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44 days, 59 matches, 8 teams, each a tangy concoction of
domestic and international players, oodles of glamor quotient,
truck loads of entertainment value, billions of moolah,
a deluge of emotional followers, an unparalleled hype and
a single exclusive moment—some referred to this frenzy
as masala cricket, others preferred calling it superfast
cricketainment and there were still others who believed
that this was the true representation of the spirit of Youngistan.
That was IPL (Indian Premier League) DLF T20 cricket tournament,
the most happening and talked about sporting event in the
country that witnessed a grand finale on June 1, 2008 as
Rajasthan Royals swept away with the first ever coveted
IPL trophy.
Cricket has always been a game of glorious uncertainties, but this time around, underlying the entire glam, glory and buzz was a neatly etched out business model complimented by an equally aggressive marketing strategy. With strategies perfectly in place and marketing mantras well implemented, IPL offers itself as a great case study in marketing. There were lessons in competitive strategy, positioning, targeting and promotions. At the end of the tournament, the BCCI, the media and the advertisers alike found themselves to be on the top spot; reaping the rich benefits and grinning their way to glory. The game proved yet again that the power of money definitely rules and that cricket certainly is capable of delivering eyeballs across the country. The broadcasters gained most out of this 45-day sporting extravaganza, a TRP of 8.21 for one of the matches was evidence enough. |
