ESPN Star Sports is betting big on its agressive marketing strategies. But will the payback be worth the pain?

Pawan Chabra bowls hard at the re-branded batsmen...

First came the change in logo. Then a change in programming happened. And now, after much ado about re-branding, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has set the Indian towns bustling with its marketing acts, as Nirmal Dayani, Senior Director – Marketing, ESPN India puts it, “ESPN Star Sports has undergone a lot more than just rebranding, as we not only changed our logo, but the programming and graphics as well. So now, when the consumer is looking at a whole new channel, we are undertaking 360-degree marketing tasks.” An on-field evaluation also clearly suggests how the company has come up with aggressive media campaigns, for its long line-up of tournaments – the erstwhile Champions Trophy 2009, Champions league 2009, Formula One Grand Prix, Barclays Premier League et al. Media experts suggest that the company has sidelined a massive Rs.100 crore for its media strategy. So while on one end you’d expect to run into ESS hoardings and billboards, being hit by witty radio jockey dialogues and gazing at the 30-second flicks on the idiot-box, on the other, the truth is that the capital earmarked is not simply for pure advertising purposes. Even Dayani confirms that as he avers, “A larger chunk of the planned media investment will be used for developing the Champions League format, as it is relatively new for the viewer and will take some time to gain momentum.” So there goes the tale – a fresh new sports channel, with fresh content and logo. But there’s the rub, a fundamental question mark rather – was rebranding even required in the first place?

An aggressive Dayani shoots back: “There is always a scope for improvement and the ‘new look’ channel will definitely offer some new experience to the Indian consumers...” He also quickly doubles up and mentions that “If Tiger Woods can reinvent his swing after winning so many tournaments, there is ample scope for the channel to improve too.” More importantly, the company has chosen the busiest of periods to rebrand itself. Of course, while timing it during the onset of a season filled with tournaments – which, of course attract guaranteed footfalls, eyeballs, sportstars and most importantly brands – is ideal, the festive season will make it a more fruitful investment as Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESS asserts, “With so many exciting sports properties currently being broadcasted on our channels, the new branding for ESS and the refreshed on-air presentations for the brand will enthuse and exhilarate sports fans and continue our strong and enduring association with them.” Surely, sports is a visual spectacle and ESS’ on-air packages aim to enhance this experience by communicating in the well-synchronised, dynamic and energetic language of sports, while the channel brands promise to reach viewers across all demographies.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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After leveraging the Titan brand equity for long, Fastrack is taking its first baby steps into the accessory market.

Angshuman Paul gives an account of the ‘watch maker’ turned ‘accessory giant’, for whom time was once running out real fast...

“We would be soon launching jewellery, helmets and footwear… We want to evolve as a ‘complete’ accessory brand that envelops the youth and we are trying to rise above the ‘serious’ brand image of Titan,” announces Ronnie Talati, VP & Business Head, Fastrack & New Brands, while discussing the current and future plans for building the Fastrack brand in the country.

Surprising though that today Fastrack wants to grow as an independent superbrand, while when we all believed that Fastrack lay snugly in the lap of the Titan brand! And this independent vision is not just when it comes to the future of the brand, for even physically the fact is more than just evident. Walk into the Titan Head Office, on the sixth-floor of the Golden Enclave Tower in Bangalore and notice the manner in which the floor is divided into two separate departments - on the right, sits the Titan team, while on the left it’s the young and enthusiastic Fastrack team. So there’s the question – why a separate brand now? Truth is, it has always been isolated, unlike what many perceived it to be. Fastrack was always positioned in a manner so as to benefit from the huge brand equity of Titan, yet remain a flagship purple cow on a standalone basis. It was born after Titan ended its joint-venture with US based Timex, a decade back. Therefore to fill up the lacunae of a cool, trendy and sporty product, the Tatas created Fastrack.

From its early days, the positioning of Fastrack was made clear – it was meant for the ‘early jobbers’ & young college goers. Therefore, the price was kept comparatively lower than Titan products. “We wanted a different brand and it had to be very trendy and sporty; that’s what Fastrack was meant to be,” avers a time-conscious Talati of Fastrack. Easy on the pocket pricing, with a slogan like ‘Cool Watches from Titan’ and brand ambassadors like Narain Karthikeyan, Fastrack started beckoning young consumers, who were otherwise being drawn by its competitor, Timex.

Ten years since it hit market shelves, Titan has actually emerged as a brand which doesn’t need the brand name of the Tatas anymore. Cashing in on the brand legacy of Titan and tying-up with MTV helped Fastrack gain a speedy start from year one, grossing Rs.15 crore during FY1998. And that was just the start of a high-growth story. “By FY2001, the brand had grown by more than 20% y-o-y, and had collected Rs.25 crore in revenue by then,” announces Talati.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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