Media Trivia - 01

Dear Brand Manager,

A busy Brand Manager like you needs to be made aware of implication of VIVO investing Rs. 2199 Crore in IPL title sponsorship rights. A huge investment there, almost 5 times the base price is an eye opener; here's a short analysis for your comments.  

First thing that comes to mind is why a Chinese company(with only one known category, or may be just a few categories)  is betting such a huge amount in IPL Title Sponsorship Rights? Because, IPL matches have huge viewership; and that's not all. IPL commands an 'interested viewership'. People who watch IPL matches have keen interest in Cricket. They watch it on multiple screens. They even watch repeat telecasts of past Cricket matches.  A miniscule minority watches IPL matches for purpose of betting. At present betting isn't legal in India; but what if two years down the line betting becomes legal. One can not discount that possibility and unknown to us, multiple interest groups may be at work to persuade government to make sports betting legal and open. I know from previous experience, Television Sponsor gains ONLY in long term. And if & ONLY IF there is an 'interested audience'. I can send a micro case study of 'What Yeh Jo Hai Zindgi did to brand VICCO's Products in 1980s!' to interested readers of this email.

As a Brand Manager you will recall your advertising basics; CPM for instance. CPM or Mille Value, the cost of reaching 1000 advertising impressions, right! When Print Media developed this concept in very very distant past; print media, particularly Newspapers commanded an 'enticed readership' which was even better than today's Television having 'interested audience'. Today when someone calculates CPM, what we get are impressive numbers; yet in absence of 'interested readership or viewers' our messages do not have the impact we seek. 

And finally, what impact a series of advertising impressions or media space repetition has on an interested reader or viewer is a subject of my next email about Media Trivia. Until then, I remain,

Truly yours!

Navendu Mahodaya