How new young cricketers are giving brands an option for brand endorsements? Jaiswal and Jurel the new entrants

Around the cricketing landscape, we are witnessing some young talented players popping up both in India and in international cricket. The recent series which is still underway where India is ahead in the series has found two gems in the Indian cricket. The two gems are Yashaswi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel who have played some fascinating test cricket and who are here to stay in the long run. This has also allowed brands to look at the new gems for their brand endorsements. They are fresh faces and we see brands keep looking for fresh and young faces to be top of mind when it comes to their communication strategy.

Both these cricketers Jaiswal and Jurel play for Rajasthan Royals and they will add more equity to the brands that are associated with the Royals. We could see more brands signing up with Royals before the IPL starts. Last year we saw the rise of Shubman Gill who was endorsing a plethora of brands and his recent comeback with some good knocks in the current test series will only further catapult him for more brands to chase and sign him. Gill is another youngster with a bright future who should rule Indian cricket which helps brands to have a consistent and familiar face as a consistent player who will bring that trust element to the brand.

Gill has emerged as a coveted choice for brand endorsements. He represents a diverse portfolio of brands including beatXP, G-Shock, Tata Capital, ITC, MuscleBlaze, and several others. While in between there were some concerns about his performance but he bounced back at the right time and will now be seen as a long-term bet for brand endorsements. His captaincy responsibility for Gujrat Titans will further make him a more responsible cricketer which will also imbibe leadership qualities in him. Perhaps he could be the future captain for India.

In the past, we had many cricketing ambassadors who continuously stole the limelight right from the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ganguly, Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While Virat is still a visible brand ambassador in the next couple of years he will phase out and brands will always be looking with hawks’ eye to grab the first opportunity to sign up young and upcoming new talented cricketers at the best price possible.

Teaming up with reputed cricketers will always bring that additional brand value and mileage. In the case of Virat who is still the most sought-after cricketing celebrity, it has taken over 15 years to build himself as a robust brand both as a solid and a dynamic cricketer. His commitment to the game and the fitness regime that he follows has always tempted brands to be their first choice be it a sleep solution brand or a sports gear brand.

Now look at these two gems Jaiswal and Jurel. What could be so unique about them? The first and foremost that rings in your mind is they are young and dashing. Both of them in a short period have shown tangible results which have also resulted in India’s victory in test matches. Since both these cricketers are from small towns, brands with a good rural presence which is consumer-facing will immensely benefit as the game is still seen as a religion in India and bonds the country together when you think of cricket as a national sport.

As you grow popular you tend to become expensive especially when you shine as a cricketer. Both Jaiswal and Jurel are new and hence brands will have the advantage of negotiating. It is a matter of time before they become expensive once they start consistently shining and delivering results. As young cricketers, they can be aligned to anything starting from a chewing gum brand to a two-wheeler brand. Morris Garages India has already announced an MG Hector to Jurel for his spectacular performance in the Ranchi test. The next thing one could witness is, he may be the brand ambassador for this brand.

The game of cricket will be churning out new talent and we will see the old celebrity cricketers be slowly phased out with fresh faces. This is because the growing preference for cricketers over Bollywood celebrities is seen by brands based on the changing consumer sentiments and behaviour. Today cricket is almost seen as a 365-day entertainment channel. The credibility and cost-effectiveness that cricket brings will always prompt brands to use them to create that lasting impact. With the cricket calendar always jam-packed throughout the year brands will look for new faces with long-term propositions to invest in them.

(Our guest author is Ganapathy Viswanathan, independent communication consultant)