Brand: Reebok
Agency: Reebok Footwear handled by McCann-Erickson (India) Ltd.
Reebok Sports accessories handled by J.W.T.
Reebok Sports accessories handled by J.W.T.
How does it feel when you find rivals like Australian Cricket Team with savage hitters like Symonds, Hayden, artificers like Hussey & Ponting & my favourite Adam Gilchrist all back to back lined up to take a toll of your day long planning, strategizing, field placing …U see runs on board, statistics of the bowlers bowling, the agonizing sight of fielders standing all in trepidation & grief & watching the ball soar heights & into the crowd ….
ho ho ho …
Now that might a pleasant for a neutral not for the fielding side. (Remember EA Sports Cricket 2007)
But then it has been very aptly said
“You never know … What You can become!!!”
BCCI has a five-year contract with Nike for the team uniform. Nike had won the sponsorship rights for the Indian cricket team in 2005 with a bid of Rs 199.66 crores, to be very precise (the way I love to be as well as long to be …) beating Reebok whose bid stood at Rs 119.48 crores and Adidas Rs 127.50 crores. But then who knew that there was a blessing in disguise for the loosing ones.
Nike v/s Reebok & Adidas combo has always been adversaries.
Remember Adidas acquiring Reebok being acquired by Adidas in August 2005, for $8 billion. The deal has overshadowed Nike’s acquisition of Converse. And now its team India or should I say Team Reebok …might sound exaggeration to some extent, but is not truly. It’s just that it’s so subtle that You as Nike never came to know when You started loosing your ground. Na na…relax guys & fellow mates … I know, many among us have a strong EVP (emotional value proposition), whether the product is a wrist band, deo-spray or shoes. But this time, call it fluke …fortune favouring the brave … or determination – the way Dhoni says – “Low expectations led to high determination” – Reebok has given Nike a run for its money without even defying its domain. Sreesanth and Sehwag being an exception, all the members of the India’s Twenty20 World Cup winning squad endorse the RBK brand in some form.
Remember Gautam Gambhir with the vector logo on his bat.
What looked like lost opportunity – key cricket stars going to other brands leaving Reebok with lesser known cricketers to choose from – five years ago, became a blessing in disguise on Monday with India’s last-over win over arch-rival Pakistan at Wanderers. For example the blustery & bazooka blade Dhoni was picked up by Reebok only for 20 lakhs four years ago. Today he is known to charge a crore annually.
Reebok had to settle for the likes of Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, R P Singh and other newcomers, when the rivals were wooing big daddies of Indian cricket with unheard & obscene amount. Sachin Tendulkar has been endorsing Adidas since 1997 and Nike, which got apparel sponsorship of Indian cricket team, paid large sums to Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan. Juxtaposing to this Reebok has an arsenal of brand ambassadors comprising of Rohit Sharma, Robin Uthappa, Joginder Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla and Dinesh Karthik. These names might sound insignificant but then they are the ones who brought home the “T20 World Cup – The youngest child of the Game.”
But then don’t you think that cricket is perhaps the paltriest, obsolete & secure way of betting your money when it comes to marketing & communication strategy. I believe it’s like hitting a sitting duck. People from ad industry have commented in the past saying there is a difference between using cricket & using cricket effectively for advertising.
I am waiting guys….what do you say …kyaa ….zara zor se !!
(I dedicate this writing to all cricket lovers out there…. & obviously that encompasses all those who had been a part of that uproar, shouts & swears on the semi-final India v/s Australia & of course the Grand Finale & how can I forget the bowl-out, The India v/s Pakistan head-on. There always had to be smth to commemorate the win…. & I think this is gonna be a good fusion talk – hence went for it... Mrutyunjay)
ho ho ho …
Now that might a pleasant for a neutral not for the fielding side. (Remember EA Sports Cricket 2007)
But then it has been very aptly said
“You never know … What You can become!!!”
