KOLKATA: With improved sentiments in the economy and companies exploring alternative ways to generate brand recognition, the concept of sponsoring sports events, though at nascent stage, has become popular in Kolkata too. And an example of this is Tata Steel becoming the title sponsor for India’s premiere 25K run event to be held in Kolkata.
Joining the steel maker, are brands like Oberoi Grand as hospitality partner, Reebok as sportswear and training partner, Himalayan as water partner, Nestle as food and beverage partner and Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM as radio partner among others.
Procam International, a sports management company involved in the promotion of national and international sporting events, sports consultancy and live television programming, which is also organising the first edition of the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K on 28 December 2014, feels that the company has good sponsorship from both sports and non-sports companies.
The city will run as one under the following race categories – the 25K (elite and amateurs), Open 10K (amateurs), Ananda Run (6 km), Sr. Citizens’ Run (4 km), and Champions with Disability (4 km).
“Sports events have become an important element for some businesses to promote their campaigns in other regions of India. It is common to see non-sport brands taking strategic decisions to sponsor sporting events,” said Procam International CEO Dilip Jayaram.
In 1988, with a vision to provide a more holistic spend to the advertising rupee and a burning desire to ameliorate the prevailing professional standards for sportsmen, Anil and Vivek B. Singh created Procam International. The organisation has based its corporate philosophy on an open culture, with an emphasis on values and integrity. Procam International has promoted and conducted over 45 world events, which have elicited player participation of the highest caliber, as well as huge public interest.
The Tata Steel Kolkata 25K event will give thousands of individuals a new opportunity to celebrate the birth of a sporting event that salutes perseverance and self-belief and makes lives brighter and better. “Kolkata’s runners can now lace up and join the running revolution that is not just engulfing India’s towns and cities but attracting the attention of the world’s finest runners,” said Jayaram.
“We aim to ink a number of new sponsorship deals with other brands also. We are looking for a medical partner,” he said adding that for this event, Radio Mirchi will run 18-20 promos every day.
Talking about below-the-line (BTL) activities, he said that Procam International has put up 37 hoardings and 30 bus shelters.
About 15,000 people are expected to participate in the five events to be organised through the day. The route for TSK 25K is in the process of being finalised under the guidelines set by the West Bengal Athletic Association and Kolkata Traffic Police.
Film actor, producer and television presenter Jeet, well known for his passion for fitness, will be TSK 25K’s ‘Face of the Event’.
In its first edition, the event will recognise the efforts of participants by offering total prize money of Rs 21,54,000. The top ten Elite athletes (men and women) in the 25K category stand to win attractive prizes. While the winner will receive Rs 2,50,000, Rs 1,75,000 is up for grabs for second place while third place finishers will receive Rs 1,00,000. Dividing amateur runners into six segments based on their age – 18 to under 30, 30 to under 40, 40 to under 50, 50 to under 60, 60 to under 70, and 70 and above – TSK Kolkata 25K will also award the top three amateur runners (men and women) in each of the above segments with prizes of Rs 12,000, 10,000 and 5,000 respectively.
“We urge people of Kolkata and beyond to come and experience the joy of running this December,” Jayaram said.
According to a city based marketing expert, sports as a property will attract major interest from corporates looking at increasing their marketing spends in Kolkata. “The value of these sponsorship deals is generally high,” the expert concluded.
