Alec Black
Indian Premiere League History of the IPL The IPL (Indian Premiere League) was founded in 2008 by Lalit Modi. Already the Vice President of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) he saw enormous opportunity in a regional cricket league. In itʼs third season, the IPL has recently grown to 10 teams and is quickly becoming the most competitive and popular non-national cricket tournament in the world. The IPL is the first successful regional cricket league to be played on a global stage. It is reinventing the game of cricket, not by changing the rules but by how people view it and participate with it. The IPL uses a form of cricket called Twenty20 in which each team is limited to a certain number of chances. This is a change from “test cricket” in which the game was simply limited by time. This change in the rules has dramatically shortened the game (most matches are about 3 hours) and made the game more appealing to a large audience. Although there are limits to the number of foreign players a team can have, the IPL features players from all over showcasing the greatest cricketers in the world. Teams are allowed to employ up to 8 foreign players but only 4 can play at once. As well each team must employ at least 8 local players and 2 players from the under-22 national team. This rules are in place in order to foster Indian cricket and showcase the talent that is in the host country. Perspective of the IPL The IPL is founded upon generating interest and excitement in regional cricket to the extent that the Indians have it for national cricket. Culture of the IPL Since it is still in the early stages, people are still developing their perceptions the IPL. The one piece that people have struggled with is whether or not they will cheer for a foreign player on their local squad or a national player on the opposing squad. Some people still hold their allegiances to the national team, regardless of which local squad a player is playing for. On the other hand it is widely popular because it is the first time that global talent has been put together regardless of nationality. One person said “Everyone is watching it because it is interesting to see players from different countries play together”. Being the first league to take advantage of club cricket with world class talent, the IPL has been able to grab viewers and fans from all over the globe. Many of the investors and owners of the IPL are Bollywood stars and Indian celebrities. This has given the IPL a ritzy, star studded image that has helped to make it so successful. It is seen in Indian culture as a place where you could possibly run into a movie star but also a place where upper class people and wealthy citizens go. The fact that it has this high end image but is accessible to the everyman has led to the succes of Indianʼs embracing the IPL.
Alec Black
The IPL has changed the culture of cricket in India as well. Cricketers are making more now in a six-week span than they did in a lifetime before. It has launched cricketers, especially those of the Indian National Team, into a celebrity status. There are several accounts of the stars of the IPL being bombarded by paparazzi in airports and restaurants. The IPL has, very quickly, made professional cricketer a legitimate profession. This added notoriety brings added fortune and has resulted in parents seeing their kids interest in cricket move from a childhood activity to a possible career choice. This has led to a significant increase in the participation of youth cricket leagues and organized games and leagues throughout India. This added success has also led to commercialization of cricket. Following the lead of European soccer leagues nearly every piece of the IPL is sponsored or branded. The jerseys, the pitch, everything has a logo on it which is a significant change of pace from the white outfits and clean field of traditional test cricket. Vision of the IPL The commissioner and chairman of the IPL, Lalit Modi said it best "Our ambition is of course to become number one in the world in terms of sporting league." The IPL hopes to surpass every other club league, regardless of sport to become the premiere sporting league. Products Besides tickets to the 10 teams the IPL sells kits (jerseys), hats, balls, bats, and keychains are sold at IPLshop.com. Also they have Fantasy Cricket and a nationally airing TV show analyzing the IPL called “Inside IPL� Target Market The IPLs target is anyone with an interest in cricket. It has fans all over the world, not just in India. Due to the fact that they use Twenty20 cricket meaning the game is much faster and the fact that Bollywood stars are so prominent, the IPL has been able to attract a significant number of women to the game. The IPL has been able to capitalize off of existing cricket fans but has also been able to engage new consumers leading to even higher revenue and popularity.
Images and Associations Look and Feel Much the way the IPL has changed the game of cricket, they have changed how it looks as well. Teams have flashy logos and bright colorful jerseys. Teams have scantily clad cheerleaders and the stadiums and jerseys are covered with sponsor ships. The IPL has led the departure from a simple, clean look of cricket to one that is meant to catch your eye and make you remember it.
Alec Black
Logo
Tag The IPL doesnʼt currently have a tag line but it is so unique and memorable that one isnʼt really necessary.
Value of the Brand Although only in itʼs third year, the IPL is worth an estimated $4.13 billion. This is due to all of the wealthy investors, the skyrocketing success and the fact that it is really the first of its kind.
Emotional Rewards The emotional rewards offered by the IPL are that people get to see high quality cricket more than once every four years at the World cup. Nearly every team is evenly matched and one person said “ The equality of the teams provides an unpredictability that is intriguing.” People get to see world class cricket with players from different countries playing together in a format that is fitted to the more busy lifestyle of todays people.
Positioning The IPL is positioned simply as the number one club league of cricket. It has no rival in the whole world as it is the first league to successfully incorporate players from all over the globe.