ESPN STAR Sports goes in for new imagery for Champions League T20

The sports channel undertook a detailed quantitative and qualitative research study to arrive at a new positioning for Champions League T20

ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) is gearing up to launch the advertising and marketing campaign for the forthcoming Champions League T20.

The sports channel undertook a detailed quantitative and qualitative research study to arrive at a new positioning for this edition of the cricket tournament. Post the research, ESS engaged brand consulting firm, Saffron to arrive at a new positioning, which would give Champions League T20 a new face and identity.

Talking to afaqs! Nirmal Dayani, head marketing, ESPN Software India, says, "The research exercise was undertaken with an aim to understand where we stood with our cricketing property, and what could be done to make it more appealing and robust. The insights thus gained have been used to further crystallise the sporting offering."

The sports channel took cognisance of where Champions League T20 stands vis-à-vis other T20 formats, such as BCCI T20.

Dayani informs that in general, there were no big surprises in terms of people's responses. The viewpoint of most respondents was that cricket is all about big names, and cricket fans expressed their wish to see star player, Sachin Tendulkar playing for the team.

The research exercise was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, a qualitative study was conducted in four markets, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Jaipur. In the second phase, a quantitative study was conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Pune.

Those profiled for the research were primarily audiences who watched Indian Premier League, as this set of audience could be said to have a passion for the sport.

ESS also called for a creative pitch for the Champions League T20. While four agencies were shortlisted, the account was finally awarded to McCann Erickson.

Without sharing details of the soon-to-be-revealed campaign for Champions League T20, Dayani points out that the campaign has been built around the brand premise and slogan of "Ab Hoga Asli Muqabla".

ESS promises viewers entertaining cricket from popular names, representing top cricketing nations and top-rated cricket clubs.

The campaign for the tournament will be rolled out next week and will feature participating cricketers to attract viewers. Last year, ESS had used the festive season of Diwali to build up hype and curiosity for Champions League T20.

This time, armed with fresh insights, ESS is preparing for another cricketing match on a new wicket.