Mumbai: Muthoot FinCorp, a non-banking financial company and flagship entity of Muthoot Pappachan Group has announced that it will continue as the title sponsor of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the third consecutive year.
As part of the association, the Muthoot FinCorp logo will be prominently placed on RCB’s match and training jerseys. The collaboration will also look to further connect with millions of fans across the country with social media integrations as well as TV commercials featuring RCB players, said the statement.
“Our association with Royal Challengers Bangalore is a reflection of the common core values—grit, determination and creating limitless opportunities,” commented Muthoot Blue and Muthoot FinCorp director Thomas George. “RCB boasts of maximum fan base among all the T20 teams and we believe with their pan-India following, this partnership will aim to provide simple solutions to save hard-earned earnings and maintain the trust of millions of fans.”
“RCB has a prolific collaboration with Muthoot Blue so far and we are thrilled to enter the third consecutive year of partnership. We look forward to seeing this association grow further and bring great value,” added RCB VP and head Rajesh Menon.
The 15th edition of the cricket extravaganza is scheduled to start on 26 March. Team RCB will begin its campaign on 27 March against Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Mumbai: Global sports brand Puma has partnered with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to launch an all-new athleisure range.
Having garnered huge success in the first season of the IPL, Puma has decided to further strengthen its partnership with RCB with a collection that celebrates the indomitable spirit and fierce attitude of the team, said the brand in a statement. Combining Puma’s expertise in elevated product design and RCB’s core brand values, the collection offers the team’s ardent fans unique pieces with a playful twist, it added.
“Royal Challengers Bangalore is undoubtedly the most popular cricket team in the T20 League and enjoys an ever-increasing fandom across the country. We are really excited to partner with them for the launch of the athleisure range,” said Puma India and Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly. “Bringing the best of both worlds, the collection leverages Puma’s design expertise and RCB’s fashionable DNA. Through an exclusive PumaxRCB range we aim to strengthen the team’s connect with its fans across the country.”
Dropping right in time for the T20 season, the collection offers RCB fans an opportunity to showcase their passion for the team all year round by sporting merchandise that has been reimagined through a fashion lens, said the brand.
“The launch of the athleisure collection makes RCB the only cricket team to move beyond traditional retail merchandise into the world of GenZ, millennial fashion wear,” stated vice president and head Rajesh Menon. “This collection indeed represents the evolving brand ethos of RCB in a cutting-edge streetwear, on-trend lifestyle avatar which will completely resonate with young India.”
The collection is available at select Puma stores, on puma.com, RCB.com, and the RCB Bar & Café.
Mumbai: Amidst the burgeoning cricket fever that has engulfed the nation, MX TakaTak recently announced itself as the official short video partner for seven IPL teams. Now, the platform has roped in global cricket icon Virat Kohli, who has signed on as a member.
The Indian captain will not only create fun and exclusive TakaTak Videos but also participate in hashtag challenges and livestreams, offering his fans a chance to get a closer look at him off the field as well.
Regarded as one of the top batsmen in the world, Kohli has remained one of the undisputed leaders in terms of the number of followers for an Indian sportsman across all major social media platforms. His posts on MX TakaTak will offer his fans insight into the candid moments from his life.
Kohli said, “I’m really excited to have joined MX TakaTak. It’s the leading short video app and gives me a new place to share moments from my life and to have authentic conversations with my fans across the globe.”
MX Player and MX TakaTak CEO Karan Bedi said, “Short video platforms have until now been at the early part of the adoption curve, primarily led by the rapidly growing online influencer community to showcase their talent and build their fan base. However, with legendary cricketer Virat Kohli, who is India’s biggest celebrity as well as one of the world’s top stars, creating an account on MX TakaTak, we are now in the cultural mainstream.”
He further added, “This space has changed a lot since the time we entered the market and has marked several high points in only a year. We are happy to be welcoming the Indian Cricket Superstar – Virat Kohli to the TakaTak family and look forward to being part of his life. With this move and many more to come, we want to offer our millions of users more delightful moments from their biggest idols’ lives.”
MUMBAI: Global sports brand Puma has signed a long-term partnership deal with two up and coming players, Washington Sundar and Devdutt Padikkal. The duo joins Puma’s impressive roster of cricketers that include Indian captain Virat Kohli, wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul, women’s national cricketer Sushma Verma and legends like Yuvraj Singh.
