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In February 2022, Thums Up entered the billion-dollar club, a goal The Coca-Cola Company has been aggressively working towards since 2019. Thums Up has remained one of the strongest products in Coca-Cola's portfolio in India and globally.

Over the years, the beverage brand has been creating an all-macho thunderous personality for itself through its advertising. Last year, for the first time in its brand history, Thums Up decided to change its narrative. This happened after it became the worldwide partner of the Tokyo Olympics. The brand also partnered with athletes who represented India at the Games. After the Tokyo Olympics, Thums Up became the first FMCG brand to partner with the Paralympic Games.

During the Tokyo Olympics, the brand spotlighted stories of leading sportspersons for its ad campaign #PalatDe.  Thums Up also inked strategic sponsorship deals with wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Vikas Yadav and ace archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das. It collaborated with the National Rifle Association of India and sponsored the shooting contingent including Manu Bhaker. Thums Up has also collaborated with cricketing events.

In a conversation with Storyboard18, Arnab Roy, vice president and head-marketing, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, shares why Thums Up is committed to promoting and supporting sports and sports personalities, why some sporting bodies need to look beyond tactical brand partnerships and more. Read on:

How has the association with the Olympics and Paralympics enhanced the brand Thums Up? 

Last year, the brand set out to make an evolution with its association with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With these campaigns, we aimed to celebrate Indian athletes across both the Olympic and the Paralympic games - to showcase the core values of brand Thums Up, for what it has truly stood for since inception – strength, perseverance, and resilience.

As an ode to the athletes and their arduous journey towards this pinnacle of sporting excellence, Thums Up’s creative and innovative campaign resonated beautifully with the audience and it contributed greatly to the brand’s growth in the year 2021. In fact, it played a critical role in Thums Up becoming the first homegrown – billion-dollar brand in Coca-Cola India’s portfolio. Additionally, in a research done by the IOC, Thums Up was the second most recalled brand associated with the Olympic Games across countries and across companies.

What are the benefits of associating with non-cricket events and personalities?

While cricket continues to be one of the most loved sports in India, The Coca-Cola Company globally has a longstanding history of supporting major sporting events, organizations, and projects around the world. Sports partnerships are a part of the DNA of The Coca-Cola Company.

Globally, we have worked closely with FIFA for the past four decades, and with World Cup Rugby for over 25 years. We have also been associated with UEFA in the past.

In India, while mainstream sports such as cricket garner interest from brands and consumers alike, and rightly so, we believe that it is just as important to support inclusive sporting tournaments and platforms. Our close association with Olympic and Paralympic Games’ and athletes such as Dr Deepa Malik, Bajrang Punia, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Avani Lekhara, Deepika Kumari, Manu Bhaker and many more from diverse backgrounds is something we are extremely proud of and resonates well with the company’s philosophy of diversity inclusion and equality.

Also, what does cricket bring to the table that other games don't?

Cricket in India is not just a mere sport. It is a religion. Fans across cultures and generations come together to celebrate the thrilling spectacle that is cricket. Cricket enables brands to reach out to consumers across demographics, and promises love, engagement, as well as prominence, unparalleled to any other sporting event.

What do brands need to do more to promote a greater sports culture in India?

We believe brands can do a lot to promote the sporting culture in India. A few top-line approaches could range from inspiring the next generation of athletes with powerful stories around sport/ sporting events; helping build sustainable grassroot programs across sports; driving inclusivity in sport – actively promoting the paralympic movement, actively promoting women sport and women athletes to be at par with men’s sport; and driving the popularity of the sport in rural and small-town India.

What are the current challenges of sports marketing? 

Many sporting bodies (not all) still see brands and companies as cash sources and thus most of the partnerships are short-term tactical ones. There 
is an opportunity to build a true partnership and play the long-term game with brands. The Coca-Cola Company for example only believes in long-term partnerships and nurtures the relationship over a period of time. We have been the longest-standing partner of both the FIFA WC and the IOC.

Which emerging sports and leagues do you see the big opportunities in?

