OWES SHAIKH

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

My project is on IPL Marketing.In my project ,I have brought out themarketing strategies of IPL.IPL has marketed cricket all over the world.Ithas combined two religions of india i.e Cricket and bollywood.With glamour ,money,passion and most importantly cricket ,IPL has grownup to become a successful business.Today its called the Businessmans Game and player are like cattles.IPLconcept came into being to compete with ICl.Due to its unique marketingstrategies, its has left its competitors far too behind.Cricket God SachinTendulkar,Badshah of bollywood Shahrukh and sizzling cheerleaders all atone place, What more people would want?Even after IPL season,it tries to be in viewers mind by various scams.TodayIPL is a huge success.And soon its going to be the worlds religion.

Sr No. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Content INTRODUCTION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY LITERATURE REVIEW SWOT ANALYSIS IPL MARKETING CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Pg No.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of my project IPL MARKETING is as follows:- To find out how cricket became a successful business. - To know about various marketing strategies of IPl. - To study new marketing mix of IPL. -To know about various post marketing strategies of IPL.

Research methodology:
There are different types of method through which research can be made. Introduction to these methods are given below: Primary research: collection of data that does not exist yet. Secondary research: summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research. Qualitative research: understanding of human behaviour and the reasons thatgovern such behaviour Quantitative research: systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships For my project I have chosen secondary research as a research methodology. I have made my research on existing data and derived my conclusion.

CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

Indian Premier League

In the year 2008,we did see the birth and rise of one of the greatestmarketing phenomenon in sports marketing in india,Yes ofcourse I amreferring to IPL More then cricket,it was this whole business andmarketing angle to it which made it popular.Cricket combined withentertainment and that too bollywood,what more do you need to pull inIndian market?After all cricket and bollywood are two religion in India.The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional leaguefor Twenty20 cricketcompetition in India. It was initiated by theBoard of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) headquartered inMumbaisupervised byformer Chairman and Commissioner of the Indian Premier LeagueChirayuAmin. It is currently contested by 10 teams consisting of players fromaround the world. It was started after an altercation between the BCCI andtheIndian Cricket League.In 2010, IPL became the first sporting event ever to be broadcast liveonYouTube. Its brand value is estimated to be around$3.67 billion infourth season. According to global sports salaries review, IPL is the secondhighest-paid league, based on first-team salaries on a pro rata basis, secondonly to the NBA. It is estimated that the average salary of an IPL player over a year would be $3.84 million. The brand value of MumbaiIndians(finalistIPL 2010) is estimated at USD 57.13 Million.

HISTORY
First season:The inaugural season of the tournament started on 8 April 2008 and lastedfor 46 days with 59 matches scheduled, out of which 58 took place and 1was washed out due to rain. The final was played in DY PatilStadium, Nerul, Navi Mumbai. Every team played each other both at homeand away in around robinsystem. The top four ranking sides progressed tothe knockout stage of semi-finals followed by a final.RajasthanRoyalsdefeatedChennai Super Kingsin a last ball thriller and emerged asthe inaugural IPL champions. Second season:The 2009 season coincided with theGeneral ElectionsinINDIA. Owing toconcerns regarding players' security, the venue was shifted toSouth Africa.The format of the tournament remained same as the inaugural one.DeccanChargers, who finished last in the first season,were big underdogs, but cameout as eventual winners defeating theRoyal ChallengersBangalore in thefinal. Third season:The third season opened in January 2010 with the auction for players. 66 players were on offer but only 11 players were sold. In this season,DeccanChargersdid not play at their preferred home location of Hyderabad,Indiadue to the ongoing political crisis in theTelanganaregion . The new bases for the champions this season were Nagpur , NaviMumbaiandCuttack . Four teams qualified for the semifinals. The firstsemi-final was won byMumbai Indianswho defeatedBangalore RoyalChallengersby 35 runs.Chennai Super KingsdefeatedDeccan Chargersinthe second semi-final. The final was played between Chennai Super Kingsand Mumbai Indians. Chennai Super Kings won by a margin of 22 runs.After the win Macrina Fernandes multi billionaire from Vasai giftedMahendra Singh Dhoni a BMW as a token of appreciation.

Fourth season:On 21 March 2010, it was announced in Chennai that two new teamsfromPuneandKochiwill be added to the IPL for the fourth season.However, the bid around the Kochi franchisee turned controversial resultingin the resignation of minister,Shashi Tharoor from the Central Governmentand investigations by various departments of the Government of India intothe financial dealings of IPL and the other existing franchisees. Later,LalitModiwas also removed from IPL chairmanship by BCCI. On 5 December 2010, it was confirmed that Kochi will take part in the fourth season of IPL.The addition of teams representing Pune and Kochi was to have increasedthe number of franchises from 8 to 10. The BCCI originally consideredextending the tournament format used in previous season to ten teams,which would increase the number of matches from 60 to 94. Instead, theround-robin stage of the tournament was to have been replaced by a group stage with two groups of five, limiting the number of matches to 74. But thisformat was replaced by another one in which each team would play 5 other teams in a two-way round robin format and there would be 2 teams againstwhom they would play only at home and remaining 2 teams against whichthey would play only away matches.Thus each team plays 14 matches.Topfour teams would qualify for the semi-finals.In October 2010, the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab had their franchises terminated for breaching ownership rules. The new Kochifranchise was also issued a warning to resolve all their ownershipdisputes. Two months later both teams were finally allowed to take part inthe 2011 edition after a court ruling.

Fifth season The fifth season featured nine teams after the termination of the Kochi franchise and the players auction was held on 4 February 2012. The season saw an increase in the allowed maximum number of players in each squad from 30 to 33. The season of 76 matches began and ended in Chennai with the opening match on 4 April and the final on 27 May. The Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings qualified for the playoffs. Delhi daredevils was the top in the table.
This edition of the IPL was the most competitive with 14 matches producing results in the last over, and a couple in the last ball.[18][19] Towards the end of the league, the season faced various hurdles including a spot fixing case, which allegedly included 5 players caught on a sting operation carried on by a local news channel; India TV.

League organization

Franchises:The winning biddersfor the eightfranchiseswere announced on 24 January2008. While the total base price for auction was US $400 million, theauction fetched US $723.59 million. On 21 March 2010,PuneandKochiwere unveiled as the two newfranchises for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League. The base price was $225 million. While Pune was bought by Sahara Adventure SportsGroup for $370 million, the Kochi franchise was bought by RendezvousSports World Limited for $333.3 million. The process was to have beencompleted on March 7 but was postponed by two weeks after many biddersand theBCCIobjected to stiff financial clauses. The second franchiseauction fetched total $703 million.

Team Name

City

Owner(s)

Captain

Head Coach

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai

Gurunath Meiyappan
India Cements

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Stephen Fleming

Deccan Chargers
(Defunct)

Hyderabad

T Venkattram Reddy
Deccan Chronicle Group

Delhi Daredevils

New Delhi GMR Group

Virender Sehwag

Eric Simons

Ness Wadia, Preity Kings XI Punjab Mohali Zinta,

Dabur, Apeejay Surendera Group

David Hussey (vicecaptain)

Michael Bevan

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata

Shahrukh Khan
Red Chillies Entertainment

Gautam Gambhir

Trevor Bayliss

Juhi Chawla, Jay Mehta

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai

Mukesh Ambani
Reliance Industries

Harbhajan Singh

Robin Singh

Pune Warriors India

Pune

Subrato Roy Sahara

Sourav Ganguly

Dermot Reeve

Lachlan Murdoch Rajasthan Royals Jaipur

Emerging Media

Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra

Rahul Dravid

Monty Desai

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Bangalore

Vijay Mallya
UB Group

Daniel Vettori

Ray Jennings

Kochi Tuskers Kerala

(Defunct)

Kochi

Kochi Cricket Private Ltd

Rules
There are five ways that a franchise can acquire a player: In the annual auction, signing domestic players, signing uncapped players, through trading, and signing replacements. In the trading window, the player can only be traded with his consent. The franchise will have to pay the difference between the old contract price and the new contract price. If the new contract is worth more than the older one, then the difference will be shared between the player and the franchise selling the player. Some of the team composition rules are:

Minimum squad strength of 16 players plus one physio and a coach. No more than 11 foreign players in the squad and maximum 4 foreign players should be in the playing eleven. Minimum of 14 Indian players must be included in each squad. A minimum of 6 players from the BCCI under-22 pool in each squad.

