Skip to main content

#Corelation: CSR, Olympics and Marketing

When it comes to sports, India loves only cricket and hence corporates love it too. The advertising, sponsorships and endorsements are all cornered by the Cricketers and Cricket.

It's time to think differently. I was recently reading that Britain feels cost of medals are too expensive at the Olympics. So how can India ever hope to get into the big league when it comes to sports medals?

The simple answer is : corporatise sports

The corporates have the money to invest but they currently don' t see the ROI in games other than cricket. So they shy away from investing.

However, since government has made it compulsory to invest 2% of PAT in CSR, this money could be invested in developing sports infrastructure that can help in identifying and supporting talent that can win internationally in sports. The government could sell rights of sports and let highest bidders get exclusive rights to develop and market these sports....

The corporates should take interest in these auctions and support more than just money. Why?

Since the 2% CSR money can now be invested in brand building. Since the corporates will have exclusive rights to these sports and players, when big results come, they will get affordable brand endorsers and also the rights to market these sport celebrities. So they save on hefty brand endorsement budgets and also earn royalties by marketing these sportspersonalities.

With cost of celebrity endorsers touching the sky, corporates should embrace this wholeheartedly. The government should support the process as it will help in channelising the funds collected from CSR and also earn goodwill of people if the nation wins more medals internationally.

It's a perfect win-win for all stakeholders involved and it could be the first step towards building a robust system that produces sports champions on a sustainable basis and create a pipeline of sportsstars.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nature calling!

There is a tiny little compass within us, our conscience, the keeps giving us signals. There are times when it keeps warning us of the dangers of the city life we are living. It gives us hint of being at home when we are in the middle of nature. We are all like tiny parts of the nature we are so foolishly moving away from. And that's why we feel so much at home when we go to these places. We are parts of them - the air, the water, the soil, the fire that makes us us. Not the iphones and fancy toys we are so attached to these days. Let's make it a point to live closer to nature. To breathe pure air. To drink water unadulterated by modernism. To think thoughts that are pure and in tandem with the cosmos. There is a monk within us. Why do we hide him? Why do we not listen to him? We must. Before it's too late!
Post a Comment
Read more

Love is all around me!

I remember this peppy song from my childhood with these lyrics love is all around me, everywhere I go...I have forgotten the singer, the lyrics and everything about this song. But these few lines have stayed with me all these years.  Truly, if we look around, there is so much to love and be grateful for....from the view of the rising sun from my balcony, to the books I read, to the food I eat and the energy I feel within. It's beautiful. The whole universe is within us and there is so much to be happy about....only if we truly open our eyes and see. Life is so tiny. Today we are alive but tomorrow we may not be. So why not inhale all the beauty around so that when we close our eyes in the night, we feel the divine bliss within and cherish it, without a regret in the world. It's a beautiful life, I feel pity for thr people who waste it hating ! May God bless their souls and may they too learn to see the beauty all around, so that this earth can truly become a beautiful place to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can the exhibition industry go virtual?

Exhibitions and stalls are an integral part of direct marketing in almost every industry. But can these exhibitions go virtual? The stalls could be virtually created and virtual meetings fixed from the comfort of one's own location. Imagine the amount of time that can be saved in travelling, planning logistics, managing hotel reservations etc. And ofcourse the cost. Imagine if virtual reality was able to give you the same feel as you get when you are inside an exhibition! You look around and be part of the traffic just as you are in real world.... Imagine animation, 3D and other graphics can add life to your stall. Just like an animation film, if  you are able to create a virtual reality.... If today you are able to attend eight meetings a day, may be you could attend twelve then as you will save the time of commuting physically from one room to another. Can it happen in the near future? I feel it can! Would love to know your views. ---------------- The views expressed are m...
Post a Comment
Read more