Nokia: Cashing in on Kolkata Night Riders' bandwagon

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By Anuradha Sengupta, CNBC-TV18

 

Former Aussie Coach, John Buchanan who was credited with scripting much of the Australian team's unstoppable run as world champions said IPL is a revolution and a new way of looking at cricket.

 

Australian player Ricky Ponting said IPL has a positive effect on young players and the money sponsored and generated through IPL can have a bit of a wave across the cricket world.

 

New Zealand player Brendon McCullum said IPL is going to be the turning point of cricket.

 

Nokia was one of the franchisees of Kolkata Knight Riders. D Shivakumar, VP and MD, Nokia India said a third of the audience today is women and that is a very different exercise in terms of marketing. "If we are able to establish the Kolkata Knight Riders as a good franchise, which people tap into specifically in the city of Kolkata, then that is a huge win. The second is to build the experience around it and how the game is changing. A third of the audience today is women."

 

Excerpts from CNBC-TV18's exclusive interview:

 

Q: Was all the money pouring into IPL good for the game?

 

Buchanan: It is a new revolution. It has brought a new invention into the game, with a new perspective and a new way of looking at cricket. I do not necessarily say that money is a major issue. But it needs to be handled by IPL administrators and franchise owners, players and coaches.

 

Q: If there are a few things that you would want to change about the current format of IPL and this tournament, what would they be?

 

Buchanan: The format is batsman friendly. So, everyone wants to see fours and sixes, but nonetheless we need to see bowling and fielding having some sort of control over the game, at least for a short time.

 

Q: You have been the captain for the last five years. Suddenly you are not a captain any more for this team, how does it feel?

 

Ponting: It is actually a lot more relaxing, for me. But as a player to go to the game, it takes a lot of things off your mind and off your plate and makes your commitments a lot less. Picking teams is something you don't have to worry about any more as well as thinking about tactics. But I am used to having a lot of input in the group. Not being captain, I just try to help out where I can and create an environment that the younger guys are happy being a part of.

 

Q: What effect will IPL have on the global cricket stage?

 

McCullum: This tournament is going to be the turning point of the game. For so long, we have played with each other but now playing against each other. We are going to see some unbelievable cricket come through in the next few years.

 

Ponting: It may seriously have an impact on 50-over cricket. Test cricket is still the untouchable format of the game.

 

Q: Will this level of sponsorship have any effect on the sponsors back home in Australia?

 

Ponting: Hopefully, it has a positive effect on them and the sort of money that is being talked about, sponsored and generated through IPL can have a bit of a wave across cricket around the world. I know New Zealand and West Indies are probably struggling a little bit with their sponsorship dollars in their countries. So, hopefully that has a great effect on them and they can start being remunerated the way they should for playing international cricket.

 

Q: You sound like a guy who is genuinely interested in the sport. Is there a conflict within you at some level?

 

Shiv: I do follow the game. I have watched a lot of cricket and have been to the last two-three World Cups. So, I do follow it. But you cannot let that come in the way of taking business decisions like saying what do you sponsor and which team do you back? Those are different issues.

 

Q: As a marketer who is committed money on this team, when and how are you evaluating and how are those performances - the successes and failures of each individual match getting translated into bang for your buck?

 

Shiv: If we are able to establish the Kolkata Knight Riders as a good franchise, which people tap into specifically in the city of Kolkata, then that is a huge win. The second is to build the experience around it and how the game is changing.

 

A third of the audience today is women. That is a very different exercise that has come to the table plus merchandise, plus doing something about videos and music on the Nokia mobile phones with Kolkata Knight Riders. There are a number of touchpoints between Shah Rukh, the consumer and us. We will evaluate it in that manner.