Will fresh cricket talent be able to give brands a fresh boost in celebrity endorsement?

Cricket in India is more than just a sport; it is a passion that unites millions across the country. The game transcends regional and cultural barriers, becoming a significant part of the national identity. With every match, stadiums are packed, and televisions are tuned in, as fans ardently support their favorite teams and players. This unparalleled enthusiasm makes cricket a powerful vehicle for marketing, drawing the attention of brands looking to tap into this fervor.

Brands have long recognized the immense potential of cricket in India, leveraging the sport for marketing and endorsement opportunities. Cricketers become more than athletes; they are icons, influencers, and brand ambassadors. Their association with various products and services lends credibility and appeal, driving consumer interest and loyalty. High-profile endorsements with top players help brands achieve substantial visibility and reach, turning cricket sponsorship into a lucrative avenue for advertising.

As seasoned players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli approach the twilight of their careers, the market dynamically shifts to embrace emerging talents such as Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, and Rishabh Pant. The retirement of established stars opens up fresh opportunities for brands to associate with the new generation of cricketers who bring a youthful and contemporary appeal. This transition not only keeps the endorsement landscape vibrant but also ensures that brands can continuously connect with the evolving interests of the cricket-loving audience.

This evolving scenario in the sports marketing industry underscores a natural progression where the old guard makes way for new talent, ensuring a constant infusion of fresh faces in brand endorsements. With cricket remaining a dominant force in India's cultural and commercial landscape, brands must adeptly navigate these transitions to maintain their relevance and impact. The following discussion delves deeper into this trend, exploring how brands evaluate and capitalize on the marketability of emerging cricket stars compared to their seasoned predecessors.

How emergence of young talent is impacting overall sports marketing industry in India

Lloyd Mathias, Angel Investor & Business Strategist, observed, “Essentially, every now and then there’s a fresh inclusion of talent, as they should be. And these players, of course, have all made a huge impact, specifically Shubman Gill, but even players like Yashasvi Jaiswal as well. So, I think it’s a good, positive trend and that’s the normal process that happens.”

He further added, “Given the fact that now, senior players have announced retirement, at least from T20 internationals, it’s always good. There will always be a fresh infusion of talent and overall it's positive, but it's also natural in any industry, you'll always have new emerging talent and you'll have older talent that retires or the beginning of the sunset of their career. So I think it's a good move and it's normal. Nothing unique, but it's normal.”

Siddhartha Singh, Managing Partner & COO, Infectious Advertising, pointed out, “One thing is for sure, what it has done is opened up genuine options for brands to latch on to, rather than depending on the big guns who may have been taken up by competition.”

Naresh Gupta, Co-Founder, Bang in the Middle, noted, “Sports endorsement has been changing for some time now. Rise of other sports has created a bigger pool of players that can be used as brand ambassadors. We have had PV Sindhu as a leading endorser. Then Neeraj Chopra has redefined the entire sports endorsement scenario for a non cricket player. I would think that this will keep getting bigger.”

Factors driving brands shift in focus to new talent

Lloyd Mathias observed, “Not all brands are shifting their focus, but brands recognize that when a player, whose shelf life is finite, announces some retirement from one format, they recognize that if they look at a two, three year horizon, normally when they sign on a star, they look at a piece of a two year period. Their concern is that, should he no longer be part of the team, the popularity may wane and such like. So, brands always like to look at stars on the rise, people on their way up, so that's one factor. The second factor, obviously, is the mega stars like Virat and Rohit, who have multiple brands. Each of them has 30-35 brands, which they’re endorsing. Therefore, it's a little cluttered space. The moment you get a new player, at least you're able to build your brand association slightly more strongly with a newer player who hopefully had much fewer endorsements.”

Siddhartha said, “Out of reach for some brands, especially from a cost perspective. Apart from that, consistent performance by the younger lot makes them believe that it’s an investment for the longer run. Kohli and Rohit have already announced their retirement from a certain form of the game leaving the space wide open for the newer lot.”

Naresh Gupta, emphasized, “Every brand has to seek an endorser that has perfect fit for itself. While Virat is the biggest name, he chooses the brands that work best for him. This leaves the field open for many more. Shubhman was endorsing Harmon Kandon even before he made his test debut. Same goes for many more, fuelled by IPL and the visibility that comes from it. I would think that the younger lot will make very good brand ambassadors for a lot of old established brands. It gives them a breath of fresh air and a youthful zing.”

Evaluating the marketability and potential of young cricketers

Lloyd Mathias pointed out, “One, they look at what their expectations are in terms of how these cricketers will pan out in the next three to five years. Players who obviously are on the rise, who are popular, who have made the deal. That's one huge positive that brands look at. Second, of course, if they look at the overall temperament, is there a fit with the brand, the personality type? Some cricketers are more extroverted, more outgoing. It has a nice positive effect on the brand. And also they prefer players who are relatively not controversial,who will not do things that might impact the brand in any negative way,  the biggest factor, one is the attempt or their popularity.”

He further said, “How are they going to expect to be in the next three to five years, and be a core part of the team? Two is the personality type. Are they extroverted, friendly, you know, go to search for popularity? And that’s the second part. And thirdly, what they would look at is the other value adds. A lot of cricketers are very social media savvy, they take a stand on key social issues. Those kinds of cricketers tend to have a resonance even outside of the sporting fans.” Citing the example of Virat Kohli, he said, “Virat gets a whole boost because he is married to a movie star, so he gets a kind of value addition on that count. Brands look at those factors as well. But primarily it is the popularity, the rise, the ascent, the maturity, or rather the non controversial nature.”

Siddhartha said, “Brand fit and a positive persona always make them the heartthrobs of audiences and helps cut across cultures and markets. With social media and easy access to content on the handheld device, mass popularity and what stars do outside of the field, is another tick for brands and somewhere brings them closer to what brands want to stand for or be!”

“Brands look at multiple ways of using sports personalities. With the rise of influencer marketing, most of them are aggressively used by brands as influencers. The quick to market and short form content works very well for brands. Prithvi Shaw was the endorser for vivo long back. Shubhman too was used by handset brands, and many more as influencers. This is now a big opportunity for all the sports stars. Brands do look at brand fit and appropriateness for the category. The brand ambassador deals are long term, and that is very important,” said Naresh Gupta.

Measuring ROI on brand partnerships with young cricketers

Lloyd Mathias remarked, “The measures of return on investment are very similar in terms of what kind of recall that cricketer gives to the brand, what kind of brand salience he imparts to the brand. That’s one aspect. Two is obviously in terms of what is the amount they're paying for the contract and therefore to what extent is that going to boost the brand's salience, hopefully the brand's business revenue? I think that's the other aspect. So, the measure of RoI remains consistent. It just depends on what kind of price point you can start. Obviously a start in the early stage of his career. It is a bit of a high risk because you never know to what extent he will become a superstar and therefore you obviously get him at a slightly better price than what you will get a mega star like Rohit and Virat and they will cost phenomenal amounts. It always helps when you get someone at the early stage, the beginning of his career.”

Siddhartha noted, “Celebrity endorsement is a long term game and once you bite that bullet then brands need to stick to it. Brand tracks, if in place, definitely see a positive movement on parameters like awareness, likability, memorability and purchase intent!”

“Any endorsement is driven by cost and strategic fit. The brand has to be clear as to what it wants from its endorser. Once those factors are known, taking a call to sign up is not that tough.” Naresh Gupta concluded.