Australia's brand slumps in India after Sydney row

[DesiChap]

Australia's brand slumps in India after Sydney row Agencies Mumbai, January 9:: The brand value of Australian cricketers is expected to suffer dramatically in India following the acrimonious second Test in Sydney, advertising experts say. India's protests over poor umpiring during their 122-run defeat reached a flashpoint with the ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh for allegedly racially abusing all-rounder Andrew Symonds. The charge was laid by umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson following a complaint from home team captain Ricky Ponting that Harbhajan had called Symonds a monkey, which saw the Indian public back home react with anger and disappointment. India captain Anil Kumble accused the Australian team of being unsportsmanlike and several Australian sporting icons have said their cricket team had lost its ‘moral compass’. Ponting and fast bowler Brett Lee endorse leading consumer brands in India, apart from appearing in sponsored television shows, and are among other current Australian players who write syndicated newspaper columns in India. Almost all the top Australian players have signed up for the Indian board-promoted multi-million dollar Twenty20 league that kicks off in April. "The whole country is against them following the cricket incident," Habeeb Nizamudin, growth officer of media planning agency Lodestar Universal said on Wednesday. Largest Audience "This is definitely going to impact their brand value. However, whether this will be sustained in the Indian mindset over a long period of time I can't tell." India, which has the fastest growing major economy after China, possesses the largest global cricket audience. Their cricketers are feted as pop stars in a country of 1.1 billion where top-ranked Australia also have a strong fan base thanks to their brand of entertaining cricket. But they have crossed the line this time, some say. Some feel the Indian players will gain by way of advertising from this incident. http://cricket.expressindia.com/news/Australias-brand-slumps-in-India-after-Sydney-row/259546/

[DesiChap]

I like this. Hit them where it hurts the most !

[sm332]

yup couldnt agree more ... the public needs to vote with its feet or in this case with their Rupees ...

[Ram]

We will see a temporary halting of screening of ads that feature Aus stars in the Indi televisions for sure. Make no mistake, but for their commercial interests, we would have seen the Aussies calling the Ind reaction to the Sydney test all sorts of names, stuff like " Indians over-reacted, they are cry-babies" etc... They have obviously gotten a polite but a firm reminder from the sponsors to keep their tones moderate.

[yoda]

why do we have aussie player ads in india anyways? do they run sachin and RD ads in australia?

[kumble_rocks]

why do we have aussie player ads in india anyways? do they run sachin and RD ads in australia?

Because our fans are SKC !:D

[beetle]

because we can't have enough of cricket and cricketers!

[Sachinism]

cricket sells in india

[DesiChap]

Michael Clarke has been dropped by Percept in India. The fallout has begun. IMO Clarke has seriously harmed his chances of being a captian.

[sm332]

Michael Clarke has been dropped by Percept in India. The fallout has begun. IMO Clarke has seriously harmed his chances of being a captian.

Source?

[DesiChap]

Ponting & Co feel heet as brand value dips Ponting & Co feel heet as brand value dips Roma Khanna | CNN-IBN Posted on Jan 10, 2008 at 22:50 Mumbai: In recent times, controversy in any form has always helped fetch a bit of added publicity, and a hike in the brand value. But the Sydney saga, with all its complications might just prove to be the exact opposite for Ricky Ponting and his men. Sponsors commitments force cricketers to do all sorts of things, but this was bordering on the bizarre. Ponting, the brand ambassador of ING Vysya didn't expect this — a kiss from a man in Bangalore ahead of the ODI series in 2007. But now, the chances of Ponting coming over to endorse brands look minimal. The Sydney row has not hurt the Aussie team pride, but it will definitely hurt their pockets. "I think this particular incident which actually originated from the captain in the behaviour of the entire team thereon has entirely damaged the possibilities of them making money from endorsements from across the world. In India at least, Australian cricketers certainly don't have potential to make money in the next couple of years for sure," says Shailendra Singh, Chairman of Percept Holdings. Not just Ponting, but even Michael Clarke is sure to feel the heat. The companies that have signed long-term deals with him are wary of the backlash from the bitter Indian fans. If burning effigies and posts on the blogosphere are an indication, then no brand will want to associate itself with someone who is perceived as arrogant. "Current circumstances are extremely dodgily poised. A couple of clients were keen, but it's going to put everything on hold and cause national sentiments are way above every other current issue," Shailendra Singh adds. Media planners say that this isolation will continue for sometime. No company would like to sign contracts in the present circumstances. There is even a possibility that the boycott continues even when Australia tour India later this year. After all, India is the financial power that controls world cricket. "It would not touch the Australian team by now way. They are the best team in the world. Period. And the world's best team can't behave like that. A captain can't behave like the way they behaved with the Indians out there," says film director David Dhawan. However, not everyone will be scorched. Despite being a fast bowler, Brett Lee has never been known to be rude on the field and he may be one of the few to escape the backlash. http://www.cricketnext.com/news/ponting--co-feel-heet-as-brand-value-dips/28836-13.html