We continue to believe there is a massive opportunity across all non-cricket sports – India is destined to become a massive market across many sports and not just cricket.

What's the next big thing on Thums Up's plan of action for sports marketing?

We shall continue to activate both cricket and non-cricket sports across urban and rural areas over the next 12-15 months.

Coca-Cola’s vision is to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body and spirit. India is a key market for The Coca-Cola Company, and we will continue to prioritize innovation as a part of our progressive marketing strategy, along with our associations with various sporting tournaments, to help strengthen our relationship with our audiences and consumers across the country.

Why some sporting bodies need to look beyond tactical brand partnerships

Cricket has thrived in India, so far. Not because the sport marketed itself well or anything. Instead of the BCCI or ICC, our parents and family led the indoctrination from when we were two days old. Why did this happen? The answer is very simple. There were hardly any channels while growing up in the '90s. There was nothing binge-worthy. Content wasn’t gamed to algorithms or human behaviour. So in Ravi Shastri’s words, “Cricket was the real winner.”

It was the only ‘most exciting’ thing among the other limited things on TV. It had no real competition for years. So when sport becomes family viewing, it is very hard to break the chain. Families need ammo for small talk, if that supply isn’t coming from love marriages in the family, it starts coming from shared experiences like serials, movies and cricket.

Month in Focus LogoOnce you enter the small talk club, you don’t need marketing or content to grow the sport. This mummy-daddy marketing not only gets you viewers but gets you loyalists - the gold standard viewer. When children watch content with their parents, they also watch the reaction of parents to the content. They understand events through the perspective of their parents in their impressionable years. This is how political ideology gets passed on from generation to generation; this is also how sporting loyalty gets passed on. At least until the kids turn adults and rebel.

But this was until the early 2010s. Things changed after that. Today, we are a multi screen household. Children have their own screens, parents have their own screens and grandparents complain about everyone having their own screens on their WhatsApp window. Families are soon going to have fewer shared experiences with respect to content. Which means fewer parents peddling their favourites to the next generation. Suddenly, certain sports will have to start slugging it out in the free market for the attention and interest of the next generation.

To become a fan of a particular sport, you need to have context: Why is the win so important to a particular character? Why is someone the hero, the villain, or the underdog? Whose story do you relate to the most? We usually invested our childhoods into gaining this context. But as we grow up, we don't have the time, or the patience to invest in a sport: gain all the context, develop a perspective and fall in love with a hero or a team, for whom you can't miss a single game. And that was until sport discovered content marketing.

I restarted watching F1 (Formula 1) after watching a season of Drive To Survive. I started following the EPL (English Premier League) after a season of All Or Nothing. I started playing European football after getting hooked on the PlayStation in my office. Why did this happen? Well-produced content fast-tracked context.

At the heart of it, every game is almost a three act structure - like a movie. There's drama, an all-is-lost moment, characters overcoming difficulties in order to have a dramatic happy ending. To truly feel this thrill like a die hard fan, you need to feel for the characters.

And well-produced sporting content and video games is the fastest way to bring everyone up to speed with everything that is happening, in order to get invested into the drama and understand the story. Today for a sport to grow, the content around the sport has to be king.

When Liberty Media acquired F1 in 2017, they didn’t look at getting better race car drivers to grow the sport. They looked at content and packaging. To grow an otherwise stagnant fanbase, they had to enter into the realms of pop culture in order to get relevant again. They chose content because content breeds culture.

This is a golden opportunity for sports that have historically found it hard to get an audience to put itself on the map.

And at the same time, it’s a massive threat to sports that has built its fandom based on the monopoly of single screen homes. With a generation that is suffering from dwindling attention span and dopamine addiction, cricket in particular could be under significant threat. T20 has saved the sport, but is that enough?

Sporting bodies need to start understanding the importance of content. They can start by going easy on YouTubers and content creators who use their footage in their content. Yes, monetise your IP and footage rights by striking deals with billion-dollar corporations instead of using the same terms to go after a YouTuber who makes a few thousand rupees on revenue when their video goes viral.

