PTI
Bangalore, Mar 13: Vijay Mallya-owned the Royal Challengers Bangalore team was launched here with the liquor baron seeking to promote the brands of United Breweries group.
“Cricket connects millions of Indians. Cricket is the perfect platform for our brands to engage with young India. The equity that our brands gain from this association is the real potential for us”, UB group chairman Vijay Mallya said in a statement.
“At the same time, there is no compromise on the cricket standards and developing the entertainment potential further,” he said, adding, nothing would distract the team from doing its best to win the Indian Premier League title.
On the likelihood of associating other brands with the team, Mallya said “It is still early days. The platform is completely in line with the Royal Challenge profile and brand dynamics. The objective is to further strengthen the Royal Challenge consumer equity.”
Led by Rahul Dravid, the team has the likes of Anil Kumble, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Misbah-Ul-Haq, Dale Steyn, Zaheer Khan, Nathan Bracken, Jacques Kallis, Cameron White and Mark Boucher.
The team coach is Venkatesh Prasad. Martin Crowe is the Chief Cricket Officer and he would focus on the strategic aspects, according to the CEO of the team Charu Sharma.
“We certainly would have liked to have had Robin Uthappa in our team particularly since he is from Bangalore (Karnataka)”, Sharma said.
“However, we accept that in an auction, you cannot always get the team you want and are happy with our current team”.
To market the team, the UB group has tied up with Reebok for the sporting gear and Louis Philippe for formals. Manoviraj Khosla has designed special uniforms for the cheerleaders.
The UB group is talking to several partners in the online space to tap young fans, create virtual clubs, explore mobile space and leverage new media potential, according to Mallya.
Sharma said the team has players who are known to deliver under pressure. “And this inaugural season of the IPL will be all about pressure.” On how he sees his role evolving from cricket commentator to CEO, he said after many years in the commentary box, it is obviously very comfortable and enjoyable.
“The new role requires a lot more work but the challenge of being involved with a pioneering concept should be well worth it,” Sharma said.