IPL games utilize television timeouts, hence there is no time limit for teams to complete their innings. However, there may be a penalty if the umpires find teams misusing this privilege at their own choice. Additionally, each team is awarded two strategic timeouts of 2:30 each per inningsthe teams can take the timeout when instructed, but is necessary to take it from 6th to 9th and 13th to 16th over. The total spending cap for a franchisee in the first player auction was US $5 million. Under-22 players are to be remunerated with a minimum annual salary of US $20,000 while for others it is US $50,000. The most expensive players in the IPL to date is Gautam Gambhir of India fetched the highest price of $2.4 million from Kolkata Knight Riders at the auction for season 4 The five ways that a franchise can acquire a player. In the annualauction, buying domestic players, signing uncapped players, through tradingand buying replacements. In the trading window the player can only betraded with his consent. The franchise will have to pay the difference between the old contract price and the new contract price. If the newcontract is worth more than the older one then the difference will be shared between the player and the franchise selling the player.Some of the Team composition rules are:Minimum squad strength of 16 players plus one physio and a coach. No more than 10 foreign players in the squad and at least 4 foreign playersshould be there in each squad.Minimum of 8 local players must be included in each squad.A minimum of 2 players from the BCCI under-22 pool in each squad.Some of the differences to international Twenty20 cricket:A difference to international cricket is a timeout. It gives the players anopportunity to strategise and take a drink during the strict 2 minutes, 30seconds time limit. Each team is awarded two timeouts per innings totalling to four timeouts for the whole game. The teams can take the timeout wheninstructed, but is necessary to take it from 6th to 9th and 13th to 16th over.IPL is also known for having commercials during the game, hence there isno time limit for teams to complete their innings. However, there may be a penalty if the umpires find teams misusing this privilege at their own choice.The total spending cap for a franchisee in the first player auction was US $5million. Under-22 players are to be remunerated with a minimum annualsalary of US $20,000 while for others it is US $50,000. The most expensive players in the IPL to date is Gautam Gambhir of India fetched the highest price of $2.4 million from Kolkata Knight Riders at the auction for season 4

Statistics and records

Winners
Season Winners Rajasthan Royals Runners-up Chennai Super Kings Royal Challengers Bangalore Semi-finalists Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils Teams

2008

Deccan 2009 Chargers

Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Super Kings

Season

Winners

Runners-up

Third place

Fourth place

Teams

Royal Chennai 2010 Mumbai Indians Challengers Super Kings Bangalore Royal Chennai 2011 Challengers Super Kings Bangalore Kolkata 2012 Knight Riders

Deccan Chargers

Kolkata Mumbai Indians Knight Riders

10

Chennai Super Kings

Delhi Daredevils

Mumbai Indians

Prize Money

The IPL offers a total 25 crore in prize money.

Champions: 10 crore Runner-up: 7.5 crore Third place: 3.75 crore Fourth place: 3.75 crore No prize money for remaining teams

Player Signins
The first players' auctions were held on 2008. The IPL placedicon statusona select few marquee Indian players. These players wereRahulDravid,Sachin Tendulkar ,Saurav Ganguly,Yuvraj Singh, andVirender Sehwag.VVS Laxmaninitially named an icon player, later voluntarily optedout of his icon status to give his team (Deccan Chargers) more money to bid for players. For the second season, auctions were also held, but free signingstaking place in the off-season by franchises led to calls for adraft-likesystem where the lowest ranked teams would be given a first opportunity tosign players.

Television rights and sponsorships

On 15 January 2008 it was announced that a consortium consisting of India'sSony Entertainment Televisionnetwork andSingapore- basedWorld Sport Groupsecured the global broadcasting rights of theIndian Premier League. The record deal has a duration of ten years at a costof US $1.026 billion. As part of the deal, the consortium will pay the BCCIUS $918 million for the television broadcast rights and US $108 million for the promotion of the tournament. This deal was challenged in the BombayHigh Court by IPL, and got the ruling on its side. After losing the battle incourt,Sony Entertainment Televisionsigned a new contract with BCCIwithSony Entertainment Televisionpaying 8,700crore(US$1.94 billion) for 10 years. One of the reasons for payment of this huge amount isseen as the money required to subsidize IPL's move to South Africa whichwill be substantially more than the previous IPL. IPL had agreed tosubsidize the difference in operating cost between India and South Africa asit decided to move to the African nation after the security concerns raised because of its coincidence with India's general elections.20% of these proceeds would go to IPL, 8% as prize money and 72% would be distributed to the franchisees. The money would be distributed in these proportions until 2012, after which the IPL would go public and list itsshares (But in March 2010, IPL decided not to go public). Sony-WSG then re-sold parts of the broadcasting rights geographically toother companies. Below is a summary of the broadcasting rights around theworld.On 4 March 2010ITVannounced it had secured the United Kingdomtelevision rights for the 2010 Indian Premier League. ITV will televise 59 of the 60 IPL matches on its ITV4 free to air channel.On April 1, 2011,Rogers Sportsnetannounced that it signed a four year exclusive deal in Canada to broadcast 36 group stage matches, 3 playoff matches and 1 championship match on Rogers Sportsnet One.

Sponsorships
India's biggest property developer DLF Grouppaid US$50 million to be thetitle sponsor of the tournament for 3 years from 2008 to 2010.Other year sponsorship agreements include a deal with motorcycle maker HeroHondaworth $22.5-million, one withPepsiCoworth $12.5-million, and adeal with beer and airline conglomerateKingfisher at $26.5-million.

Revenue and Profits

The UK-based brand consultancy, Brand Finance, has valued the IPL at$4.13 billion (Rs 18,998 crore) in 2010. It was valued at U$2.01 billion in2009 by the same consultancy.There are disputed figures for the profitability of the teams. One analyst saidthat four teams out of the eight made a profit in 2009. While the LondonTimes said that all butKings XI Punjabmade a profit. In 2008, KolkataKnight Riders is the most expensive team followed by the Mumbai Indians but unable to make it into the semifinals despite being the favourite.In 2010, the IPL expects to have 80 official merchandising deals. It hassigned a deal withSwisswatchmaker Bandelier to make official watches for the IPL. According to a recent study by a UK-based brand valuation consultancy, the brand value of the IPL has more than doubled to USD 4.13 billion (over Rs18,000 crore) from USD 2.01 billion in 2009.The franchises have been a part of this growth. Mumbai Indians has emergedthe most valued franchise in 2010. The MI franchise has moved up theladder with a valuation of USD 57.13 million.Chennai Super Kings have a brand value of USD 70.16 million which places them at the top of the table.The Kolkata Knight Riders co-owned by Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khancomes in fourth with a valuation of USD 46 million and the RajasthanRoyals, co-owned by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty comes in last withUSD 33.78 million. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, owned by VijayMallya, is ranked third with a valuation of USD 47.58 million and isfollowed by the, Delhi Daredevils (USD 40.85 million) and Kings XI Punjab( USD 33.75 million). The Deccan Chargers are at the sixth with a valuation of USD 38.76 million.

Criticism and Controversy

Initial Viewership The first matches of the season had recorded an average Television Viewership Rating (TVR) of 3.76, 18.7% less than the previous season. The viewership was also reportedly low for the opening ceremony with a rating of 1.3 TVR. The decline was attributed to the number of matches being played, as the count stands at 76 among 9 teams. The rating continued to fall as the cumulative number of people who tuned in to watch the first 16 games also declined from 127.40 million in 2011 to 122.44 million. However, despite this slow start, IPL 5 garnered a higher cumulative viewership than any previous edition of the IPL. The cumulative reach for 74 IPL 5 matches was recorded at 163 million against 162 million for 73 matches in IPL 4, and the final match had a higher reach than any previous final.

