Purist may yell themselves hoarse that the IPL T20 league in not really cricket which is a ‘gentleman’s game’, but the huge success that the IPL has met with in India negates such trifling objections. This is a branding exercise that has catapulted a domestic cricket event into the international cricket arena.  Already there is talk of listing the teams on the stock exchange a la the English Premier League football teams, many of which are already listed.

Rajasthan Royals and KKR are the two most valuable brands in the IPL, their respective branding exercises more successful than the other teams. Although one may think that performance is the only parameter upon which the successful brand building exercise rests, that is not so. The KKR were a dismal performer last year and are even more so this year. However the very visible mascot cum owner of the team is what sets it apart from the other team, gives is immediate brand recognition and recall.

As defending champions Rajasthan is also a team that has been a successful brand building exercise. Witness the moustaches and turbans adorning South African spectators, which have caused enough interest for brand consciousness. It also helps that an internationally recognised celebrity like Shilpa Shetty is a very visible co owner.
 
According to the study it is possible for the teams to improve their valuation by performance and doing well on the field of cricket. This creates a loyal fan base, which will in turn increase valuation and successful branding. This increases the all important revenue generation. Merchandising is just one of the methods of revenue generation where loyalist of a particular team will show their team loyalty with the jersey, cap, bag and other paraphernalia.

The tremendous success of the IPL has meant that others in international cricket want in on the success. Reportedly there is a South African cricket league; the Southern Cricket League in the offing and plans for its first series in 2011 are in the pipeline. This league will feature South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. As the IPL moving to RSA has given a boost to the economy there, so do the organisers want to cash in on a similar concept. And this time around it will go the legit way; reportedly they have already obtained the ‘permission’ of the BCCI for Indian players to participate, because these days without the blessings of the mighty BCCI nothing in international cricket seems able to succeed!

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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