The Indian Premier League (IPL) transported a handful of players from the obscurity of domestic cricket to international fame. Even the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seems to have taken note of IPL performance in drafting Yusuf Pathan and Pragyan Ojha into the national team. However, advertisers are not convinced.

The newfound popularity of Swapnil Asnodkar, Ravinder Jadeja and Manpreet Gony, and those of Pathan and Ojha, is unlikely to earn them much endorsement money any time soon. At best, given IPL’s city-centric loyalty, they may bag deals for local or regional brands in the short-term.

“While the young players may have found favour with the masses, I believe that one needs to play for the nation before one can actually attract national level endorsements,” says Shailendra Singh, joint managing director with Percept Holdings, a big name in celebrity and talent management.

Doing well for the national team indeed matters much more. The two Sharmas — Rohit and Ishant — attracted deals in droves after their good performance in Australia. Both are citizens of Pepsi’s Youngistaan.

“I think it is premature to say that the new faces will be lapped up by the ad industry at this point. They need to prove themselves in the international arena and represent the country. Players like Ishant, who played a crucial role in Australia, have bagged prestigious accounts,” says Jeet Banerjee, managing director, Gameplan.

Even consumer durable companies, among the biggest cricket advertisers, are not sure about the pull of the IPL stars. “Whether there is an opportunity in taking these new players on board as brand endorsers depends on factors like brand identity and target segment. At LG we are not yet considering such a move,” says V Ramachandran, director-sales and marketing, LG Electronics India.

At best, the IPL stars can hope to bag local deals, like Pathan has. “Since IPL is about cities backing teams, there could be an opportunity for local-level advertising. Even MNCs, who wish to localise their advertising initiatives, might see an opportunity in signing up some one like Abhishek Nayar or Manpreet Gony,” adds Singh.
Source: business-standard.com