Spot fixing On 14 May 2012, an Indian news channel India TV aired a sting operation that accused five players involved in spot fixing. Reacting to the news, Chief manager of Indian Premier League Rajiv Shukla immediately suspended all five: Mohnish Mishra, Shalabh Srivastava, TP Sudhindra, Amit Yadav, and Abhinav Bali (none of whom had played international cricket).[41] However, the report went on to claim that none of the cricketers were found guilty. On the reliability of the report, Rajat Sharma, the editor-in-chief of news channel India TV quoted that the channel had no doubts about the authenticity of the sting operation and prepared to go to court. Mohnish Mishra who was part of Pune Warriors India team for the season, admitted to have said that franchises pay black money, in a sting operation. Mishra was caught on tape saying that franchisees paid them black money and that he had received 1.5 crore (US$283,500) from the later, among which 1.2 crore (US$226,800) was black money. He was also suspended from his team.

Other charges

9 April: Shah Rukh Khan, owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, was served a notice by the Rajasthan Police for smoking in public. Shah Rukh was caught smoking on camera during a match between the Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL team he owns, and the Rajasthan Royals on April 8. 16 May: Shah Rukh Khan, owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, received a five-year ban from the Wankhede Stadium for arguing with security at the ground after a match. 18 May: Luke Pomersbach, a Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman, was arrested on charges of molesting an American woman. He was later granted interim bail. 20 May: Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell, Pune Warriors players, were detained by Mumbai Police along with hundreds at a rave party bust.

Mobile applications
DCI Mobile Studios (A division of Dot Com Infoway Limited), inconjunction with Sigma Ventures of Singapore, have jointly acquired therights to be the exclusive Mobile Application partner and rights holder for the Indian Premier League cricket matches worldwide for the next 8 years(including the 2017 season). Recently they have released the IPL T20 Mobile applications for iPhone, NokiaSmartphonesandBlackBerrydevices.Soon it will be made available across all other major Mobile platformsincluding theAndroid,Windows Mobile,Palm& others.

Official website
The IPL negotiated acontractwith theCanadian companyLive CurrentMedia Inc. to run and operate its portals and the minimum guarantee has been negotiated at US $50 million over the next 10 years. The officialwebsite of the tournament iswww.iplt20.com.Incorporating popular forms of social media into the third season of the IPL,the website now contains a more holistic presence across all onlinemediums. The website apart from featuring new additions to empower user interaction, has encouraged a wider range of websites around IPL like,IPLTracker and IPL Mag amongst other more traditional reporting websites.

Global following
The third season of the IPL saw interest rise dramatically in theUnitedKingdom, due in part to telecasts being moved from the subscription- basedSetanta Sportsto the free-to-air ITV4. James Macleod stated, "We aredelighted with the viewing figures for the IPL so far". Lalit Modi, thenChairman and Commissioner, also expressed immense satisfaction on theway IPL has been accepted by the British audience. "ITV beats Sky Sportsover the weekend in number of viewers. This is great going. The ITVnumbers are double that of rugby league. This is huge by all imaginations.UK figures for viewership on ITV already 10 times that of last year. This is just fantastic news," he said.

Global interest
The third season of the IPL saw interest rise dramatically in the United Kingdom, due to telecasts being moved from the subscription-based Setanta Sports to the free-to-air ITV4. Lalit Modi, then Chairman and Commissioner, also expressed immense satisfaction on the way IPL has been accepted by the British audience. "ITV beats Sky Sports over the weekend in number of viewers. This is great going. The ITV numbers are double that of rugby league. This is huge by all imaginations. UK figures for viewership on ITV already 10 times that of last year. This is just fantastic news," he said.

CHAPTER-2 SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT Analysis Indian Premier League (IPL)

Where will you find the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers, the DeccanChargers, the Channai Super Kings, the Delhi Daredevils, the Kings XIPunjab, the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajesthan Royals? In the IndianPremier League (IPL) - the most exciting sports franchise that the Worldhas seen in recent years, with seemingly endless marketing opportunities(and strengths, weaknesses and threats of course!). This SWOT analys is about The Indian Premier League.

Strengths:The Indian Premier League (IPL) is based upon the Twenty20 cricket gamewhich should be completed in 2 hours. That means that is fast-paced andexciting, and moreover it can be played on a weekday evening or weekendafternoon. That makes it very appealing as a mass sport, just like AmericanFootball, Basketball and Soccer. It is appealing as a spectator sport, as wellto TV audiences.The IPL has employed economists to structure its lead sothat revenue is maximized. The more unified the sport, the more successfulit is.

Weaknesses:Twenty20 has been so popular that it could replace other forms of cricket i.e.damage the game that generated it.Some fans will also have to pay for travelto the ground. There may be large queues for the most popular games. Theremay be some distance between where the fan lives and the cricketground.Stakes are very high! Some teams may not weather shorttermfailures and may be too quick to get rid of key managers and players if things don't go well quickly. Famously, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)sacked their CEO Charu Sharma for watching his team lose 6 from their first8 games.Some teams have overpriced their advertising/sponsorship in order to gain some short-term returns (e.g. Royal Challengers), and some sponsorsand are moving their investment the more reasonably priced teams.

Opportunities:Since it has a large potential mass audience, IPL is very attractive as amarketing communications opportunity, especially for advertisers andsponsors.The league functions under a number of franchises. Eachfranchisee is responsible for marketing its team to gain as large a fan-base as possible. The long-term success of all of the franchises lies in the generationof a solid fan-base. The fan-base will generate large TV revenues.Differentfans will pay different amounts to watch their sport. There will be corporatehospitality, season tickets, away tickets, TV pay-per-view and other ways tosegment the market for the IPL.There is a huge opportunity for merchandising e.g. sales of shirts, credit cards and other fan memorabilia.Grounds can also sell refreshments and other services during the games.Marketers believe that the teenage segments need to be targeted so that they become the long-term fan-base. Their parents and older cricket fans may prefer the longer, more traditional game. The youth market may also impresson their parents that they want them to buy their club's merchandise on their behalf - as a differentiator or status symbol.Franchise fees will remain fixedfor the up until 2017-18, which means that the investment is safe againstinflation which is traditionally relatively high in India.

Threats:The level of competition that the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) can generate determines long-term viability of the league. If thelevel of competition drops, then revenue will fall. For example, if the topnames in cricket cannot be attracted to India, the appeal of the game willfall. Often getting hold of the big names is a problem - Australian domesticcricket runs concurrent with the IPL and if players move froMm Australia toIndia to follow the money then their domestic game will be hit. This isknown as 'Free Agency.'If the franchisee's fan-base does not generate income then they may not havethe cash to pay the salaries of the best players. However, if you invest in the best players and they do not win the trophies, then you may not see a returnon your investment. It won't be a quick return on investment - so ownersneed to be in it for the long-term.Franchises are very expensive. The most expensive franchise - MumbaiIndians - was bought by Mukesh Ambani for $111.9 million, whereas thelowest priced franchise - Rajasthan Royals was picked up by Manoj Badalefor a mere $67 million.The most highly priced teams may not be those that have the early success.Revenues will come from the most highly supported teams.

