A quick note on how the game of Cricket evolved, especially in the Indian context, and marketed itself. Almost a lesson in marketing. Feel free to leave comments.

1. Cricket's frame of reference…
Niraj Morey, Dubai.
April 2008

2. Frame of reference and marketing myopia…
 Theodore Levitt wrote on 'Marketing Myopia' and called on marketers to redefine their competition
and alerted them not to have a narrow short term view of their market.
 He spoke about how firms lost hold of markets because they were product-focused rather than
customer-focused.
 He said… 'The railroads did not stop growing because the need for passenger and freight
transportation declined. That grew.
 The railroads are in trouble today not so much because that need was filled by others (cars,
trucks, airplanes, and even telephones), but because it was not filled by the railroads
themselves.
 They let others take customers away from them because they assumed themselves to be in
the railroad business rather than in the transportation business.
 The reason they defined their industry incorrectly was that they were railroad oriented instead
of transportation oriented; they were product oriented instead of customer oriented.'
 Stretching this argument to the game of Cricket…

3. Cricket's evolution…
Yeh dil maange more…
"Give me more"
Audience
Axis
Low corporate Revenue High corporate
Involvement Axis Involvement
Gentleman's game…

4. Cricket's evolution…
Yeh dil maange more…
"Give me more"
Low corporate High corporate
Involvement Involvement
Test Cricket
Relaxing, time pass, played very
softly, low involvement, low
competitive spirit, dominated by a
few biggies, not a revenue engine, Gentleman's game…
very friendly and therefore a
gentleman's game…

5. Cricket's evolution…
Yeh dil maange more…
"Give me more"
Low corporate High corporate
Involvement Involvement
One Day Cricket
Competitive spirit sets in, faster than test
cricket, more crowd or consumer
Test Cricket involvement, starts generating revenue,
test cricket still holds some influence, the
game is still more about the game and not
Relaxing, time pass, played very so much about the money…
softly, low involvement, low
competitive spirit, dominated by a
few biggies, not a revenue engine, Gentleman's game…
very friendly and therefore a
gentleman's game…

6. Cricket's evolution…
Yeh dil maange more…
"Give me more"
Corporates start sponsoring World Cups,
white robes done away with, three-country
championships introduced, India plays Pak in
Canada only for TV audience, South Africa
roped in, new countries roped in, women
commentators introduced to attract female
consumers, money, sponsorships,
endorsements, advertisements, cola wars,
fixing, BCCI-ICC battles… what gentleman?
Low corporate Innovation & New High corporate
Involvement markets Involvement
One Day Cricket
Competitive spirit sets in, faster than test
cricket, more crowd or consumer
Test Cricket involvement, starts generating revenue,
test cricket still holds some influence, the
game is still more about the game and not
Relaxing, time pass, played very so much about the money…
softly, low involvement, low
competitive spirit, dominated by a
few biggies, not a revenue engine, Gentleman's game…
very friendly and therefore a
gentleman's game…

7. Cricket's evolution…
Yeh dil maange more…
"Give me more"
Corporates start sponsoring World Cups,
white robes done away with, three-country
championships introduced, India plays Pak in
Canada only for TV audience, South Africa
roped in, new countries roped in, women
commentators introduced to attract female
consumers, money, sponsorships, T20
endorsements, advertisements, cola wars,
fixing, BCCI-ICC battles… what gentleman?
The T20 Clint Eastwood
Low corporate Innovation & New demolishes whatever sobriety High corporate
Involvement markets was left, players openly brag Involvement
about their incomes, ICL kicks in
the dust, Pak players revolt for
money, NZL follows, the
One Day Cricket gentlemen have now become
corporate sharpshooters…
Competitive spirit sets in, faster than test
cricket, more crowd or consumer
Test Cricket involvement, starts generating revenue,
test cricket still holds some influence, the
game is still more about the game and not
Relaxing, time pass, played very so much about the money…
softly, low involvement, low
competitive spirit, dominated by a
few biggies, not a revenue engine, Gentleman's game…
very friendly and therefore a
gentleman's game…

8. IPL – a nexus of politicians, business men and
film actors – turns Cricket into an absolute
Cricket's evolution… entertainment, people buy Cricket teams, other
games face sorry future, Cricket controls the
Yeh dil maange more… entire sporting revenue in the country, the most
brazenly capitalist team takes shape in the
"Give me more"
communist heartland…
Corporates start sponsoring World Cups,
white robes done away with, three-country Indian Premier
championships introduced, India plays Pak in
League
Canada only for TV audience, South Africa
roped in, new countries roped in, women
commentators introduced to attract female
consumers, money, sponsorships, T20
endorsements, advertisements, cola wars,
fixing, BCCI-ICC battles… what gentleman?
The T20 Clint Eastwood
Low corporate Innovation & New demolishes whatever sobriety High corporate
Involvement markets was left, players openly brag Involvement
about their incomes, ICL kicks in
the dust, Pak players revolt for
money, NZL follows, the
One Day Cricket gentlemen have now become
corporate sharpshooters…
Competitive spirit sets in, faster than test
cricket, more crowd or consumer
Test Cricket involvement, starts generating revenue,
test cricket still holds some influence, the
game is still more about the game and not
Relaxing, time pass, played very so much about the money…
softly, low involvement, low
competitive spirit, dominated by a
few biggies, not a revenue engine, Gentleman's game…
very friendly and therefore a
gentleman's game…

9. Cricket's evolution… the gear

10. Cricket's evolution… the gear

11. Cricket's evolution… the gear

12. Cricket's evolution… the logos

13. Cricket's evolution… the logos

14. Cricket's evolution… from game to entertainment

15. Cricket's evolution… from game to entertainment

16. So what's Theodore Levitt got to do with Cricket?
Yeh dil maange more… Firmly establishes itself as a form of
entertainment – and gets the
"Give me more"
entertainment industry to endorse it!!
Indian Premier
League
Gets corporates to finance the T20
game and expands its reach…
Cricket is not a sport any more
Low corporate Innovation & New and does not compete against High corporate
markets other sports… its frame of Involvement
Involvement
reference is "entertainment"…
Cricket is pass time, a One Day Cricket
gentleman's game…
Expands into a sport and
evinces corporate interest…
Test Cricket
Gentleman's game…

17. In fact, Cricket would have made Theodore Levitt proud…
Yeh dil maange more…
"Give me more"
Indian Premier
League
T20 An entertainment…
Low corporate Innovation & New High corporate
Involvement markets Involvement
One Day Cricket
Pushing the envelope…
Test Cricket
Gentleman's game…
A game, a pass time…

18. So… what is your brand’s frame of reference?

19. Hope you enjoyed it!!