Corporates using sports events to promote their products

Whether it’s building brands, driving sales, or launching a new product, corporate brands the world over are always trying to come up with ’new‘ and innovative ways to promote themselves. The use of major sports events is a well-explored avenue with mega sports events such as – English Premier League, Australian Open Tennis Championship, Formula 1, etc, commanding high levels of sponsorship.

Like their counterparts in the west, Indian corporate brands are fast on the heels of using sports events to leverage themselves. While quite a few still embrace the standard marketing initiatives, more corporates are exploring other platforms in the hope of extending visibility. Enter sports. With more sporting events gaining prominence in the Indian sporting calendar there are an increasing number of opportunities for brands to showcase themselves.

The launch of the IPL last year, which saw numerous Indian brands and personalities bidding for players, is a case in point. Vijay Mallya of Kingfisher owning his own Formula1 race team, another example. A more recent example, albeit on a more humble scale, is the Delhi half marathon that happened on November 9th. Gaining prominence in its own right, this event saw various ‘big’ brands take the traditional sponsorship titles route – title sponsors, official aid care provider, refreshments et al. However other corporate brands opted instead to showcase themselves by creating costumes for the 7km Delhi Fun Run race.

Indian quick service restaurant chain Nirula’s used the half marathon as a pre-launch platform for the Nutribyte Burger®, a first of the Nutribyte range of nutrilicious fast food – product child of Nirula’s partnership with US weight management firm Nutritionvista. Tying in, [appropriately] with the spirit of the half marathon, healthy lifestyle through exercise and responsible nutrition, Nirula’s felt it a natural fit to introduce its latest initiative – healthier fast food options for Indian youth (Link)

To view Nirulas pictures of Delhi Half Marathon, please click here.

About Nirula’s:
Nirula’s, a reputed name in the hospitality industry, is a pioneer in the family style restaurant business in India having set up the first outlet in Connaught Circus, New Delhi in 1934. Nirula’s operates restaurants under the brand name Nirula’s, casual dining outlets called Nirula’s Potpourri and two hotels. The Group is present almost in 60 locations across Delhi and NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Chandigarh. In June 2006, Navis Capital Partners and Managing Director, Samir Kuckreja acquired the Nirula’s Group of Companies. Navis is private equity fund based in Malaysia, which manages US$ 2 billion in capital commitments. Samir Kuckreja is a respected hospitality and retail professional with varied experience in some of the best-known companies in the world.

About Nutrition Vista
Nutrition Vista was founded on the basic premise that for most working adults access to healthy eating and weight management is not only time consuming but also unreliable.
To meet this unmet need, Nutrition Vista offers a convergence of both online and off-line tools built around the services of their well-trained dietitians who are certified by the Indian and/or American Dietetic Associations (IDA, ADA) respectively. A US based company now with an Indian presence, Nutrition Vista brings the latest in health assessments and innovative tools that will help consumers get better guidance, training and support on nutrition and related health issues.

For further information please contact:
Kanika Berry
kberry@perfectrelations.com
+91 9818225569