BCCI has a five-year contract with Nike for the team uniform. Nike had won the sponsorship rights for the Indian cricket team in 2005 with a bid of Rs 199.66 crores, to be very precise (the way I love to be as well as long to be …) beating Reebok whose bid stood at Rs 119.48 crores and Adidas Rs 127.50 crores. But then who knew that there was a blessing in disguise for the loosing ones.
Nike v/s Reebok & Adidas combo has always been adversaries.
Remember Adidas acquiring Reebok being acquired by Adidas in August 2005, for $8 billion. The deal has overshadowed Nike’s acquisition of Converse. And now its team India or should I say Team Reebok …might sound exaggeration to some extent, but is not truly. It’s just that it’s so subtle that You as Nike never came to know when You started loosing your ground. Na na…relax guys & fellow mates … I know, many among us have a strong EVP (emotional value proposition), whether the product is a wrist band, deo-spray or shoes. But this time, call it fluke …fortune favouring the brave … or determination – the way Dhoni says – “Low expectations led to high determination” – Reebok has given Nike a run for its money without even defying its domain. Sreesanth and Sehwag being an exception, all the members of the India’s Twenty20 World Cup winning squad endorse the RBK brand in some form.
Remember Gautam Gambhir with the vector logo on his bat.
What looked like lost opportunity – key cricket stars going to other brands leaving Reebok with lesser known cricketers to choose from – five years ago, became a blessing in disguise on Monday with India’s last-over win over arch-rival Pakistan at Wanderers. For example the blustery & bazooka blade Dhoni was picked up by Reebok only for 20 lakhs four years ago. Today he is known to charge a crore annually.
Reebok had to settle for the likes of Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, R P Singh and other newcomers, when the rivals were wooing big daddies of Indian cricket with unheard & obscene amount. Sachin Tendulkar has been endorsing Adidas since 1997 and Nike, which got apparel sponsorship of Indian cricket team, paid large sums to Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan. Juxtaposing to this Reebok has an arsenal of brand ambassadors comprising of Rohit Sharma, Robin Uthappa, Joginder Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla and Dinesh Karthik. These names might sound insignificant but then they are the ones who brought home the “T20 World Cup – The youngest child of the Game.”
But then don’t you think that cricket is perhaps the paltriest, obsolete & secure way of betting your money when it comes to marketing & communication strategy. I believe it’s like hitting a sitting duck. People from ad industry have commented in the past saying there is a difference between using cricket & using cricket effectively for advertising.
I am waiting guys….what do you say …kyaa ….zara zor se !!
(I dedicate this writing to all cricket lovers out there…. & obviously that encompasses all those who had been a part of that uproar, shouts & swears on the semi-final India v/s Australia & of course the Grand Finale & how can I forget the bowl-out, The India v/s Pakistan head-on. There always had to be smth to commemorate the win…. & I think this is gonna be a good fusion talk – hence went for it... Mrutyunjay)
3 cliped:
have always loved Reebok .its always tried to make its way through to reach to the people ... not only sports they have also used Rap stars like 50 cents made him wear the shoes and promote their shoe line
to promote their apparel wear... Scarlett Johanson was called as their brand endorser. Nike may always stressed more on the JUST DO IT factor and the brand communication ... REEBOK has gone further to reach people in different ways !!
u always gt ur research right..to the last letter..
bt i still feel nike just do it touches a chord which reebok cant hope 2 touch...reeboks more direct..celebrity endorsements aside, the original strategy is what remains in my head...
i presonally endorse reebok..yet feel nike s a class apart
u can call it as blessings in disguised for Reebok. i don't think u can ever imagine a nike logo on a cricket bat. that tells u how good reebok is in reaching the audience, but yes to a some extent nike has made its own niche market, may be in india its reebok factor more than Nike, but any ways, both the brands have established their identity, as far as i m concern i m a big reebok fan... and yes good post as usual
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