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Commented [SP1]: The overall logical framework, including the
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR ISL transition statements are good in the report. However, the same
has not been the case for comparative analysis. Improvement in
this section can also improve the quality of the report.
Nita Ambani, Chairperson
IMG RELIANCE PVT. LTD.
Leeladhar Singh
Branch Head, Corporate Communications
October, 2017
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)
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INTRODUCTION
Since the inception of Indian Soccer League (ISL) in 2014 we have seen
a steady increase in the popularity and viewership of the league. We
saw an increase of 41 percent in the total number of viewers when
compared to the 2015 season. The leagues total viewership reached
a figure of 216 million in the 2016 season. The marketing strategies of
the previous year helped us gain a foothold in newer markets such as
Tamilnadu and Mumbai. Additionally, the brand value of the league
was enhanced in established markets such as West Bengal and Kerala.
The viewership from rural areas roughly accounted for 47 percent out
Commented [SP2]: The presentation of viewership data can be
of the total viewership base. streamlined. It is not clear whether the numbers presented talk
about the in stadia viewership, television or online? If followed by a
visual representation of the mixed viewership base, the
However, in comparison to the current Indian population, the market introduction part would be much more appealing. It would also be
easier to reflect on the scope section where the parameters can be
penetration for ISL is equal to 16.31%. A lower market penetration evaluated based on their effectiveness to the projected target
viewers.
number directly diminishes the scope of generating higher revenue.
A wider fan base translates to higher ticket sales and this in turn
improves our bargaining power while broking sponsorship deals. In
order to continue in this direction, we plan to devise improved
marketing strategies to enhance the market penetration. Our team
finalized that the most effective medium, to reach to a wide variety of
Indian citizens, is to prepare and release a tournament video, prior to
Commented [SP3]: Good transition from this paragraph to the
and during the campaign, for the latest edition of the ISL. Purpose statement.
PURPOSE
The tournament video would feature a brand ambassador who, we
believe, will help in increasing the popularity of the league and the
sport. We plan to reveal our choice of the brand ambassador after
carefully filtering the different marketing aspects of the proposed
individual.
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)
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SCOPE
In order to shortlist the prospective brand ambassador; we used three
parameters to evaluate each of them. The pre-defined parameters are
as follows:
1. Popularity of the individual This parameter was measured
through the field in which he/she plies his/her trade, position of
the individual within his/her current setting, influence on the
crowd, quality and the number of the endorsed brands, brand
Commented [SP4]: You will have to highlight which is the
value and social media presence. sector these parameters will be most relevant for.
2. Passion for football It will be measured through the
individuals involvement and enthusiasm w.r.t. his/her activities
in the field of football. This will be evaluated through the
individuals presence and role in celebrity football matches,
presence as an owner/brand ambassador of any other football
franchisee in a different league
3. Affordability This will be defined by the monetary demand of
the individual to be a part of this promotion campaign. This
factor is crucial as we allot a fixed budget towards each of the
different aspects of the ISL.
As India is predominantly an ardent cricket loving nation, we decided
to shortlist three cricketers for this endeavor. The outreach of cricket
and cricketers has been far greater in India and our team plans to
leverage this situation to garner greater attention towards the ISL
from rural and urban areas of India. The brand ambassador was
Commented [SP5]: grammar
predominantly selected, keeping in mind, to tap into the massive
potential available in the Indian market. The final shortlist comprised
Commented [SP6]: comprised, not comprised of.
of the following individuals Mr Sachin Tendulkar, Mr Mahendra
Singh Dhoni and Mr Virat Kohli. Further, each one of these gentlemen
was evaluated on the earlier parameters in order to feature the most
effective cricketer in our promotional campaigns.
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)
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Commented [SP7]: From here, the analysis gets very detailed
MR SACHIN TENDULKARS EVALUATION and individual for each choice whereas the presentation with
comparative advantage and disadvantage of the three in terms of
the criteria would be critical. This makes it a laboured reading.
1. Popularity of the individual
Mr Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an icon when it comes to cricket. He
holds the record for most runs scored, most centuries in one day
international cricket and in test cricket. During his active playing days,
this legend was one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
However that took a hit since, he decided to walk away from the sport
in 2013.
TAM AdEx data between January and March, comparable over the
three years starting 2013, indicates that his number of endorsements
decreased from 12 to 4(endorsements without any ads).
Mr Tendulkar, who commanded a fee of Rs.6-7 crores per
endorsement in his playing days, has lost some of his attractiveness
and relevance for advertisers. A sports report published by GroupM
declared that his brand value (defined as the sum of his earnings from
all endorsements) declined from an estimated Rs.120 crores at the
end of 2013 to Rs.75 crores in 2014. Few of the parameters which
could be quantified are presented in the below table.