In fact, start paying anyone who is using your content and going viral because they are marketing your sport and placing it in pop culture. M.S. Dhoni can hit a six in the last ball, but if you don’t create enough interest before the match to bring in the viewers, nobody is going to watch that six over long on.

Note to readers: Storyboard18’s new Month In Focus initiative spotlights themes and topics that are pushing marketers to reshape and rethink how brands interact with today’s customers. Our first theme is Just Sports, a special spotlight on sports marketing presented by Sports18. We bring to you stories of how marketers are harnessing the power of technology, innovation and creativity in sports to create powerful storytelling in campaigns that increase affinity and loyalty with audiences. From traditional sports platforms around cricket to emerging games and the rise of esports, we get leading voices from the marketing and sports worlds to give us sharp and fast insights into future-facing marketing practices. Also, tune in for analyses which will surface ideas and strategies that are helping brands to level up experiences and storytelling with authentic collaborations. So watch this space for Just Sports

Why content around the sport has to be king

Whether you’re an athlete yourself or a fan of sports, follow an individual team or a player, or just casually watch from time to time, sports will bring out your team spirit and provide inspiration or hope in untold ways.

Sport brands have a very powerful role in their fans’ lives, which means that they need to think about how they operate their business, how they engage fans and what kind of messages they deliver to society. The concept of creating a shared value between sports teams, local communities and fan communities is stronger now than ever. Though it’s hard to know what’s coming, keep reading to see what’s trending in the world of sports marketing as I see it.

1. Experience it: Sports marketing is increasingly about giving customers the feeling that they are a part of something good, something that contributes to their life in a meaningful way. As we slowly crawl out of the coronavirus pandemic, we are all eager to experience life in its full glory and participating or attending sporting events, live events, is at the top of the list. Brands will continue to drive authentic engagement through experiential marketing activities on ground by delivering experiences that matter. At Hyperice, we take great pride in recovering athletes at the finish line.

2. Healthify it: Having access to the latest in health tech will become a competitive advantage. It is now evident that better fitness levels, better physical and mental health, have a positive impact on athlete’s performance. Athletes and sport/fitness facilities will continue to invest in health tech &amp; recovery technology.

3. Track it: Among emerging opportunities, wearables and internet services for tracking physical exercise which incorporates social network features will continue to thrive amid increased focus on individual activities such as running and cycling. Brands will continue to create, engage and inspire these communities. Example, the advent of Strava challenges by brands like Trek bikes is one of my favorite.

4. Invest in it: Despite the constraints of the pandemic, be it training in a limited setting, or not being on the field playing in front of thousands as they normally would, athletes saw this as an opportunity to focus on other things including their businesses and investments. Most of the investments made by athletes have been driven by personal experience with the products they have used and come to love; or products that fuel their passion. Athletes will continue to turn investors in relevant start-ups and business as we go along. Example, Virat Kohli became the first Indian Hyperice athlete-investor to join the growing list of athlete-investors such as Naomi Osaka, Earling Haaland, Amanda Nunes, Daniel Riccardo, Rory McIlroy, Ja Morant, and many more.

5. Merchandise it: Majority of the products are purchased for emotional reasons and a smaller percent for functional reasons. We are all collectors at heart, and we like to pronounce our support for our choice of sport, team or a player. And if you attend a sporting event in person, you want to celebrate and commemorate the experience. Licensed merchandise is the trend that will continue to foster under sports marketing - If you have a strong sport brand, it’s time to think about brand licensing, gain from additional retail visibility and promotion, plus rake in the royalties.

6. Post it: Brands leverage their athletes, and the available fan base to further drive a narrative through authentic content on social media. We will see continued rise in athlete voices on social media as they inspire their audience on staying active, being fit and to start taking care of their overall wellbeing. We will see more content collaboration with athletes ,especially with Instagram’s new collabs feature that allows brands to continue to leverage the athlete’s fanbase and vice versa. Brands and consumers are placing high importance on authenticity and relatability, which translates to greater engagement even with athletes seen as influencers or brand advocates who have smaller followings but who are aligned with brand values. Brands will continue to nurture innovative partnerships that deliver high engagement and authenticity through UGC content for social media.

