From cricket to new frontiers: CEAT aims to invest in global marketing in alternative sports

On August 22, 2024, CEAT, a tyre manufacturing company owned by RPG Group, celebrated the 26th edition of the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) Awards. The event is a global platform that unites the cricketing fraternity and honours exceptional performances from both international and domestic arenas.

Lakshmi Narayanan B., chief marketing officer, CEAT, shares that the Cricket Rating Awards started in 1995, and is spearheaded by CEAT’s chairman, Harsh Goenka, who is driven by a passion for cricket. He believes that the genesis of this is in the true spirit of honouring the contributions that cricketers are making to the sport.

The awards have evolved to be inclusive, celebrating contributions from both male and female cricketers in various formats, be it domestic or international.

“As you start working in the space of cricket and celebrating the players, one of the things that emerge is that you are not just looking at a particular time - you are looking at the past, present, and future contributions of cricketers, which is of prime importance. Today, we also felicitate many women cricketers who contribute to the sport, so I would say this journey takes us through literally a generation of the human species,” says Narayanan.

He adds that the ambition of CEAT is that of capturing the global market just like cricket, as it (cricket) does not want to be a sport of a few countries. “If you look at the entire gamut of last year, I think cricket is edging and pushing itself to become a global sport, and that is exactly what CEAT aspires to be. There is a lot of commonality between the ambitions of the sport and the brand,” he explains.

Keeping this ambition in mind, CEAT is investing in global marketing with cricket giving it the saliency. But to cut through a few specific markets, there are alternate sports that the company has to look at.

Narayanan also mentions that recently, CEAT did a tie-up with German football club Bayer Leverkusen. “This partnership is largely taking care of the German market and carries a potential growth opportunity for us. So, I would say that currently, this is where our spends is being looked at.”

As the landscape of sports sponsorship continues to evolve, brands are increasingly exploring diverse avenues to connect with their audiences. While cricket has been a cornerstone of CEAT's brand identity, the rise in popularity of adventure sports such as car and bike racing, cycling, and more, presents new opportunities for engagement.

With enthusiasts flocking to events like these, Narayanan says that CEAT's involvement in these areas has the potential to reshape its brand perception. With adventure sports growing in India, the brands’ first objective is to build that community.

“Speaking of bike rallies, over the last year and a half, we have been able to engage with communities of people who are passionate about riding. We organised several Enduro tracks across the country, in Bangalore, Bombay, Pune, and Delhi. Working directly with the community is where the brand sees future value, and that is where we will continue to invest,” he adds.

From an investment perspective, CEAT has signed up for a five-year partnership with Tata IPL and will continue to invest in the cricket gear space along with the annual edition of celebrating and felicitating cricketers.

Narayanan notes that the company sees itself as a brand going powerfully into the passenger car and motorcycle space and definitely in the world of scooters.

“We also see significant growth opportunities in the commercial space, and that is something CEAT has been able to build with substantial value for consumers over the last few quarters,” he says.