CHAPTER-3 MARKETING OF IPL

The unabashed show of money, glamor, glitz, and power called the IndianPremier League had the entire nation in frenzy, with the recently held player auction. The show was filled with unexpected twists and turns, withmany unheralded players hitting the jackpot, and many experienced players being shown the door by franchises. The event attracted the attention of theentire cricketing fraternity across the globe with many foreign stars in thefray for IPL spots and the big bucks that accompany them. The show was an expression of the growing power of cricket in the globalsports arena. Already, the IPL is an event of global popularity, and interestlevels are growing exponentially with each passing year. Also, the CL-T20is also growing as a brand with each passing year. These are great timesindeed for the game, and India is leading the way forward in revolutionizingthe sport. The leading IPL stars would receive pay equivalent to some of thetop stars in the English Premier League. These are interesting times for cricket, and if properly marketed and branded, IPL and CL T-20 can becomeglobal brands that can widen the reach of cricket to unexplored regions, andcan help in realizing the dream of all true cricket fans; that of seeing cricket become a truly global sport one day.Already, we have seen the unique marketing strategies that the IPL has usedin the last three years which have led to the ever rising popularity of theevent. Along with showcasing world class athletes competing at full tilt, anIPL match features many other sources of fun. These include cheerleadersswinging to the tunes being played, while pumping up the crowd along with them. We also have bands playing exciting music, energizing the publicgathered. These are some of the marketing gimmicks that have beenemployed to make cricket even more fun. And these have borne fruit too.IPL matches have attracted audiences across all age groups includingyoungsters, children and women too. It has been publicized as a three hour fun event where youngsters have a wholesome fun experience along withquality cricket, and it has clicked big time.

The success of the IPL experiment in India provides clues to all buddingmarketers interested in the field of sports marketing, regarding theimportance of innovative strategies and tools that can help in selling any brand. And sport is emerging as one of the biggest entertainment sectors in the 21st There were some suggestions earlier of organizing a T-20 event in USA withinternational stars to help popularize the sport there. However, it couldntmaterialize. century. It will fight with cinema, theme parks, malls and many others as the prime source of entertainment. Currently, football is the leadingsport in the world. In this competitive scenario, cricket has to come up withcontinuous innovation and changes to carve a niche for itself. It is here thatthe youngest version of cricket, called T-20 can help in transforming cricketinto a globally watched sport.

As a true cricket fanatic, I sometimes dream of the day when cricket will be played all across the globe in the US, China, Japan, and indeed everywhere.That dream can only materialize if those at the helm of cricketing affairsformulate the right kind of marketing strategies to promote cricketaggressively across the seven seas, and create brands which can attract public attention across all sport loving cultures and countries; brands like theIPL. The time is ripe for the ICC to take the next big step in globalizingcricket, thus revolutionizing the world of sports. God willing, the day isntfar when cricket will become the no.1 sport in the world.

IPL - The New Marketing Cocktail

The IPL auction of cricketers in February was called the 'Mumbai CattleMarket' by those horrified by the tamasha of industrialists and filmstarsthrowing dollars at players. Adam Gilchrist did say that he, for one, felt likea cow. The creme de la creme of the stars were placed for bidding andlapped up at varying prices more for their local star attraction value rather than their cricketing skills. (A Ponting drew less than an Irfan Pathan .As a cricket aficionado, it hurt to see filmstars, who live in a fake world of make up and retakes, put a price on players who play real games in real timewith real skills. But that's the power of money. While the process did seemdistasteful, the money earned by the stars can't be grudged - this was fair compensation for the blood, sweat and tears they give to the game and for the country.

It's not cricket, stupid! It's business!

Like it or hate it, the IPL is here. Whether it will stay on or die, the performance of the first edition, which is currently on, will decide.The IPL isthe biggest marketing initiative of 2008. If five-day cricket was the creationof sports aficionados and one-day a product of the media, then the IPL is aresult of business.And as all business is ultimately marketing, it's amarketing concoction. It's about BCCI, business houses, the media and thefilm industry putting their collective might to create a brand of unprecedented proportions.From a consumer viewpoint, IPL is acocktail of four Indian diseases.First, the base: cricket.

Since India won the World Cup in 1983, the disease has been spreading like an epidemic. Today,despite a surfeit of matches, interest hasn't waned. The centre of gravity of the game is today the Indian sub-continent. The BCCI is so powerful that itcan get its way on any cricketing issue - on or off the field.Add someglamour in the form of cinema. It has been the opium of the Indian masses.The arrival of television has not diminished its power. For movie,entertainment or news channels, cinema is the biggest source of TRPs.Whether it is by doing world premieres of the latest 'flop'busters or 'block'busters, hosting award shows or just covering the latest gossip aboutthe stars and their lives, cinema feeds into home entertainment just likecricket.Shake it with some celebration. Indians need an excuse to celebrate,to enjoy. Our respect for all faiths gives the average Indian a festival tocelebrate almost everyday. Each has its own rituals of the communitycoming together to dance, sing and create general cacophony, unmindful of environment pollution and civic sense.Finally, top it with Celebrity Craze.India is a country of 330 million Gods and we make heroes very easily.Cricket stars or film stars, they are easily deified and venerated. People flock in thousands just for a real life glimpse of their heroes - often it is part of thenational hobby of timepass.

IPL: The successful business of cricket

India is, perhaps, the only country where a film star, just released from jail,returns to a hero's welcome and stands on his balcony waving to his fans asif he has returned from a successful accomplishment.When these four potentingredients come together, the cocktail is called the Indian Premier League .Package this in a business proposition and you have something that could re-write the rules of business, sports and entertainment.With the backing of some of the best business groups and the high-decibel promotion, it makesfor an experiment worth watching and tracking.The IPL breaks new groundin many ways.Cricket started as a competitive sport of bat-vs-ball. Themedia took it to the masses as entertainment. The IPL is now convertingcricket into a marketing show. No longer are cricketers just players on thecricket field, they are performers.And every match is not just a fight betweentwo teams but an episode in a continuous soap opera. Brands can be pluggedanywhere - in program, on cast, on television, in-stores throughmerchandise.Cricketers have their own star power, which makes the gameattractive. Now, they have the added firepower of celebrities - be it filmstarslike Shahrukh Khan or Preity Zinta , or a business tycoon like Dr VijayMallya - that makes the spectacle even grander and bigger. It brings together the appeal of two diseases - cricket and films.Cricket has been a national passion. It has been difficult to separate theIndian identity from the game. The IPL makes a shift - it taps into local pride. In a global world, where integration is the key, IPL teams are built onthe counter-culture of division. Paul Harris, an eminent LSE sociologist,says local identity is an opportunity in a global world. TheIPL is, perhaps, latching onto an emerging trend.Cricket has been a teamgame - built on players knowing each other and playing alongside each other at the nets, at domestic level and national level. The IPL changes this and brings the corporate style of teamwork into play.It expects professionals tocome together for a specific project. It hinges on individual prowess addingup to a winning formula. With much cricket being played anyway, foreign players are no longer alien to any team. Simultaneously, the mixed-culturesteam could unconsciously foster greater harmony among different nations.

Marketing Strategies

The main driver of revenues for sports these days is television, and cricket is no exception. The media has played a role in highlighting very large broadcast deals for sports like football and cricket. Such sports clubs generate substantial revenues from man channels such as sponsorship and merchandising, which runs to billions every year. Similarly, the major revenue stream for the IPL is sponsorship, sale of broadcast rights and gate receipts at matches (Website, IMR Publications).

The cricket league has followed an array of marketing and branding strategies in order to popularize the franchise, most of which have been enormously successful. Some of these strategies include creating online traffic through blog published by IPL frachise owner and Bolloywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, hiring international cheerleaders, organizing talent shows across the country and telecasting maximum advertisements during matches on prime time during evenings. For instance, Delhi Daredevils owner Religare, an investment firm has invested Rs. 40 million annually in branding and marketing its team (Website, SifySports). Its marketing strategies include selling merchandise such as the players jerseys.

The tournaments official advertising and marketing strategies are planned and executed by Ogilvy and Mather, worlds premier advertising firm. With television, radio, print and outdoor advertisements like the Cricket ka Karmayudh, the creators have managed to generate more hype and a loyal fan base.

Sponsorship from some of the worlds most popular brands such as Nokia, Tag Heuer, The Telegraph and Belmonte has also managed to create an advertising blitzkrieg. For instance, Nokia has followed a 360-degree approach with a judicious mix of print, electronic and digital media. It has also carried out road shows in cities like Kolkata in April 2010 (Website, SifySports).

