state players and some who’ve moved to the state to better their chances? I am sure the argument rests on the scale of the stars playing, the guys who really pull in the crowds; the Sachins-Dravids-Souravs of the world don’t usually play Ranji matches.

Grant that, and what happens when Sourav gets out? Will the Kolkatans cheer just as hard for Shoaib Akhtar? What will the Bangaloreans do when Robin Uthappa scores against the Bangalore team? Will all the Hyderabadis who swore at Andrew Symonds while the Bhajji controversy was on cheer for him when he swears at Bhajji now?

Of course, there’s the EPL, and it isn’t strange to see youngsters cheering for Manchester United or Chelsea, or whatever team they support. However, the last time India saw regional fervour was when club football was at its best. Never mind the level of football played, we cheered till our throats were sore for East Bengal or Mohun Bagan, when they played Salgaocar or Dempo. Wait a minute – we cheered more when East Bengal played Mohun Bagan.

A client asked me whether they ought to put their money on the IPL, which is what triggered all these thoughts. My suggestion was that if you have quite a bit of a media budget, go for it, but do remember to hedge your money well. I know many media agencies are telling their clients not to peg their money on the IPL. Despite SET Max pegging it as ‘Manoranjan ka Baap’, I tend to agree with them. With most matches starting at 7-8pm or in the afternoon, for the CPRP seeking client, it just doesn’t make sense.

(The writer is associate vice-president, Saatchi & Saatchi.)

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