Campaign India Team
Oct 11, 2013

'Brand' Sachin: 1998 vs 2013 - A lesson in consistency

While a lot has changed with time, the core remains constant, say marketing practitioners

'Brand' Sachin: 1998 vs 2013 - A lesson in consistency

Following the announcement of Sachin Tendulkar's retirement on 10 October, Campaign India caught up with adlanders to find if/how 'Brand Sachin' has changed from 1998 (one of his biggest peaks) to the present day. 

Here's what they had to say, when asked to name five attributes, then and now:

Ajay Kakar, chief marketing officer, Aditya Birla Group - Financial Services:
 
1998 2013
Young

Inspiration for the next generation

The promise of tomorrow/ The future of cricket 

A role model on how to go when the going is good. Otherwise there’s a fixation and you don’t know how to go.

Person to watch out for

Mature

A role model for India

Not hungry for glory

Confident                     

Proven himself

Dheeraj Sinha, chief strategy officer, South and Southeast Asia, Grey Group:

1998 2013
Performance Larger than life
Magical Inspiration beyond sports
Success of the 'middle class, good boy' A litte 'has been' in terms of performances
Match winner for team India Leadership
Best of sports we had in India in terms of performance

Respect

 
Hiren Pandit, chief operating officer, TransStadia:
 
1998 2013
Performance Confront matters
Team was important Team is important
Maturity - Success didn't get to his head Maturity - He's matured just as one expected him to
Youth Icon Youth Icon for a slightly older age
Humble and shy

English has improved

 
Josy Paul, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO India:

"In terms of brand values, I don't see much change as his brand has now achieved a timeless quality.  He beats the test of time, and as he gets older, his values last forever. They go beyond immediate batting performance."

1998 2013
Genius Genius
World's best World's best
Icon Icon
Legend Legend
God God

Lloyd Mathias, director, GreenBean Ventures:

1998 2013
Youthful Perfectionist
Genius Dedicated
Reliable Record breaker
Team player Super achiever
World Class

World Class


Mahesh Chauhan, co-founder, Salt Brand Solutions:
1998 2013
Promise World beater
Prodigious talent A statesman
Maturity beyond years Stands for excellence and endurance.
Tenacity Role model
Excitement Journey well traversed with the head firmly in place and feet planted on the ground

Navroze Dhondy, founder and managing director, Creatigies Communications:

"I know him since 1991 and his first big campaign which was Boost. There have been a few changes, while some things have remained constant."
 
"His amazing ability to come back in the nick of time. Just when people are rubbishing him and people are writing him off he manages a performance.If you look at his bell curve, he didn’t score a century for a few years after his debut. Hasn’t scored one for a few years before his retirement as well."

Constant Changes
He was always seen as somebody who was never too bold or in your face. Not flashy and short term. 
 
He has changed a lot since then, from being 'Every mother wanted to have a child like him'. Today, he’s moved from being a 'Superstar Child' to the Superstar himself.
Ability to withstand stress. Not just withstand stress of the best bowling in the world but that of the expectations of a billion people. This is more demanding. 
 
What has changed is when he began his career (up to the last few years), he was the common man’s dream. A hundred per cent of his brand endorsements were for brands like Boost, Adidas and MRF. In the last few years, he has gained a luxury halo around him, and therefore brands like BMW, RBS are looking at him as a brand ambassador. Common man to style icon.
 
 
Rahul Mathew, ECD, McCann Erickson:
 
1998 2013
In 1998 Sachin was the prodigal son. 
The promise of an era to come. 
He was the answer to many prayers of victory.
The destroyer of reputations.
Today Sachin is like Ganesh. We've revered him, celebrated him.
And now we're all waiting for the visarjan day.
The day we can see him off with great fanfare.
Today the prayers are for him, for him to fare well.
And he's the prized scalp that'll make someone's reputation.
 

Satbir Singh, managing partner and chief creative officer, Havas Worldwide:

1998 2013
Young Legend
Winner Baby Voice
Baby Voice Nostalgia
Strength and solidity Strength and Solidity
Dependable Super Rich
 
 
Sridhar Ramanujam, founder and CEO, Integrated Brand-Comm:
1998 2013
Someone who grew on the basis of his ability and not 'Jaanta hai mera baap kaun hai'. Senior most. Called Paaji by team members and he's been there, done that by trying his best
Competed globally Mature
Performer Person who's sitting on his past laurels
Young Controversy-free and not flashy
Aspirations a young Indian could achieve Trustworthy
 

 

Source:
Campaign India

Related Articles

Just Published

5 hours ago

Rural consumption continues to outpace urban ...

The latest data from NielsenIQ indicates that rural areas have become the primary driver of consumption growth in the FMCG sector, a reversal of previous trends where urban centres led growth.

5 hours ago

Havas to offer staff up over $40 million in ...

Bosses could get extra $8 million in cash bonuses for working on separation from Vivendi, prospectus reveals.

7 hours ago

FCB/SIX India announces key senior leadership ...

Since its launch in 2023, the agency’s staff has tripled, now numbering approximately 170 team members.

7 hours ago

Trump’s victory isn’t just America’s crisis—it’s a ...

Make no mistake—2024’s US election was a calculated exercise in marketing from beginning to end, revealing a striking alignment with the very principles that drive our industry.