7. Digitize it: Digital content is more important today than ever. Younger fans continue to consume differently than older generations—so short-form, unique content, surrounding events/athletes is going to be a huge emphasis. Not to mention the importance of second-screen content. Of course, there is a sizeable audience for live matches, but the audience for ancillary content on the second screen is equally appreciated. We are already seeing increased original content from both professional and amateur athletes. Sports marketers will draw more emphasis to unique, platform specific ancillary and non-live content through new and emerging content distribution channels.

8. Globalize it: Catering to international fanbases is challenging – one such challenge is that live broadcast cannot be at a convenient time to many fan bases internationally. Here digital will be huge not only for highlights and content, but also for other creative ways to enjoy the sport’s momentum apart from normally watching it on TV. This will give a boost to opportunities like multi-viewing Or, working with local influencers or athletes to create content around the experience in a locally relevant way for a particular market.

9. Esports: Video games are becoming increasingly popular especially after the pandemic, and more and more gamers are finding their way into the world of eSports. There will be more focus on both casual/amateur and professional player development too as we go along. There is an emerging trend of esports players now taking their fitness and recovery seriously to have longevity in their career. We will also see more brands wanting to be a part of the game play by being featured in the games in an interactive way, and we will see more livestream integrations with the e-sports athletes too.

10. Women in sport: For decades, the sports business was a male domain. Thanks to the changes in society, the sports industry is also being strongly mixed up. With this we will see more support from brands towards women in sports and the sports for women. This is also since women are an increasing financially strong group of buyers too.

Note to readers: Storyboard18’s new Month In Focus initiative spotlights themes and topics that are pushing marketers to reshape and rethink how brands interact with today’s customers. Our first theme is Just Sports, a special spotlight on sports marketing presented by Sports18. We bring to you stories of how marketers are harnessing the power of technology, innovation and creativity in sports to create powerful storytelling in campaigns that increase affinity and loyalty with audiences. From traditional sports platforms around cricket to emerging games and the rise of esports, we get leading voices from the marketing and sports worlds to give us sharp and fast insights into future-facing marketing practices. Also, tune in for analyses which will surface ideas and strategies that are helping brands to level up experiences and storytelling with authentic collaborations. So watch this space for Just Sports.

Trends to watch for in sports marketing for a modern marketer

India has two great loves - sports and Bollywood. It is a language that unites the entire country and makes such a diverse nation run through a unified feeling. The Indian sports industry is a very relatable platform for interactions, often having the capability to drive a message globally. It is no surprise, thus, that marketing through sports events is increasingly becoming popular today.

To put it clearly, imagine the billboards that you would see while driving down the highway. Go back about 30-40 years and you will hear stories about how actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra ruled the hoardings, advertising across brands, banking on an average Indian’s adulation for Bollywood. Cut to the

[caption id="attachment_771" align="alignleft" width="365"]<img class="size-full wp-image-771" src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/image-1.png" alt="Month In Focus" width="365" height="258" /> Month In Focus[/caption]
present, and you will find cricketers like Virat Kohli, M.S. Dhoni and the Pandya brothers splashed across realistic adverts. Not only cricket. India’s growing love for sports stars has seen eclipsing popularity for shuttlers like P.V. Sindhu and athletes like Neeraj Chopra. Sports is transcending Bollywood in many ways, giving us relatable idols who have had humble backgrounds.
Current sporting events in India are more than mere competitive events; they are more carnivalesque extravaganzas with viewers celebrating a common cause - entertainment. It draws people from all backgrounds, and this becomes a platform where a brand can successfully create a relationship with its customers. The sporting ground helps create a unique connection and following like no other. In no other modes of marketing would you be able to grab attention spans so effectively as sports. This is where sports marketing cuts the cake.

