We all know 20-20 cricket is a funny game. But it seems advertisers and sponsors of the sport are as funny if not more.
The advertisers who had committed advertising and sponsorship monies to ‘ESPN Star Sport’ (ESS) for the recently concluded 20-20 World Cup want them to refund their monies or at least reduce their ad rates for subsequent tournaments.
Why?
Apparently the semi-finals and finals attracted less fans and even lesser eye balls than were expected. You see, India had crashed out of the tournament (and rightly so) and hence the Indian public had lost interest in the tournament and gate crashed in to other parties and had ditched the World Cup. This had affected the fortunes of all the brands that had committed crores of money to ESS. Now, they want ESS to refund their monies or reduce their ad rates for subsequent tournaments.
Does it mean that ESS was solely responsible for India not entering the semi-finals? Should ESS pay for the sins of money-hungry cricketers who masked their injuries, faked good health and screwed up Indian’s chances? Shouldn’t the advertisers realize the possibilities involved in India not making to the last eight before committing their monies? After all, didn’t the same thing happen just a couple of years ago at the Caribbean World Cup when India could not even enter the second stage?
This idea of asking ESS to refund or reduce is sheer stupidity and utter nonsense.
Suppose, if India has made to the semis and, God forbid, the finals and had played Pakistan, and assuming the whole of India had sat in front of the TV and watched it, would these same sponsors pay more than they had committed for the increased viewership? The hell they would.
The advertisers took a gamble and it didn’t pay off. Expecting to get reimbursed for the follies they committed is nothing short of nonsense. ESS should shove the request up the advertisers back. And show their middle finger too for good measure!
5 comments:
i don't feel that ad guys are mad guys. everyone in this world is going for money. if i am not getting any return on my investment i don't feel anything wrong in taking steps to get back my investment.this is the basic human tendency. so i don't know how you concluded like this. and all normal human prefer only to share the losses and not the profits. may be there might be one or two mahatma's who would be willing to share their profits but not everyone.
Anonymous, we are talking business here and it doesn't matter if people would share only losses and not profits. Advertisers committed monies, knowing very well, India might not enter semis. Also, it is not that ESS sold the ad space based on India reaching semis. The advertisers took a chance and it didn't work out. That is no reason to ask ESS to bear the loss. For instance, if you hire an auto or taxi to take you to a shop and reaching there you find the shop is closed, will you tell the auto guy you wouldn't pay because the shop was closed? Is it the auto guy's problem? Think about it !
Excellent Post sir.
Anonymous.. satheesh sir is right....
there is no real measure for the ads to find out return on investment on ads.... even, those guys know well about it.... even though these guys trying because its some think like this "come on lets through the stone if we get mango.. good, otherwise its matter of stone"...
Good thoughts about the foolishness of the sponsors!
Post a Comment