As IPL sponsors, Arvind eyes bigger brand play

Arvind Brands, a fashion retailer, has brought U.S. Polo Assn. on board as one of the

principal sponsors for Kolkata Knight Riders, a cricket team of the Indian Premier League Team (IPL). Flying Machine and Ed Hardy are sponsors for King XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore to promote its label.

E-tailers such as Amazon and Flipkart are already using the IPL as a platform to introduce their brands. Many brands are utilizing sports properties to establish brand equity. With brand logos integrated on the jerseys and tracks of cricketers, they are able to attract increased eyeballs. During IPL, brand is able to promote itself everywhere from in-stadium branding, press coverage, to integration with social media and during every game.

A rising number of e-commerce players in India have increased their marketing on sports. Amazon, Flipkart, Quikr, GoDaddy have already made significant investments in IPL either through sponsorships or through ad spot buying. And now Jabong India has tied up with National Basketball Association (NBA) to launch an online store in India which will sell NBA merchandise. As per industry estimates, on an average the marketing budget for most of the e-commerce companies is close to 20 percent of their revenues. The main objective for these companies to opt for sports properties is to gain traction beyond digital as a medium and make their presence felt among mass media.