Like moths to a flame: the power of the field

The sporting ground is like a temple which can attract millions of followers, helping in the desired outcome. It is the best space for start-ups to advertise, because they get a wide visibility at an affordable price.

Startups are under severe pressure to scale, build brand awareness and drive profitability. To achieve this, it becomes very important to be visible in large-scale events that are sure to attract millions. TV and print ads do not guarantee optimum viewership always. With sporting events, punctuating breaks with your brand logo assures visibility. Sporting events simplify these and establish connect and engage with such a large audience. Be it IPLs, Kabbadi tournaments or football matches - these events draw in millions into a pool that brands may tap, create a recall, and ultimately lead to conversion.

In today’s era, sports marketing serves a variety of opportunities. Fans are enjoying matches – in the stadium, on their television sets, and now more so on-demand on their mobile handsets. Each new format has broadened the marketer’s basket.

Think long term

With celebrated sportspeople endorsing established brands to start ups across various business lines, ranging from steel, BFSI, automobiles, etc., their potential in the marketing scenario has become immense. A new and promising athlete or sports personality endorsing a startup means tapping a newer audience and also giving way to new product lines in newer geographies.

Pandemic or not, the show must go on

The sports marketing game is always evolving. A marketing manager never disrupts but engages with potential customers. So, while the mode of engagement has changed, the core remains the same.

In fact, the platforms for conversations have evolved now. Instead of pushing out advertisements, we have an opportunity to talk directly with a sports fan. Also, with athletes so active on social media, the interaction has become so much more authentic. The ground is ripe for sports marketing now. Companies, especially startups, who go about it the right way will be in a position to become leaders in their respective industries, driving engagements to conversions, and creating an indelible mark with innovative marketing disruptions.

Note to readers: Storyboard18’s new Month In Focus initiative spotlights themes and topics that are pushing marketers to reshape and rethink how brands interact with today’s customers. Our first theme is Just Sports, a special spotlight on sports marketing presented by Sports18. We bring to you stories of how marketers are harnessing the power of technology, innovation and creativity in sports to create powerful storytelling in campaigns that increase affinity and loyalty with audiences. From traditional sports platforms around cricket to emerging games and the rise of esports, we get leading voices from the marketing and sports worlds to give us sharp and fast insights into future-facing marketing practices. Also, tune in for analyses which will surface ideas and strategies that are helping brands to level up experiences and storytelling with authentic collaborations. So watch this space for Just Sports.

Why are startups betting big on sports marketing?

In August 2021, when ace shuttler P.V. Sindhu won her second Olympic medal, brands flocked to congratulate her for the historic moment. However, Baseline Ventures, the sports marketing agency that manages all commercial deals for Sindhu, didn’t think it was a great idea. The agency sent legal notices to around 20 brands on her behalf, seeking damages worth Rs 5 crore from each for unauthorized use of her name and pictures for marketing purposes.

In March this year, when Lakshya Sen came in second at the 2022 edition of the All England Open Badminton Championship, Baseline Ventures got calls from a few brands seeking permission to use Sen’s name and photographs for moment marketing campaigns. The agency declined and sent the brands the commercials if they wanted to use the shuttler’s pictures and name.

There weren’t many takers after Baseline asked the brands to pay up if they wanted to ride on the shuttler’s success.

Ramakrishnan R., co-founder of Baseline Ventures tells Storyboard18, “It’s not fair for brands to ride on the success of a sportsperson just for moment marketing campaigns. Honestly, they are using it to only grab attention for themselves.”
With Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, and doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, recently bringing home India’s first-ever Thomas Cup, Ramakrishnan believes while the spirit of the nation is positive towards the sport and the players, it will still be a hard sell to marketers.

“It is no rocket science why a brand supports a sportsperson post a successful event. When you pitch a non-cricketer to marketers, they want to know the eyeballs the player will bring in. They evaluate the factors with a micro lens. In my opinion, the comparison with cricket is unfair. Cricket will always be a popular sport because there is strong economics behind it. Having said that, every sport is unique and will bring value to brands,” explains Ramakrishnan.