Overall, some of the marketing strategies adopted by IPL in its three years of existence can be listed as follows:

Auctioning the different radio and TV channels. Advertising the important thing that is talked about in which the foreign girls attracting a huge crowd [Bosscher V D, 2006]. Worldwide telecast. Auctioning the players participating in the tournament of IPL. The locations or the place chosen for the cricket matches is a strategic choice of places which are named after the franchisees which helped to attract the people [Mao P, 2002]. The timing of IPL has shown its strategic application by choosing the evening time for the matches, which makes the people to watch the game comfortably and with enjoyment. The gala of the opening ceremony is encountered with a Live Concert. The franchises are taken by the film stars like juhi chawla, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta etc are the center of attraction which makes the Bollywood stars come for the game [Boyle R, 2000].

The commentators are not less than the use of phrases that pleased the sponsors made them to pay more. The Indian Premier League uses Bollywood stars as anchors. The promotion is done by Akshay Kumar for Delhi daredevils and Shahrukh khan for Kolkata knight riders.

The marketing strategies and strong branding initiatives have helped the tournament attain an overall brand value of USD 4.1 billion in 2010 (Website, AllBusiness). Although the English Premier League is valued much more at USD 12 billion, researchers are of the opinion that the IPL has much better prospects of growth, fuelled by audience and sponsors.

In March 2010, the tournament announced a brand new, enormous marketing campaign worth USD 30 million on promoting the league through channels such as television, newspapers, Internet and mobiles (Mint News report). The major drive behind creating the strategy was to invoke team loyalty among the audiences. It is set to be bigger, with marketing campaigns going global in the next 2 years. The strategies are formulated on positioning IPL as an entertainment arena rather than just a match.

Marketing Mix Of IPL

IPL The Indian premier league has taken thecricketing world by storm. It has also got itsmarketing mix spot on. Read on to discover theperfection in the marketing mix of Indian PremierLeague Product IPL stands for Indian Premier League. It is a Twenty20 tournament started by BCCI. It is the brainchild of Lalit Modi. It started in the year 2008 andcomprises the players from all over the world. A perfect blend of cricket &entertainment. Its providing a stage for many youngsters to show their performance & profitable too to Advertisers and broadcasting channels.

Price As far as the IPL pricing structure is concern, The IPL is predicted to bringthe BCCI income of approximately US$ 1.6 billion, over a period of five toten years. All of these revenues are directed to a central pool, 40% of whichwill go to IPL itself, 54% to franchisees and 6% as prize money. The moneywill be distributed in these proportions until 2017, after which the share of IPL will be 50%, franchisees 45% and prize money 5%. The IPL signed upKingfisher Airlines as the official umpire partner for the series in an Rs.106Crores (1.06 billion) deal. This deal sees the Kingfisher Airlines brand onall umpires uniforms & also on the giant screens during third umpire decisions. Sony Entertainment Television signed a new contract with BCCIwith Sony Entertainment Television paying a staggering Rs.8700 Crores(87 billion) for 10 years.

Place The first season of the Indian Premier League commenced on 18 April 2008in India, and ended on 1 June 2008 with the victory of the Rajasthan Royalsagainst Chennai Super Kings in the final at the DY Patil Stadium, NaviMumbai.As the second season of the IPL coincided with multi-phase 2009 Indiangeneral elections, the Indian Central Government refused to provide theIndian paramilitary forces to provide security, saying the forces would bestretched too thinly if they were to safeguard both the IPL and the elections.As a result, the BCCI decided to host the second season of the leagueoutside India. All 59 matches of the second season, abbreviated as IPL 2,took place in South Africa. Ironically, South Africa were also scheduled tohave elections doing the IPL,

however, the South African government provided adequate security for both the South African General Elections andthe IPL.

Promotion When Bollywood and cricket met, the result was IPL and it was trulyentertaining to see ones favorite cricketer as well the Bollywood star on thesame platform. IPL was no doubt an entertaining one. Super stars like ShahRukh, Preity, Akshay, Katrina, Hrithik had been a source which provided alot of glam to IPL promotion. To attract the cricket fans, even team-owners have started selling tickets personally. Preity Zinta, the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab and Australian pace man Brett Lee sold the tickets along with their autographs.

People Indian Premier League is mostly targeted for the younger generation youth.As the generations are very busy with their day to day work with IPL theyget entertainment along with cricket which helps them to enjoy every aspectof the game. People are very excited towards IPL as this is only one gamethat brings different players of different countries at one platform, for whichthey tend to get attracted to see their favorite player perform. Some of theaudiences are also attracted to see their favorite celebrity cheering for theteam.

Process Indian Premier League as a whole is the biggest event of the year for whichmonths of preparation are to be done. For instance organizing the respective8 teams who are performing for the event and the most important of all ismarketing the IPL as it has to reach the wide range of audience globally. Anarrangement of stadium where this event is going to be held is also finalizedwell before. Finally and most important of all is execution of the Event.

Physical Evidence Fun, Music, Entertainment & sports, where can you find that, answer for thatis INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE. People wait for this season as they get everything in a joyful bundle. IPL is also the biggest platform for

advertisingand promoting different product or brands which is clearly viewable duringthe event.

Marketing and Branding Strategy

One, Packaging of the Event from day 1 as entertainment is the biggeststrategic hit. Cricket just happens to be there! Two,to keep it focussed in 20 overs and inviting International players ,not only enhanced the entertainment value but also factored in the fastestgrowing segment of high income youth. This segment is short of time andwants everything to be packaged small. Three,It structured teams around states thereby ensuring team and brandloyalties and assured eyeballs when it comes to media. Five,by following a well tried international model of clubs and playerauctions, it got players interests and their willingness to give the tournamenttheir 110%. Knowing that players are going to play attacking entertainingcricket attracts paid audience to the stadium and draws them towards other forms of media like TV, internet and print press. Six, the public and press relations during the first two versions meant Mediahype was maintained and that has lead to immense unpaid publicity.Interestingly in IPL3, the organisers have offered strict terms for freebies for non-official media. The initial purpose having been achieved, the official TVchannel is getting its due. That again hints to a well planned strategy. Seven, getting International Cricket Council to keep a window for IPLseason was the biggest strategic coup. Now cricket boards all over the world want to have similar event but may not be able to get well known players for their events! Eight, do not forget that (Board of Cricket Control in India) ensured thatthe event got all international recognition and gave it the required financial backup to conceive and execute the event.

Nine, attracting the movie stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty along with highly placed industrialist as team owners,ensured ample media and public interest which further contributed to thesuccess of the event.Ten and finally,organisers packaging of all above and ensuring the eventwas always in controversies and news, meant branding exercise of the kindthat has not been seen in sports. At the end of the end, we have a happy lotof bunches public, sponsors, media and most importantly IPL bankers!Good job done IPL, Lalit Modi and team- keep the IPL and Indian flagflying! IPL is one of the ways of telling the world that India has arrived. Strategy is all about making trade offs between what to do and what not to do. In broadterms its about taking offensive or defensive action to create a defend able position inthe industry, in order to generate a superior ROI (Return on Investment). Indian Premier League (IPL) generated revenue of $1 billion this season, thanks to huge fan followingacross the globe, attracting a large number of advertisers. If we do the PortersCompetitive Advantage analysis of the Marketing Strategies implemented in IPL.

