Author: mxmadmin

 

 

With apologies to none

By Vikas Mehta

 

I was on vacation for the last 10 days and took the opportunity to do some family bonding while trekking and just doing nothing at some remote places in Himachal. We started our holidays by watching an IPL match live at Mohali, and I will come to that a bit later. But what was unescapable is the tremendous reach, following and craze about IPL. Wherever we stayed, the TV channels were blasting the IPL matches throughout the day. Small shops in far off places had a small 14-inch TV tucked away in a corner, on mute, showing the match highlights. And our fellow tourists were all glued onto their mobile phones using to catch a glimpse of the match. In fact, while talking to a resort manager he mentioned something interesting. The resort offers free wifi, but for the last few years, hardly anyone asks for the password or its details. Everyone is happy with their 4G networks to catch whatever is their poison, news or mail or social media. But during IPL times, there is a sudden surge from tourists asking for free wifi. It’s an issue of both, connectivity and consumption of data. So, during IPL they ensure that the band width is increased and the routers are working.

 

It’s therefore disheartening to see that brands are hardly using the event for any brand-building. Let’s not forget that it was the same IPL which made Vodafone Zoozoo a familiar name. Or more recently, let an angry Rahul Dravid into our households and made Cred a brand which not many use but which most are acquainted with. The list of brands that used IPL to bring themselves glory is worth revisiting to understand what IPL can do. Unfortunately, that list is dwindling. This year, the only memorable campaign that I can remember is the Dream 11 cricketers vs film stars. And Dream 11 has used IPL very adroitly over the last few seasons, mostly the pandemic times, to establish itself as a leader in the fantasy games category. I am not aware of facts and figures but I am sure that if one looks at critical brand parameters in the category, Dream11 will be at the top.

 

So, what ails the IPL ads?  The answer is simple. IPL is an expensive proposition for the brands to splurge on. And digital has spoilt marketers to demand measurability for every rupee spent. Nothing wrong in that. But parameters like brand recall or brand likeability or brand trust or even purchase/ use intention, need brand building. But today most marketers are looking at conversion rates or just sales. A direct co relation between ad spend and sales seems to be the only metric in mind.

 

And that’s why brands have no distinction in the category. They are becoming soulless. Think about it. Would you rather use Gpay or Phone Pe? Swiggy or Zomato? Ola or Uber? Is there any differentiation between these brands? They are all technology children and they have all sold their generic technology. So the category has been established. But what about the brand? That’s why when I look at Cred or Dream11, I feel there is hope. Let me explain it a bit more. Cred has been of late doing cashbacks on credit card payments and some interesting offers during the matches, These are flashed on the venue screens as well as on TV. Do you think these promotions and offers would have worked if Cred has first not established a brand story? If today, Cred has a competitor who does not have a brand story but starts doling out some promotions, will it have the same response that Cred has now? Cred is now reaping the windfall of establishing a brand narrative. Same with Dream11. It has established some sort of awareness and trust with its stories using cricketers. Therefore, the promotions it runs now, during the matches get traction.

 

This lack of patience and faith in storytelling is resulting in the drab ads that one can see on IPL. The brand narrative is missing. It’s all about the sales pitch.

 

Last time, I had mentioned about surrogate tobacco ads. As if using people like Sehwag and Gavaskar was not enough, yesterday, I saw the same brand also using Kapil Dev and Chris Gayle. I have a feeling that all these brands are anticipating a total ban on the advertising of their products. So, now they are going all out and spending big monies not just advertising but using ex-celebrities. I guess this particular brand is trying to do a Cred by using ex-celebrities. But jokes apart, this has to stop. One of my colleagues wrote a blog on this very portal where he argued about ASCI being the favourite whipping boy of everyone but trying to defend it by saying that it does not have authority or the power to step in as it is a self-regulatory body of advertisers. Fair point.

 

But, it looks like that this body has become a small indulgent club of advertisers who under the pretext of being self-regulated and no teeth will not act against one of its own. By law, surrogate advertising means that the product being advertised must have at least 10% of total brand sales and also some similar matrix on distribution and availability. Has ASCI even looked into that? I don’t have the figures, but most of the tobacco brands, and at the last count there were four, all being supported by the biggest Bollywood and some sports celebrities seem to be contributing towards at least 30-40% of commercial time on IPL. Isn’t that alarming enough for a self-regulated body to step in and take some action?

 

The narrative on this cannot be wished away. Last time, I advocated a boycott of these celebrities. Now I am taking it a step further. Can other brands and advertisers stop using these celebrities? If you hit at their income source only then it will hurt. After all, associating brands with celebrities who support tobacco brands is not good for other brands. Will ASCI ask its members to boycott using these celebrities? Even as an advisory?

 

Before I sign off, a word on the IPL match experience at Mohali. The atmosphere was awesome. The stadium was jam packed on a Wednesday night. The match itself was a high scoring thriller. But unfortunately, the spectators were taken for granted. Ticket booking and delivery system was wonderful. We went to the stadium almost two hours in advance. At the security check things like sunglass covers were being confiscated. No explanation was given. Except that one could collect the same after the match. Fat chance.

 

Then, the police tried to stop us from using our designated seats. It was the first row and I suspect they wanted to use it for themselves. But when we insisted, they relented. We still could not use our seats as someone else plonked themselves on the same. Soon it turned into mayhem. It was like first come first serve basis. Those who came late, could not get any seats. Many people, at least hundred or more were watching the match standing. Or by sitting on the steps. And these were people who had paid upwards of Rs 1500 for a ticket.

 

The toilets, as usual were far and few. And in bad shape hardly an hour into the match. After that, given the overcrowded stadium it was impossible to even reach the loos. The police on duty were more interested in watching the match or as in one case, asking Preity Zinta, who was doling out free Tshirts of her team, for one. At the end of the match there was near stampede. There was just one small exit with thousands of spectators from one block having to use it. As others were shut. Pushing, shoving, continued for a few minutes. And when I asked a police guy about the same, his answer was that a private security was manning this. And of course, at the end whatever was confiscated was never found. It seems that the private security, in charge of frisking was pocketing whatever caught their fancy. Indeed, some stuff was found lying strewn around the frisking area at the end of the match.

 

For all the big claims that cricket authorities make in India, some things never change. And the poor spectator who pays for the same, is invariably at the wrong end of the stick. But then, who cares? In many ways, when we see the IPL from a distance, on TV or live streaming, away from the commercial and moral aspects of surrogate advertising, IPL seems to be an Oasis of fun, enjoyment,celebration and sports.

 

In reality it’s just a Chimera

 

Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing strategy consultant and educator based in Dehradun. He writes on MxMIndia every other week, and sometimes more often. His views here are personal.