After win, brandwagon ride for Women in Blue?

MUMBAI: Women's cricket in India is having its moment, and brands are starting to take note. Companies have already tapped into the national mood to pitch their brands - Hindustan Unilever's (HUL) Surf Excel celebrated the grit and guts of the players that got India its first women's World Cup with its ad that said "jab desh ki mitti ke liye daag lage toh daag acche hain." Asian Paints joined with "ab har ghar jeetega."

Quite a few brands have started discussions exploring the prospect of signing some of the women cricket stars as their endorsers.

'This is the moment for women's cricket, but there's a long way to go'

At a time when more women are joining the workforce influencing household spends, small town India is partaking in the consumption story and the younger lot are demanding authenticity from brands, there can be no better way for them to tell their story but through people who have overcome all odds to script history.

"Every brand wants to be part of a cultural change, they want to be part of a success story," said marketing consultant Mandeep Malhotra, adding that brand managers of companies are taking the lead in driving the endorsement conversations. "What's powerful about this team is not just the victory, but where the victory comes from. These girls represent the soul of small-town India, places where ambition is raw, opportunities are scarce and yet dreams are immense. When brands bring them forward, it's not just about market expansion, it's about emotional connect," said Malhotra.

Not to say that the cricketers don't endorse any brands already: Smriti Mandhana, for instance, is already endorsing more than a dozen brands. But the industry hopes that more brands will come forward. "Brands today have a tremendous opportunity to go beyond merely riding the wave, to spotlight the human stories and grit that make these women athletes truly inspirational," said Divyanshu Singh, CEO at JSW Sports, which handles Jemima Rodrigues and Shafali Verma.

Brand queries jump, so does endorsement fees

Queries are pouring in - from auto companies to women's grooming,

jewellery, FMCG, consumer durables, real estate and energy drinks; companies across segments are showing interest in inking potential endorsement deals, said agencies managing the players.

Mandhana's endorsement fees are expected to rise 20-25% per deal after this win. Until now, she charged about Rs 1.5-2 crore per deal, said sources aware of the discussions. There's also a rush of interest for Richa Ghosh who is younger, said Tuhin Mishra, CEO at Baseline Ventures which handles Mandhana, Ghosh, Pratika Rawal and Radha Yadav. Ghosh's fee might increase to Rs 70-80 lakh per deal from Rs 30-40 lakh earlier and Rawal's fees is likely to go up to Rs 40-50 lakh from about Rs 15-20 lakh now.

Rodrigues' brand value has jumped from Rs 60 lakh to over Rs 1.5 crore, and Verma's from Rs 40 lakh to above Rs 1 crore in just a year, industry sources said. "This is not just commercial growth, it's social progress. But India still has ground to cover on gender equality and women's empowerment, and sport can be a powerful catalyst for that change," said Singh.

Is there long-term value?

Brands play around visibility, which is seen to be lower for women's cricket as compared with the men's game, which is on through the year and in more formats.

"After the 1983 World Cup win, men's cricket grew (in India). This is the moment for women's cricket, but there's a long way to go. They have to play more and grow the game to bag long term deals," said Neeraj Jha, senior sports analyst and commentator, who does not see players' personal brand value increasing beyond 15-20%.

Then, there's competition from film personalities. Even today, biases within many brands run deep and they like to attach the glam factor to their marketing pitches. "The endorsement hopes are misplaced. When a Bollywood actor does one movie, he or she gets widely recognised but that's not the case for players. Also, many brands are still not sure of investing in women's cricket," said Sandeep Goyal, chairman at Rediffusion.

But that may change with more women joining the workforce, brands need to cater to the consuming class and shift the narrative. "In today's world, the emphasis is on the currency of credibility. The players present the narrative of what we love today - hyperlocal consumption, rise of Bharat," said Darshana Bhalla, CEO & founder, D'Artist Talent Ventures. Besides, advertising has nuances - regional marketing is a big part of brand strategy, and many players will fit into that narrative as well, said Bhalla.

While long term deals take three-six months to be finalised, many top tier brands sit on some spare budgets, which they will use to include top tier players in their upcoming campaigns for the year, said Malhotra. "This World Cup win is certainly going to reshape advertising narratives in India. If this is going to flow into actual brand endorsement money, that is a forward motion. The next is comparing the value of those endorsements. Are brands picking up the women cricketers just because they come at a cheaper price is a question worth asking," said Harish Bijoor, business and brand strategy specialist.