Product Differentiation:
IPL match consumes very less time when comparing it with normal ODI and Testmatches.Its very clear, 3 hrs entertainment packets with ambiance of cinema hall, fast packedaction, sorrow, happiness everything in one packet "IPL". Making IPL accessible to mass people. The matches are live streamed on YouTube. So,that one can easily watch it. It generated huge revenue and T.R.P also shoots up.To further increase its viewers base it tied up with channels in Australia, UK and US to broadcast its matches. Hence, making IPL a global brand.One of the best things that we can learn from the marketing strategies of IPL is the hypethat the organizers have created for it. They have left no medium where they have not promoted their brand say radio, television, hoardings, newspaper, internet etc. Around100 crore rupees has beenearmarked for the IPL ad Campaigns and marketing.The learning is simple Jo dikhta hai wo bikta hai". When it comes to strategies thecompany follows 2 ways either you do something innovative which will give you firstmover advantage or you are the follower of a strategy which is tried and tested. Now thequestion arises is the market good enough to go for first mover or be a follower. The1st

IPLseason was an all time hit so company knows that investing in such a propertydoesnt require second thought.Focus:For the first time keep in mind the needs of a common man as they have reduced theticket prices to half so that middle and lower class people can also afford it.The weekdays matches are scheduled from 8 p.m so that maximum viewers can view thefull match. In a way it allows a common man to watch the after days work and it makesthe sponsors happy because it increases the T.R.P.IPL tried to capture the affinity towards the state from which one belongs, in a sense it brought about regionalism.

Cost Leadership:
IPL is for everyone, each section of the society is taken care of For example the lowesttickets are priced at Rs 220/- and the Premium tickets are priced at Rs 11000/- for highend consumers. Similarly, the lowest price of the tickets for World Cup scheduled to beheld at India in 2011 are generally priced around Rs 1000/-.IPL gives the best ever opportunity to place Brand Logos. Suddenly there are morenumbers of options available for advertisers. You have got eight teams available hencemore opportunity to place brand logos. For International level the competition is verytough and costly but in IPL you have got eight teams so opportunity multiplied eighttimes.Brand IPL has a higher valuation than Manchester United, which is valued close to USD3 billion. The value of IPL's branded business has doubled over last year. The combined brand value of all franchisees stands at USD 333 million. IPL Online Tie-ups: Monetization Strategies By IPLTeams It looks like IPL Team owners are busy in monetizing their teams by partnering with various online companies for different Team rights.

Ebay India partners with Kings XI Punjab to bring IPL merchandise tocricket fans worldwide

Ebay india, Indias leading online marketplace, today announced a partnership with kings xi punjab, to bring IPL merchandise to cricket loversacross the globe. kings xi punjab has set up a brand store on EbayIndia providing fans with a one stop shop for all the great fan merchandise.Ebay India already powers the shopping channel for the kings xi punjabmerchandise page on their website.The kxip sporty merchandise includes innovative products like car flags, fancapes, cheering sticks, optical caps, expandable banners, mugs, badges andcollectibles.Ms. deepa thomas, sr. manager-pop culture, ebay india, said , we areexcited to partner with kings xi punjab to power E-commerce for their official website. Ebay users across the world can avail of a wide range of cool merchandise, autographed memorabilia & celebrity experiences. .

Yatra.com joins IPL march with Delhi Daredevils as official travelpartner IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils has roped in Yatra.com as its official travel partner wherein the latter will take care of the franchises travel and stayrequirements in South Africa.With this tie-up, Yatra.com aims to reach out to cricket enthusiasts acrossthe country and offer special holiday packages to IPL fans.Yatra.com has also rolled out a promotional contest, meet the stars and leadthe toss, as part of its marketing initiative. Under the contest, lucky fanswill be given the opportunity to fly to South Africa to watch the IPL matcheslive, meet the cricketers and also lead the captains to the toss. To be eligible for the contest, fans need to buy any travel service includingflights, trains or hotels through yatra till 10 May. Yatra.com is also offeringfree tickets for the matches, free membership to the Daredevils membersclub, autographed cricket t-shirts, and gift hampers to promote the campaign.

Myntra also in the fray as it Launches Personalized IPL Jerseys from Reebok Myntra in collaboration with Reebok Indias largest sportswear brandtoday launched a range of personalized IPL jerseys for the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).The tie-up would include Jerseys of 4 IPL teams viz:Chennai Super Kings,Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab & Bangalore Royal Challengers, being made available on its flagship portalmyntra.com.Consumers can log on to Reebok store on the Myntra website and choose jerseys of 4 IPL teams. After selecting the jersey they can submit the nameand number that they would like to personalize their jerseys with. On doingso a preview of how the jersey would look after personalization is alsoavailable.Myntra would then process the orders and have the personalized

jerseysshipped to the consumer at the address provided by the consumer.The personalized IPL jerseys are available in two options mens & boys.Myntra is also accepting bulk orders from corporates and institutionswho would like to gift their priority or loyal clients with personalized jerseysof their favourite IPL teams.This tie-up could definitely bolster myntras topline in a significant manner and at the same time would boost its reputation as product personalization astheir current partnership is backed by the product quality assurance of Reebok.

Advertisement

IPLs advertisement and marketing is in full swing.IP ads are gainingmomentum on TV,especially due to the theme songs of the teams.Variousadvertisements are as follow:1.Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Daredevils-the dentist ad really a goodeffort. 2.KKR theme song Korbo Lorbo Jitbo by Shahrukh Khan have madeviewers crazy about IPL. 3.Royal challengers Bangalore have put their team introduction video withthe song Eye of the tiger. 4.Priety Zinta and Yuvraj singh have promoted Kings XI Punjab with atheme song ,sung by Delair mehendi. 5.Deccan Chargers the unstoppable-they have a pretty cool advertisement. 6.Rajasthan Royals are singing to their theme song Halla Bolfor IPL jaipur team.

7.Mumbai India Theme song.

Advertisements for IPL will be generated through four avenues namely,air time sold by sony entertainment television,BCCIsown marketing plan,promotional activities of all teams and from the brands associated withthe League.An industry said BCCI had allocated roughly Rs 100 croreas itsadvertisement budget,while sony is estimated to earn nearly Rs300 crorefrom ad slots.In addition,close to Rs200 crore will be spenton the team for promotion and marketing.IPL will have a salient lunch and the advertising spends will besubstantial.But as the league gains popularity,the ad spend will comedown,saidVikram Sakhuja,coo,South Africa,Group M.

Merchandise

From T-shirts and caps, key chains and pens to lassi glasses and chewinggum, owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) teams are preparing to roll out an array of cricketing merchandise as they seek an income boost in theTwenty20 tournaments second edition. Sports merchandising, which contributes 30-35% of total revenue for mostsports bodies in developed markets such as the US and the UK, is still a newconcept in India, where the biggest chunk of revenue for the eight IPLfranchisees comes from a so-called central pool, which includes media rightsand sponsorship revenue. The teams earned Rs30-35 crore each from the central pool last year, inaddition to a modest amount of revenue from gate receipts, localsponsorships, uniform merchandising and licensing.

Estimates from at least three executives in three different IPL franchisees,who didnt want to be named, indicate that the eight teams are looking atselling merchandise worth a combined Rs35-40 crore this year. The teamsown share of this amount will likely be around Rs6-8 crore, with the rest of the money

going to merchandise partners and licensees, who will pay onlyroyalty to the franchisees. Chennai Super Kings, owned by Hyderabad-based India Cements Ltd andled by national team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has tied up inmerchandising deals with retailer Future Group, chewing-gummaker Wrigley India Pvt. Ltd , pen-maker Camlin Ltd and cola-maker PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd.It plans to launch an affordable range of apparel and watches, chewinggum, writing instruments and co-branded beverages likely to hit the marketas early as by mid-March. This season, we expect around 8-10% of our revenues other than that fromcentral pool to come from merchandise, said Rakesh Singh, marketinghead, India Cements. The franchisee already has a partnership withsportswear retailer Reebok India and mens apparel maker Peter England.Even our existing partners Reebok and Peter England are working on anaffordable range of apparel, Singh said.Mohali-based Kings XI Punjab, coowned by Bollywood actor Preity Zinta,is looking at selling items such as Lassi (butter milk) glasses, mugs, badgesand special autographed items at points of ticket sales. The team also has atie-up for merchandise with textile manufacturer Bombay Dyeing andManufacturing Co. Ltd.Rajesh Metal Industries, which makes steel products under the Hot Muggs brand, is targeting sales of up to Rs12 crore in five years from items it makesfor Kings XI Punjab, said director Rajat Jain.Likewise, Kolkata Knight Riders, the team co-owned by actor Shah RukhKhan, is also expanding its portfolio of products.This time, we will have many more items in the kitty such as mugs, pensand keychains for which we are actively looking for right partners, said JoyBhattacharya, chief executive of the team.Besides expanding the range of merchandise, the franchisees are alsolooking at launching affordable products in an effort to boost sales.Delhi Daredevils, the team owned by GMR Holdings Ltd and led byopening batsman Virender Sehwag, tied up with sportswear maker AdidasIndia Pvt. Ltd last year. This year it has also tied up with Delhi-basedgarment maker Genesis India.Genesis will not only make items such as cheering signs, posters and keychains for us, but also non-branded T-shirts at lower price points, saidVidur Naik, marketing manager of the team. This time, the Adidas merchandise will be available at 71 stores, up from 45stores last year, he added.Darshan M., vice-president of commercial operations for Deccan Chargers,the Hyderabad franchise owned by publisher Deccan Chronicle HoldingsLtd, said, Last year, Nike was our partner, but this time it is Puma as thecompany gave us a better deal and is willing to develop an affordable rangeof apparel and other products.One of the primary reasons for the stress on affordable prices is to check sales of fake products that are

