Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Is Sports pushing Bollywood out of the marketing spotlight?

Recent FICCI report says that the Indian sports segment grew 62 percent in 2021, exceeding pre COVID-19 levels, and television garnered 84 percent of media spends on sports. Still from CRED’s ad.

Both new-age and legacy brands are now using cricket and other emerging sports as their preferred marketing tool. Bollywood may not be out of the picture, but sports has certainly upped its game.

Should brands dissociate with influencers who promote toxic content?

Influencer marketing, if done right, is highly rewarding in terms of consumer connect and brand building but it can cause severe damage to brands if it is not well planned and thought through in terms of influencer selection and promotions. (Representational Image via Unsplash)

The stakes are high for brands, not just because of the money being invested in influencer activities but also because social media backlash can be severely damaging for a brand’s reputation once things go wrong.

Addressing Sustainability in Sports: Emergence of Smart Stadiums

Some of the brands that have decided to stay on include Dream11, boAt and Acko. (Representational Image via Unsplash)

A single cricket match releases about 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The task at hand is to create awareness about the environmental cost of sports events and find solutions.

Why India needs an Indian Idol-esque platform to hunt for talented runners

India’s performance in track and field has been dismal and the picture is far more grim and grey when it comes to “running”. (Representational Image via Unsplash)

Till we put a stop to considering “running” as a fitness entertainment and start seeing it as a professional sport, nothing will change.

Why are startups betting big on sports marketing?

With two new teams (Gujarat Titans and Lucknow SuperGiants) getting bought last year at a combined staggering value of $1.6 billion, the average price tag of a team has seen a 16-fold jump from its inception. These two factors were instrumental in boosting the valuation of IPL to become a Decacorn and the second largest sporting league (on a per match basis from broadcasting fees) globally. (Representative Image via Unsplash)

Current sporting events in India are more than mere competitive events; they are more carnivalesque extravaganzas with viewers celebrating a common cause – entertainment.

How Usha International is nurturing sports culture in India

Usha International is the first brand in India to promote Ultimate, originally known as Ultimate Frisbee, a non-contact team game played with a flying disc.

Komal Mehra, head, sports initiatives and associations, Usha International, on how the brand is encouraging indigenous sports in the deepest pockets of India, breaking gender barriers through sports, and more.

Why e-sports and gaming firms went on an IPL marketing overdrive

As per a February 2022 Deloitte report, the Indian fantasy sports industry base alone grew by over 20 lakh users between May 2021 and June 2021, and this growth can be linked to Phase 1 of IPL that year. (Representative Image via Unsplash)

In a bid to enhance user base and traffic, gaming and esports companies have pumped in a sizable chunk of their annual ad budget into IPL 2022. The companies expect at least 20-30% rise in user base this IPL season.

Just Sports; Some sports have all the luck

The IPL 2023 is scheduled to be played in the country starting this month, from March 31 to May 26. (Representative Image via Unsplash)

Live Sports will determine the course of how mankind consumes content on screens. It will also be a matter of survival for sports to move towards adaptive evolution. Why are some sports adored across the globe whilst others are withering away? What role does the partnership of federation, broadcaster, marketer and fans play? Shubhranshu Singh writes with the cumulative experience of an experienced sports marketer, administrator and sponsor.