He admits that when Sindhu was just climbing the success ladder, it was difficult to win the confidence of brands.

Today, Sindhu has over 10 brands in her portfolio. Vizag Steel, Bank of Baroda, Li Ning, Spinny, Stayfree, Bridgestone, Asian paints, Visa and Maybelline, among others have been supporting Sindhu. The endorsement deals are in the range of Rs 3-4 crore.

In 2020, Sindhu’s brand value was about USD 12 million and it could go up by 20-25 percent this year. Srikanth has long-term deals with Bank Of Baroda and Li Ning. For Sen, Baseline Ventures is in talks with a few brands. Currently, he has Herbalife, Country Delight and Japanese sports equipment manufacturer Yonex in his kitty. Rankireddy and Shetty are also on the Baseline Ventures’ roster. The duo are also supported by Yonex, a brand that has been instrumental in supplying world-class equipment to Indian shuttlers.

Saina Nehwal, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, also had her share of big endorsement wins. Over the years, she has promoted brands like Herbalife, Star Sports, Godrej, No Marks, Emami, Sahara, Indian Overseas Bank and Iodex among others.

According to Ramakrishnan, the best kind of brand associations in sports are the ones that become a part of an athlete’s journey. “It’s a game at the end of the day. There are going to be ups and downs. Marketers who stand by an athlete during good and bad days are remembered by consumers too.”

Off-the-court performance


The success stories of shuttlers in recent times prove that a robust system for the sport is in place, says Anil Jayaraj, CEO, Viacom18 Sports.

Today, badminton has become a household name, believes Jayaraj. “At the top level, badminton is played for over 30 weeks around the year, so players have substantial opportunities to prove their mettle and be seen,” he adds.
Sports18 and Viacom18’s OTT platform VOOT were the official broadcast partners of BWF Thomas and Uber Cup. They are also the official broadcaster for all BWF World Tour events including the upcoming Thailand Open, followed by Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, and the BWF World Championships later in the year.

Nikhil Paramjit Sharma, founder and CEO, Zlait Sports Management, says sports performance off the pitch starts mirroring the performance on the pitch or court sooner than later. “Badminton now is a pan-India sport and not just restricted to a few strong pockets. So the identification that India has as a country with the sport is stronger and more entrenched than it was maybe even a decade ago,” he says.

Brands are also investing to go deeper into different pockets of India with minimal marketing and maximum on ground support. For instance, in the past The Tata Trusts have partnered with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) to promote badminton in Mizoram.

Last year, the Padukone Sports Management (PSM) founded by Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar hosted one of India's biggest grassroots badminton tournaments. Earlier this year, the head national coach of the Indian para-badminton team, Gaurav Khanna and Ageas Federal Life Insurance got together to set up India's first Para-badminton Academy in Lucknow. The effort is to encourage more para-shuttlers to come on board.
Badminton Association of India and Japanese sports equipment manufacturer Yonex also have grassroots programmes to popularise the game and encourage young talent. However, for the sport to grow even more, there has to be more grassroots movements in training and tournaments.

“Brands could actively participate in the sport across all levels of the player pyramid to ensure the fervour for the sport is maintained in competitive as well as recreational participation,” he suggests, adding that a content-led marketing approach will benefit brands to attract more talent on the court.

Note to readers: Storyboard18’s new Month In Focus initiative spotlights themes and topics that are pushing marketers to reshape and rethink how brands interact with today’s customers. Our first theme is Just Sports, a special spotlight on sports marketing presented by Sports18. We bring to you stories of how marketers are harnessing the power of technology, innovation and creativity in sports to create powerful storytelling in campaigns that increase affinity and loyalty with audiences. From traditional sports platforms around cricket to emerging games and the rise of esports, we get leading voices from the marketing and sports worlds to give us sharp and fast insights into future-facing marketing practices. Also, tune in for analyses which will surface ideas and strategies that are helping brands to level up experiences and storytelling with authentic collaborations. So watch this space for Just Sports

SPORTS MARKETING