available at much cheaper prices. Counterfeitis a big problem here (in India). Last time, I saw a lot of fans wearing fakeT-shirts. Availability of more affordable original products will help plug thishole, said Darshan.Even as efforts to build the merchandise portfolio gain ground, mostfranchisees say it will take the segment some time to generate substantialsales.We are expecting a double-digit growth in the revenues coming frommerchandise this year as compared to the last one, said a senior executive atone of the IPL teams who didnt want to be named. However, eachfranchisee will still get less than a crore (of rupees) this season. It will takeat least two years for every team owner to fetch a couple of crores.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) fever seems to have spread across borders,as more and more people from non-cricket playing nations like the US andGermany are buying merchandise of the franchise teams online.Leadingonline market place eBay India, offering merchandise of several IPL teamsis witnessing significant surge in demand for products like jerseys, Tshirts,shoes and caps.The online orders to purchase different products for IPL 2009 is attracting anumber of people from many non-cricket crazy nations, including Finland,Germany, US and Spain, eBay India Senior

Manager (Pop Culture) DeepaThomas said.Nonetheless, the maximum number of buyers are from India,accounting for nearly 67 per cent of the total purchases.Based on the sales,eBay India data shows that jerseys and team Tshirts are the most soughtafter items by the cricket fans.eBay India has tied up with leading brandslike Puma, Adidas and Reebok for offering the IPL merchandise.Accordingto the firm's IPL sales barometer or the battle of fan a measure of products sales the merchandise related to Kings XI Punjab is the most popular among the buyers. Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) come next on the list of popularity. The products are priced between Rs 399 and Rs 2,999.DeepaThomas said merchandise falling in the price range of Rs 399 to Rs 1,299are in high demand and added that business volume is high.Meanwhile, after cashing in on the popularity of IPL merchandise online, eBay India is planning to introduce telephonic order facility for booking for themerchandise.

FAN CLUB
IPL fever has engulfed entire world with its thrill and excitement. IPL isonly in its first year and still the viewership and the passion for it is breakingrecords. People can be heard talking everywhere about it. Some say Sehwagshould have played one more over, some say Sachin is still the best. Thereare endless debates and comments that go around all day long.Everyone wants to have a say at the matches, the cheerleaders,the ownersand lots more and now they have got a platform too. IPLfanclub.com issocial networking site for cricket fans all round the world. It is absolutelyfree to join .At IPL Cricket Fan Club , you can interact with differentmembers , post comments, start polls , view match stats and participate indifferent contests going around. There are lots of prizes to be won as well,including the ViP tickets for the final match.Dont believe me have a look,Predict the winners of the IPL matches and win hot cash prizes and other exciting gifts! What can be a better pass-time for the hard core cricket lover,to enjoy the game and take home great loot. www.theiplfanclub.com is a sitededicated to fans of IPL who can indulge their passion with all the gusto andcheer they can muster.

www.theiplfanclub.com is an online space where fans can root for their favourite heroes and teams and express themselves like never before. A place for fans, by fans and designed to be highly interactive. The more activeIPL Fan Club members are, the greater are the chances to win exciting prizes.Signing up for the membership at www.theiplfanclub.com is absolutely free.Membership allows members to interact with other fans, post messages,access IPL information and participate in the contests. Members who predictthe outcome of the matches accurately win hot cash and other prizes.Everyday, 2 winners get to win a total Cash Prize of $500 for accurately predicting the Man of the Match and the Winning Team.The greatest highlight of the IPL match series will be IPL Fan ClubTournament. The first three who score the highest points here are set to winsome really exciting prizes. Three overall winners will get a Box ticket tothe finals where they can catch the excitement live! There are more goodies 5 star Hotel Stay in Mumbai (No room sharing), interview coverage by amajor TV channel and website, IPL Fanclub T-Shirt, Cricket Bat, trendy Nike Sportswear and a luxurious Limo to the Stadium! If the winner is fromoutside the country, he/she will get an economy class ticket and if the winner is not from Mumbai, then the person gets upto Rs. 3000/- as travelallowanceFans will find it fun and easy to score runs/points at the IPL Fan ClubTournament. Once they sign up as members, they score runs for fun thingslike adding friends, creating blogs, creating new groups, receivingcomments, pointing out bugs and so on.

Another exciting thing is that theycan create a cricket photo album and score 10 runs. For every cricket related photo uploaded, they receive an extra 4 runs and for every non-cricketrelated photo uploaded they receive an extra 2 runs. The key is that the more time they spend on the site, the more they get to score! The Score Systemallows them to see where they stand.Fans are connected to the game on a continuous basis through the LiveCommentary available. They can access various aspects of IPL on the sitevia the Live Scoreboard, Live Match, Match Schedules, IPL News and IPL blogs that contain all the information they would look for. The latestcomments by fans allow them to actually sense the pulsating excitement thatis building up through the matches and also express their own opinions.The Fans Gallery on the site contains memorable moments of the matchranging from the cricket stars, film stars to the sexy cheer leaders addingspice to the matches. Video clips of the matches can be viewed too, helpingfans watch replays of the game at their convenience.The aim of www.theiplfanclub.com is to build an online community thatwill bring cricket lovers in India and abroad together on one platform andfoster the true spirit of sportsmanship.

CHEERLEADERS
The stupendous success of IPL demonstrates the transformation of cricketfrom sport to pure entertainment. Every piece of the IPL mix has contributed to making it a heady cocktail of money, power, sport and glamour on anever-seenbefore scale.

Into this mix has been dropped a piece of exotica imported from America,cheer leaders as an additional source of glamour and entertainment. Fromthe moment they arrived in IPL 1, they generated controversy. Their skimpyattire and sexy dance movements, performed live and telecast in real time tomillions raised the ire of the culture custodian political parties. There is alsocontroversy around the fact that these are white American girls who have been flown in all the way from the USA, to dance and perform at the IPLmatches. The Indian blogosphere is buzzing with views both for and againstand every single viewer of IPL has an opinion on them. Simply put, they area feature of IPL that cannot be ignored.

The level of controversy surrounding the introduction of cheer leadersmeans that what these girls signify to the average Indian viewer of IPL onTV is controversial. Clearly they do not signal wholesome fun, celebratoryenjoyment and good cheer as they do in American basket ballgames. Through their attire and sexy dance display, they suggest theinsertion of a live version of the Bollywood Item Number (cabaret routine)into the game.

This blatant insertion of sex to sizzle up the game of cricket in its avatar as entertainment has riled all audiences, from cricket purists andfans to culture guardians.What about the future role for cheer leaders in the next IPL seasons? Some predict that cheer leading as a feature will wither away as a passing fad, asthey are extraneous to the game. Others wish to build a group of Indian girlsas cheer leaders and recruit them through a reality TV show and contest.Enlisting cheerleaders is a marketing tactic aimed at striking a connect between the teams and spectators and an additional attraction to drawcrowds to the games at a time when slowing growth and slumping marketshave enveloped the economy in gloom, franchisees say.We look at it as a good marketing initiative. It will help us build buzzaround the team as well as generate additional revenues, said Rakesh Singh,chief marketing officer of Chennai Super Kings, the losing finalists last year.Click here to watch videoSuper Kings has launched a talent hunt show on Star Vijay, a Tamil generalentertainment television channel, to select the girls who would cheer for theteam on the cricket grounds.

