FOOTBALL AND / OR CRICKET?

Cricket is a habit but football now has a greater aspiration value attached due to its intensity, unique style and global flavour

FOOTBALL AND / OR CRICKET?

Initially, there was a small set of audience who understood the game at its fundamentals & there were opinion leaders in the conversations about sports. The first set has slowly caught onto the superficial knowledge about the game, the players, teams, their expensive acquisitions & lifestyles. Football lovers are a small but a growing set in campuses — especially with FIFA around the corner.

RONALDO OR DHONI - Who sells

Better?

Surprisingly, we did not find a definite answer because it comes down to category and brand specifics. A Dhoni would any day sell a Cola or a mobile service to an Indian youth better than Ronaldo. But when it came to products with high aspiration attached to it like expensive watches, imported cars, vacation destinations & other luxury items — the footballer's endorsement certainly adds more weight. On probing deeper we realised that the average young cricket lover connects better with the cricketers at the grassroot level whereas as a football fan, he would look to the players on the TV screen with a huge price tag attached.

WATCHING THE GAME

Unlike Cricket, watching a football game for most is more about the drink — beer. ManU VS Arsenal arguments, the ambience, cheering & shouting with friends rather than paying attention to the subtle nuances of the game. A Mumbaikar will not have the same passion for ManU as he would have for Mumbai Indians, but will still spend more money to buy a pass at a pub to see a football match rather than watch it at home. But having said that, very few football fans would cancel their engagements or leave office early just to watch a tournament like they would do for Cricket.

DOES FOOTBALL MAKE A GOOD

PROPERTY FOR ADVERTISERS?

Students remembered very few of the ads or sponsor brand activities. The one's they recollect were mainly that of sports brands like Nike. This is because their focus & attention on-screen during commercials is lesser. However, football does make an interesting platform for off-screen engagement especially at key touch points where they go to watch the matches. If effectively used, there could be innovative activities done at these spaces around the tournament as the activation would be inclusive, therefore strengthening recall.

Publication: The Economic Times Mumbai;

Date: Jun 9, 2010;

Section: Brand Equity;

Page: 26