Parameter Description
Active/Retired professional Retired
Number of brands endorsed 8
Notable brands Luminous Power Technologies
PVT. LTD, BMW India, MRF LTD
Estimated Brand Value 75 crores
Social Media presence Approximately 10 million
followers
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)
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2. Passion for Football
Mr Tendulkars is not an active football player in the celebrity football
matches, which are organized to raise money for charity causes. The
legend of cricket remains distant when it comes to his role/ownership
w.r.t football teams in different leagues such as the premier futsal
which began in India.
3. Affordability
Mr Tendulkar, as per the current going price, charges a rate of 3 crores
for an advertisement release.
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MR MAHENDRA SINGH DHONIS EVALUATION
1. Popularity of the individual
MSD, once known as captain cool, remains one of the successful
captains to lead the Indian cricket team. Similar to Mr Sachin
Tendulkars scenario, MSDs brand value decreased once he decided
to step down as the captain of the Indian cricket team and walk away
from test cricket format.
However, few of the qualities, which keeps his brand value floating
are his calm demeanour, pan-India recognition, and brand attributes
like dashing, handsome looks and an extremely affable behavior on
screen. As per Forbes annual Fab 40 list for 2016, Dhonis brand value
had reduced from $21 million in 2015 to $11 million in 2016, and his
rank slipped from 5 to 10 during the same period. MSDs popularity
and a wide fan base among the northern Indians can be aptly utilized
to increase the awareness of ISL in those states. This will provide us a
welcome entry in those markets.
Few of the parameters which could be quantified are presented in the
below table.
Parameter Description
Active/Retired professional Active
Number of brands endorsed 20
Notable brands Reebok, Aircel
Estimated Brand Value 21 million dollars
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2. Passion for Football
MS Dhoni started his sporting career as a goalkeeper for his school
team. He always had the passion for football. MSD is an ardent
Manchester United supporter and never fails to follow the English
Premier League.
Additionally, MSD is an active football player in the celebrity football
matches, which are organized to raise money for charity causes.
However he remains distant when it comes to his role/ownership w.r.t
football teams in different leagues such as the premier futsal which
began in India.
3. Affordability
MSD, as per the current going price, charges a rate anywhere between
8-12 crores for an advertisement release.
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)
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MR VIRAT KOHLIS EVALUATION
1. Popularity of the individual
Virat Kohli is the current captain of the Indian cricket in all formats of
the game. His cricketing skills and personality has enabled him to
perform at the highest level year after year. The face of the modern
game is ranked 1st in ICC ODI and T20 best batsman rankings. He is also
the worlds 6th best batsman when it comes to the test format. Under
his leadership, India ranks 1st in test cricket rankings and 2nd in one day
international rankings.
His performance on the cricket pitch has enabled him to be one of the
leading brand ambassadors for a rich variety of global brands. Forbes
values the Indian skipper at 14.5 million USD and that puts him
seventh on the list of athletes arranged for their respective brand
value. According to Forbes Fab 40 list, Indian cricket captain Virat
Kohli has a brand value higher than that of football star Lionel Messi,
golfer Rory McIlory and Golden State Warriors' shooter Stephen
Curry.
One of the remarkable success stories, that witnessed the impact of
Virat Kohli on a brand, is the rise of Puma in India. The Indian skipper
was elected as the brand ambassador of Puma and within a year of
this decision, Puma became the leading sports apparel brand ahead of
market leaders such as Adidas and Nike.
His connect with the youth of India is remarkable and Kohli always
ensures that he can be an apt role-model for any athlete. Recently,
Virat Kohli initiated the concept of practice what you preach and
said no to endorse a cola brand because he does not want to endorse
junk food. He rejected fairness products as it promotes racism. He has
thus become very choosy about the brands, which has also uplifted
his value as an endorser.
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Few of the parameters which could be quantified are presented in the
below table.
Parameter Description
Active/Retired professional Active
Number of brands endorsed 18
Notable brands Puma, Audi Cars, MRF LTD,
Tissot watches
Estimated Brand Value 14.5 million USD(2017)
Social Media presence 64.8 million
2. Passion for Football
Virat Kohli is an active football player in the celebrity football matches,
which are organized to raise money for charity causes. He is also the
brand ambassador of an Indian football league named PREMIER
FUTSAL.
3. Affordability
Virat Kohli, as per the current going price, charges a rate of 5 crores
for an advertisement release.
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Commented [SP8]: The length and the individual nature of the
CONCLUSION Discussion and analysis part of the report takes away the power
from the formulation of recommendation. The reader of the report
would have to keep continuously going back to the sections of
After going through the details of each of the probable brand analysis to understand the recommendation.
ambassadors, the team decided to go ahead with Virat Kohli as the
brand ambassador for ISL-2017. Kohlis dynamism, attitude to win,
social media presence, his conduct off the field, brand value and
marketability factors makes him the obvious choice. The affordability
factor is also dealt with as his wage demands are within our allocated
budget for our promotional activities.
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)
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References:
1. [Link]
2. [Link]
hero-indian-super-league-trophy/[Link]
3. [Link]
viewership-stadium-attendances-spike-in-season-3-4455879/
BRAND AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (ISL)