Considered the future of Indian cricket, Sundar and Padikkal have been punching above their weights in major cricketing tournaments. Sundar’s all-round performance in Australia helped the Indian cricket team clinch a historic away test series win and Padikkal emerged as a ‘find of the season’ with his stellar performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore in his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Sundar, a game changer and Devdutt, a consistent run-getter in the domestic circuit perfectly embody Puma’s ‘Forever Faster’ spirit.
Puma India and southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly said, “Washington and Devdutt have displayed remarkable resilience and grit on field that’s led to their meteoric rise as athletes. We have always believed in supporting not just established players, but also talent with immense future potential. We will continue to partner with young athletes, also at the grassroots to give back to India’s sporting ecosystem.”
Washington Sundar said, “Feels great to be associated with a brand like Puma which has some of the world’s greatest athletes in their roster. Watching skipper Virat Kohli and KL Rahul closely has given me a deeper insight into the brand. Puma adds a lot of credibility to an athlete’s journey and I’m excited to work with the brand in India.”
Devdutt Padikkal added, “A partnership with a global sports brand like Puma is really a big motivation for young athletes like me. I’m looking forward to a long-term association with the brand.”
Sundar and Devdutt are currently part of the Kohli-led IPL team, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing IPL 2021.
MUMBAI: After seven years, global sports brand Puma has made a comeback on the Indian Premier League pitch after signing a strategic long-term partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Under the terms of the deal, Puma will be the official kit partner of the team from the upcoming IPL 2021 season. The sportswear major already has an ongoing association with RCB team captain Virat Kohli, which makes this partnership a natural progression for the brand.
Kohli said, “A global brand with a strong sporting vision and great quality products, [Puma’s] extensive distribution network through offline and online channels will ensure fans have access to RCB merchandise across the country. Over the years, I've had a great experience working with the brand and I’m excited to see Puma extend its partnership with the team that I play for.”
The brand will have exclusive retailing rights to RCB’s take down and replica jerseys, adding pan-India merchandise reach for the franchise across retail and e-commerce channels. Elevating the partnership beyond a traditional sports sponsorship model, the collection will also include a fanwear range of polo tees, shorts, pants, flipflops and caps.
Puma India & southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly said, “The team’s growing fan base and extensive social following makes RCB our ideal partner on the cricket pitch. Over the last few months, sport has had a positive influence by bringing about a sense of cheer among our consumers. With more people playing and following their favourite game, the culture of sport will definitely strengthen and evolve further. We are committed to fuelling this passion by continuing to invest in the right products, partners and players in the sporting ecosystem.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore vice president & head Rajesh V Menon said, “RCB’s ethos is to embody the philosophy of #PlayBold and truly embrace the challenger spirit in all that we do as a cricket team, a brand and business. We are positive that with Puma’s marketing capabilities, fans will have access to not only great merchandise but also some very interesting activations and engagements through the IPL season and beyond.”
RCB merchandise will be available at all Puma stores, on Puma.com RCB website, mobile app and the RCB Bar & Café from the first week of April.
NEW DELHI: In India, there are two things that people lose their minds over: cricket and festivals. And the IPL is a festival of cricket. Add on the fact that this year, it happens to coincide with the Dussehra-Diwali season – and it's no wonder that brands are pulling out all the stops when it comes to advertising and promotional campaigns to capitalise on miraculous opportunity.
Ahead of its Big Fashion Festival, fashion e-commerce platform Myntra has decided to hop on the IPL bandwagon to maximise its visibility and sales. The brand has also tied up with multiple brand ambassadors tailored to click with different demographics and help the brand double its sales compared to the same period last year. It is also Myntra's debut on the IPL pitch.
‘IPL will help Myntra expand into newer markets’
Myntra has partnered with not one, but three IPL teams – Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, and Chennai Super Kings. The brand is RCB’s official fashion sponsor and will have its logo on the upper right chest of the team’s jersey. CSK and MI will carry the Myntra logo across the teams’ branding and communications.
According to Myntra, VP- marketing Achint Setia, “Myntra is keen to form deep connections with users across India and believes that engaging with prospective customers at all possible and relevant touchpoints is crucial to this vision. We believe that cricket in general, specifically the IPL makes for a key touchpoint and will help Myntra expand into newer markets.”
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The company has a bunch of activities planned with its partner teams. It has developed strong user engagement through social media, via the RCB, CSK, MI, and Myntra handle, where customers can win unique daily prizes by participating in interactive contests centred around the cricket tournament. The fan engagement innovation ‘Virtual Wankhede’, developed in association with the Mumbai Indians, is a platform which provides MI’s army of fans to unite virtually and cheer on their favourite team.
