Are Paralympic medal winners not ‘star’ enough for Indian brands?

Brand strategists suggest evaluating Paralympic athletes for brand partnerships based on their merits, not just out of charity.

Stories of athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Lakshya Sen, Manu Bhaker, Vinesh Phogat, and others received widespread coverage in August 2024 as the Paris Olympics gained attention.

Despite India’s tally of six medals with no gold, the country and brands celebrated these achievements enthusiastically, filling social media feeds and advertisements with congratulatory messages and campaigns.

However, during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where India’s athletes secured 29 medals, including 7 golds, the recognition and support from brands were notably less visible.

While these athletes deserve equal attention, they did not receive it. Few can name even a single brand that has promoted or recognised a Paralympic athlete's success.

Some notable Paralympic winners include Navdeep Singh (Javelin), Sheetal Devi (Archery), Avani Lekhara (Air Rifle Standing), Harvinder Singh (Archery), Thulasimathi Murugesan (Badminton), and Preethi Pal (Athletics).

Before the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, a few brands, such as Mia by Tanishq, released campaigns in support of the games. However, as the event progressed and Indian Paralympians achieved success, the response from brands seemed to diminish.

A similar pattern was observed during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, where India won 7 Olympic medals but 19 Paralympic medals.

Challenges with awareness and ROI

A lack of awareness and familiarity with the Paralympics affects how brands perceive the return on investment in associating with Paralympians.

Dr Sandeep Goyal, chairman, Rediffusion, an advertising agency, believes that a belief that sports wins or medals should translate into brand endorsements is itself flawed. Brands want endorsers who are 'famous.' Paralympic winners are momentary heroes whose fame is often short-lived.

“As most of them are completely unknown to consumers across the country, a medal cannot suddenly become a trigger for brands to sign up the sportsperson,” he says.

Toru Jhaveri, founder and strategy lead, The Stuff Of Life, an advertising and communications agency, has a positive interpretation. She says that the restraint people see is due to some brands being mindful.

“I believe that the general public is genuinely proud of these athletes' achievements. Every day, I see stories being shared on social media. But brands need to expand their imagination and rethink who can represent them. There’s a deep-rooted bias that ambassadors need to look and sound a certain way, which makes it a barrier,” she comments.

Paralympians as brand ambassadors

The Olympics have produced iconic faces like Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, and Vinesh Phogat, who have become the go-to ambassadors for various brands. Experts believe that Paralympians have the same potential.

Business strategist and angel investor Lloyd Mathias believes that the celebration of athletes like Chopra, Sindhu, and Bhaker stems from India's historical lack of Olympic success.

“India has a handful of individual medalists outside of hockey at the Olympics, so their success is disproportionately celebrated. It is still punching below its weight when it comes to sports, given our population and GDP. But things are improving, and the attention our athletes received this year, especially the hockey team’s bronze medal, is a positive sign,” he says.

Mathias adds that people will see more brands focussing on the Paralympics in the future.

Campaigns often include Paralympians as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. While these efforts highlight the athletes' achievements, they tend to focus on social impact rather than positioning Paralympians as mainstream ambassadors.

This approach, though well-intentioned, can limit their potential for broader brand representation. Jhaveri stresses the need to treat athletes who are differently abled the same way brands would treat any other athlete. This means evaluating them as potential brand ambassadors based on their merits, not out of charity.

“Are brands compensating these Paralympians equally? If they’re offering a discount just because the athlete is differently abled, that’s discrimination. Brands need to shift their mindset and embrace these athletes as champions, not charity cases,” she says.

Dr Goyal gave an example of Dove and how it breaks away from a usual troupe when it comes to campaigns. But he believes that it won’t happen quickly, and in any case, all 20 winners won’t get rewarded.

“What the athletes should be looking for is corporate sponsors — like the Railways or the public sector undertakings (PSUs), or banks that give jobs. But there is a big difference between endorsements and sponsorships or jobs,” he states.

The role of media

Media serves as a key platform for increasing visibility and awareness, playing a significant role in shaping public perception. Mathias believes that the Indian media has done a fairly good job of covering Paralympic athletes. However, he adds that there is always room for growth, especially from the sports management side.

“We need to build narratives around the resilience of these athletes and how they’ve overcome tremendous odds to compete at the highest level. India’s Paralympians brought home more medals than their Olympic counterparts, and that’s a story that deserves more attention,” he explains.

Jhaveri further remarks that there is an organic momentum and interest in these stories. It’s a missed opportunity if brands don't pick it up.

She also emphasises seeing Paralympians as multi-dimensional individuals, not just as “tragic heroes” overcoming challenges. “They are also regular people with regular stories, and showing them as joyful and committed champions, rather than always focussing on their struggles, would help humanise them,” says Jhaveri.