The additional revenue Singh referred toincludes advertising the channel will attract for the show.In a consumer survey conducted by Mindshare, a media buying firm, andmarket research agency Synovate India Pvt. Ltd last year after IPLsconclusion, Chennai topped the list of cities that had slammed the concept of cheerleading.The survey, conducted among 3,602 individuals in the age group of 15-45across 10 cities in the country, found that while 25% of viewers across thecountry disliked the cheerleaders aspect of IPL, 39% of people in Chennai,the highest for any city, found the gyrating dancers in skimpy uniformsoffended their sensibilities.According to the survey, the second largest percentage of viewers who found fault with the cheerleaders came from Bangalore, where around 34%gave them the thumbs down. Flamboyant liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, last year flew in the WashingtonRedskins cheerleaders to perform for the team at a cost of Rs12,000 per hour.Some conservative politicians and activists last year found the presence of cheerleaders dressed in short skirts and low tops to be offensive.

The Royal Challengers is now forming its own extravagant local version of the Redskins.We are not getting the Redskins this time, but we are getting

some professional international cheerleaders to train Indian girls to cheerlead our team, said Vijay Rekhi, president, United Spirits Ltd, part of Mallyas UBGroup.Even Hyderabads Deccan Chargers, which imported professionalAustralian cheerleaders last year, is creating a big marketing blitz thisseason. We are doing something really different around the wholecheerleading activity this year, said Darshan M., vice-president of commercial operations, Deccan Chargers.He didnt share details about what the team was up to because of concernthat the idea may be copied by rivals. All I can say is that it will include professional cheerleaders and not just some local dance troupes. It is goingto include a lot of excitement and we will build hype around it, Darshansaid.Like Chennai Super Kings, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khans KolkataKnight Riders (KKR) has also tied up with a general entertainment channel NDTV Imagineto launch a dance contest to select its squad of cheerleaders. The show called Knights and Angels is one of our initiativesin creating a marketing buzz around season two, said Joy Bhattacharya, director, Kolkata Knight Riders.Last years IPL winner, Rajasthan Royals, has launched a contest calledRoyal Diva. Targeted at women in the 18-22 age group, it involves anationwide hunt for a cheerleading squad for the champions. The winnerswill also be part of a music video the Jaipur franchisee is putting together as part of its marketing exercise.Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, who recently bought a stake in RajasthanRoyals, will also be actively involved in the hunt for the best cheerleadersfor the team.Mumbai Indians, the franchisee from Mumbai, meanwhile is in talks with anational dance troupe to cheer for the team, according to the teamsspokesperson.While all viewers may not have liked the cheerleaders on the ground lastyear, the franchisees say there has been a tremendous response to their initiatives from the target groups.The response to our cheerleading contest has been better than what weexpected. The auditions start next week and we have a lot of college-goersenlisted, said Super Kings Singh.Marketing experts argue that cheerleaders add a certain glamour to thetournament and help prevent monotony from setting in.

POST IPL MARKETING

Indian Premier League (IPL) teams will carry out a slew of marketingexercises after the 51-day tournament is over to build their brands and keepinterest alive before the next season.Almost all the franchises that participate in the four-yearold quick-formatcricket tournament are hiring specialised branding firms to help themorganize sporting and non-sporting events throughout the year, particularlytargeting the youth and children.When IPL is on, the focus is on players and the matches. When cricket isnot on, we need to strengthen the brand and keep it vibrant and attractive toour target audience, said Amrit Mathur, chief operating officer of the Delhifranchise. So its going to be a comprehensive year-long activity.Mathur said the franchise management will sit down with the teams 14sponsorsincluding brands such as Coca Cola, Adidas, Panasonic,Kingfisher and Ideato draw up post-tournament promotional events oncethe IPL ends on 28 May.They are already looking at organising music concerts and crickettournaments for street children.

Fans will be informed about the eventsthrough social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter.Every team is doing this as its not just about the 45day affair, said MehulShah, vice-chairman of the Kochi Tusker Kerala team. The show must goon for 365 days.Rajasthan Royals has hired UK-based Photolink Creative Group, which hashelped with the branding of Manchester United and Everton football clubs.Photolink will chalk out programmes for engaging fans after IPL, said HollyHarvey, director of business development at the companys India unit, butdeclined to give details of the strategy. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is working with Mumbai-based MarketGateConsulting. The marketing firms director, Shripad Nadkarni, also declinedto share plans, citing client confidentiality.OPN Advertising Pvt. Ltd is planning sports-related corporate socialresponsibility initiatives for Chennai Super Kings, said S. Chockalingam,founder and director of the advertising firm. We thought of doing acorporate tournament, but its too much cricket. Thats why we want to go beyond cricket to other sports, he said.Rakesh Singh, the head of marketing at Chennai Super Kings, said thefranchise will also hold painting competitions for schoolchildren this year and has launched a monthly comic series featuring its cricketers.Pune Warriors India is planning cricket coaching camps with its players aswell as local cricket tournaments.Dhruv Jha, business head for brand experiences at the consulting firmLodestar Universal, said team sponsors also want to take IPLrelatedmarketing beyond the tournament.We are talking to a lot of clients in

terms of developing plans and proposalsthat are non-IPL but yet they will grow both the teams equity and their association with them, said Jha, whose firm advised Tata Motors Ltdssponsorship deal with Delhi Daredevils and KitKat chocolates associationwith KKR.All the franchises have realized that we just come and go and dont seem tokeep it alive. Now they want to prolong and sustain this as a brand, headded.Mathur of Delhi Daredevils said it makes business sense for the franchises tocome up with year-long marketing strategies. This year, cricket as well as the financial side of IPL have undergone phenomenal changes, he said,referring to the new players bidding that took place ahead of thetournament, the addition of two new teams and sponsorship changes for most of the teams.Franchises have signed players on three-year contracts; the sponsors are alsoon similar deals. Now things are settled to start these kinds of promotions,Mathur said.Now that the tournament has matured and the teams are in place, there will be some continued effort to market the team and build the franchises, saidShubha George, chief operating officer of media agency MEC. Television ratings of the first 26 matches of the tournament have, however, been the lowest since the IPLs inception in 2008. The average rating for the26 matches in six metrosDelhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangaloreand Hyderabaddropped to 4.3 from 5.52 last year, according to televisionaudience measurement agency TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd.Jha of Lodestar said lower ratings should prompt franchises to carry outmore sustainable activities to build their brands.MECs George said the fall in television ratings was expected, with thenumber of matches going up from 60 last year to 74 this year.I dont think I would be alarmed by the fact that its going down, Georgesaid. It is going down as there are more matches and its not possible for viewers to watch with the same level of intensity. There will be a middle period where there will be a slackening of interest.

CHAPTER-4
SUGGESTIONS & CONCLUSION

SUGGESTIONS
As we all know that Ipl is a successful business today.But too many gamesmakes it boring.For example,if Mr Shahrukh Khan is seen in every filmthen people would get bored of him.Similarly,IPL management should cutthe number of matches being played on field to make it fresh andentertaining.

CONCLUSION
So we say that IPL is the newest hit product in the market and the brains behind this are showing us How to sell the product.The product (Cricket)was ready existing in the market,it was popular but IPLhas increased the sell by adding money and glamour to it.It has also contributed in qualitydevelopment of cricket.It is nothing but selling old product with attractive packaging..

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 Times of India 2.Economic Times 3 Business Outlook 4.www.wikipedia.org 5.www.iplt20.com 6.www.crcibuzz.com 7.www.iplcricketlive.com