"The way IPL has also come up with innovations by bringing in the virtual crowd noise, virtual meet and greet with top fans, has helped the brand to drive a lot of traffic from digital and social channels,” Setia added.
To leverage the season effectively, the fashion portal has planned several exciting gamification features and content properties which will provide users with entertainment in the coming days.
One such feature that has grabbed users’ attention is the Myntra Fireball, which provides customers the opportunity to bag specific and time-bound deals by catching a moving ball of flame on the Myntra app.
‘Looking to expand in South, tier-2 and tier-3 cities’
The unique overlap of the IPL and the festive season this year was like a lifeline thrown to brands reeling under the Covid2019 crisis and Myntra is trying to make the most of it. Besides a 2X growth in sales from last year, the fashion firm is also expecting sales momentum from tier-2 and tier-3 cities to continue into the festive period. In fact, it is anticipating that over 50 per cent of its sales will come from outside metro and tier-1 cities.
Looking at the team partnerships closely, the e-commerce firm has chosen two teams from south India and one from north, highlighting its push to diversify and expand its reach. Setia also agreed, saying: “We intend to make a big expansion in the south market. RCB and CSK not only have a strong following in the metros such as Bangalore and Chennai but also drive countless conversations in the smaller cities and towns of the south market.”
Mumbai’s importance to retail businesses can hardly be understated and tying up with the city’s most prominent sports team will only further solidify Myntra’s position in a crucial market, he elaborated. Factors such as team popularity and style quotient were also given strong consideration by Myntra executives when opting for team partners this IPL season.
‘Celebrity endorsements to boost audience appeal’
Brand image and new user engagement are two agendas high on the list of Myntra’s marketing strategy for its festive season jamboree. With this goal in mind, it has roped in vlogging sensation Bhuvan Bam as its first digital brand ambassador.
Myntra and Bam will co-ideate and create content that effectively portrays the brand in an innovative and entertaining manner that goes beyond the traditional forms of communication. The e-commerce platform is counting on Bam’s engaging social media presence and high resonance with the people to gain traction with his 1.93 crore-strong loyal fan base.
Similarly, as part of the Big Fashion Festival promotion, Myntra has partnered up with Soha and Saif Ali Khan to bring the sweetness of Durga Puja to the fore.
The brand film aptly re-creates the present scenario, with countless families celebrating the festive season through video calls, thereby striking an emotional chord with the audience, while underscoring the value of the right attire to enhance any festive celebration and make moments special.
The fashion e-tailer recently announced Bollywood actor Disha Patani as its first-ever beauty ambassador to further consolidate its strong position in the massive and rapidly-growing beauty and personal care (BPC) market in India; actor Kiara Advani is the brand’s nationwide celebrity endorser.
In the same month, south cine star Samantha Akkineni signed on with Myntra as the fashion marquee’s face to win over the region’s large and widespread audience.
Myntra’s holistic approach to its marketing campaigns, with Bollywood, Tollywood, and other regional celebrities, along with top IPL teams, is expected to reach 150+ million people across the nation. According to the brand, the mega fashion event is also set to witness a massive uptick in demand, at 4X over its BAU (business as usual).
Speaking about the overall marketing plan for the festive season, Setia explained: “Our key goal is to ensure Myntra has a prominent space in the key touchpoints with potential customers ahead of its blockbuster sale events. This festive season, our marketing efforts will further drive conversations around the brand through the star-studded campaigns with celebrity brand ambassadors, who have a wide audience appeal reaching all corners of the country.”
However, the company did not share the marketing budget allocated for the festive period, and replied, in terms of spends, the investment varied for each partner as the scale and size of the associations are different.
Myntra’s Big Fashion Festival is scheduled to be held between October 16 and 22. The fashion major will offer various lakh styles from the widest collection of 5000+ brands for its customers. As part of the seven-day festive season sale, the platform is expected to cater to over 4 million unique customers.
Nestle Milo has partnered with Royal Challengers Bangalore for the upcoming T20 season. As the official partner, the brand has launched its #RoarForCricket campaign.
As part of the campaign, Nestlé Milo has launched a limited-edition pack that features RCB players. This RTD pack will be available across retail outlets at a special promotional cost of INR 30/-.
