Anant's Blog: End the love affair with cricket

We've seen this happen before. We're seeing this happen now. We'll see it happen again. Marketers and media planners putting all their eggs in one basket -- cricket.
 
With India's survival in the Champions Trophy most unlikely, audiences will drop immediately after the fate is 'officially' known.
 
And those brands who had counted on these audiences to recieve their messages and buy their goods and services are up the creek without a paddle.
 
I've written about this before, and I do it again here.
 
India is NOT a country that can deliver audiences for sports. We watch sport only when INDIA is playing -- and doing well.
 
Considering the price tags that go with cricket and the experiences in tournaments when India is knocked out early, one would have thought that marketers and media planners would have explored less risky options by now.
 
They haven't.
 
And the problem is, those brands which are riding on cricket might end up with their products on the shelves.
 
And cut back on spends till April 2010.
 
Time to end the love affair with cricket.
 
And transfer your affections to the programs which deliver week after week after week -- the soaps and reality shows on the GECs.
 
At least, if particular programs fail, one can pull out and park one's money on other programs without any loss of time. And ensure that consumers receive those messages.
 
Cricket is overpriced, cricket is unpredictable -- cricket is a gamble. Your brand can't afford that.