The brand will bring alive the partnership on mass media as well, with a special energetic TVC for the team’s home state, Karnataka. There will also be numerous engaging consumer activations on-ground and on the brand’s social media channels to celebrate the passion that fans have for Royal Challengers Bangalore team.
Speaking about the association and the campaign, Nestlé India director, Dairy Vineet Singh said, “We are proud to be the Official Partners for a bold team like Royal Challengers Bangalore. Through the partnership with RCB team and MILO, we extend the brand’s legacy of more than 86 years, of providing budding champions with nutritious energy all over the world. This unique partnership is a reaffirmation of MILO’s commitment to motivate kids to take up sports & imbibe life values that only sport can deliver. With our campaign #RoarForCricket, we want to provide an opportunity for our consumers to look beyond the many challenges of the ‘new normal’ and relish the excitement and celebration of the cricket season with MILO energy.
Commenting on the partnership Chairman, RCB chairman Sanjeev Churiwala said, “We are delighted to partner with Nestlé MILO. The brand shares the same ethos of RCB to encourage participation in sports and embody valuable learnings that the sports teaches us for life.”
NEW DELHI: MediBuddy, India’s largest digital healthcare platform, is now the official digital healthcare partner for Royal Challengers Bangalore, for the thirteenth season of T20.
“We are delighted to be the digital healthcare partner for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Through this partnership, we hope to spread the message of being & staying healthy. This is consistent with our endeavour to make healthcare accessible to each individual in this country. We wish the team good luck and abundant good health”, MediBuddy-DocsApp co-founder & CEO MediBuddy-DocsApp said.
RCB Chairman Sanjeev Churiwala said, “We are delighted to have MediBuddy as digital healthcare partner with Royal Challengers Bangalore, with this partnership we aim to drive the message of the importance of health in these current times.”
The T20 tournament will be played in the UAE this year and is scheduled to start on 19 September and will conclude on 10 November 10.
MUMBAI: Nuvoco Vistas Corporation, which is also know as Lafarge India Limited has launched its latest campaign for its popular brand Duraguard.
Conceptualised around a simple message of ‘No Gap in performance’, the campaign highlights thesalient feature of Duraguard Cement for the end consumer. The campaign features prominent Royal Challengers team members Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers Yuzvendra Chahel and Brendon McCullum.
The campaign delivers an important message on the need for increasing the strength and density of concrete used in all buildings/houses by eliminating any inherent gaps. The company claims that Duraguard Cement increases the strength and density of concrete and stops the attack of harmful elements.
Chief of sales, marketing and innovation Madhumita Basu says, “Nuvoco has a legacy of building brands that connect with the consumer. In India, where cricket holds a special place in the hearts of the majority of its people, this was a natural platform for us on which to reach out to every house hold in the country. Duraguard Cement is a pathbreaking product in the market aimed to meet the critical requirements of rural and urban home builders.”
Duraguard Cement was also the principal partner for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team for the recently concluded IPL 2018.
Ideated by Rediffusion Y&R, the new campaign will run across print, radio, television, outdoors and social media-cum-digital platforms between June-July.
Nuvoco started operations in India in 1999 as a manufacturer and retailer of building materials with a vision to build a safer, smarter and more sustainable world.
MUMBAI: The recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) final, aired across 17 different channels on Star India’s bouquet in eight different languages was a smash hit. According to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) All India data 2+, the contest between MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) garnered 55.6 million impressions.
The 2018 final witnessed a massive growth of 41 per cent as compared to the 2017 one between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) that generated 39.4 million impressions.
The growth in numbers included the contribution from pubcaster DD Sports as well.
The regional market contributing 22 per cent to the total viewership is bound to delight the broadcaster, encouraging it to penetrate deeper into this market next season. Not surprisingly, the Hindi market led with 54 per cent of the viewership share, while English contributed 24 per cent of the total pie.
The total impressions grew 15% from season 10 to 11. Sony Pictures Network with only five channels managed to garner 1.2 billion impressions, whereas Star India with 11 channels for the league matches and 17 channels for the final achieved 1.4 billion impressions.
The top three contests this season were match number one, three and the final. The opening match with 35.9 million impressions saw a growth of 37 per cent compared to opening match of season 10 between SRH and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) which garnered 28.3 million impressions. The third match between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clocked 35.1 million impressions.
Star India’s strategy of focusing on regional feeds has worked in their favour. It now remains to be seen how the broadcaster ups the ante for next season of the cash-rich league.