[DesiChap]

Indian channel scraps deal with Ponting Indian channel scraps deal with Ponting Canberra: It seems the Australian players have finally started realising the fall-out of their stubborn and blind insistence to get Harbhajan Singh booked on a serious charge of racism. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is the first to bear the brunt of the Indian angst. His contract with a leading Indian English television news channel has been cancelled after the controversial Sydney Test match. According to well placed sources, the sponsor of Ponting's exclusive tie-up with the channel — Royal Stag — pulled out leading to the deal being scrapped. As a result, Ponting will no longer be doing his exclusive one-on-one before and after every Test match in the series with the news channel. Ponting's and his team's conduct on the final day of the second Test match between India and Australia was questioned by Indian captain Anil Kumble. Worse, the Australian skipper's outburst against Indian media in the post-match conference was broadcast all over India. But what has angered the entire Indian team and the country as a whole is Ponting's insistence to get the Indian off-spinner booked on an alleged racial slur towards all-rounder Andrew Symonds. Ponting also has other commercial interests in India. So do his other teammates. Fast bowler Brett Lee is perhaps the most popular in India with sponsors. He has endorsement deals in the corporate sector, music and Bollywood. Sources also reveal that his deal with watch company Timex is also under threat given the outrage in India. Interestingly, Lee was one of the people who actually heard Harbhajan make an alleged comment on Symonds. Sources say that he did go and report it to his skipper on the field but subsequently kept out of the imbroglio. "He was one of the people around but he was never lined up as one of the players giving evidence," said a source. The paceman, however, was seen two days later shooting for the Hindi film Victory, starring upcoming actor Harman Baweja. Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke are other cricketers in the Australian team who have tie-ups with two other leading English news channels in India. http://www.cricketnext.com/news/indian-channel-scraps-deal-with-ponting/28854-13.html

[arkay]

Lee keen to keep the love affair going Lee keen to keep the love affair going David Sygall January 13, 2008 Advertisement The Australian player with the closest links to the subcontinent is certain his hard-won positive image in India will not be adversely affected by the furore of the past week. Brett Lee will tread a tight line under besieged captain Ricky Ponting when the third Test begins on Wednesday. It will be the first time the tearaway quick has led the Australian attack on the traditionally fast and bouncy WACA strip. His job is to strike fear into his opponents. But, given the inevitable extra scrutiny all the players will be under in this Test, Lee realises he will have to be doubly careful about the way he goes about his task. Not that his track record suggests he would attract censure. Lee is hugely popular in India, not only because he can bowl at 150 kilometres per hour, but because he has spent significant time in that country and built healthy relationships. He has sponsorships with Indian companies, released a hit song there, has had movie offers and even learnt some Hindi. Last week he was involved in the filming of a Bollywood movie, a direction he is considering pursuing further when his cricket career ends. Lee told The Sun-Herald he was certain that, despite the anger directed at some Australian players after the controversial Sydney Test match, his image would not be tarnished. "Definitely not," he said. "The respect I have for their players and the love I have for their country means that it's definitely not going to have an impact on us going over there and touring, whether it's to play cricket or to do work with sponsors or whatever. "The drama is not between the players. There's issues, for sure. But, when you're playing at the top level there are always going to be things that pop up. As far as the feeling between most of the players, there is no issue. "For me, I'm treated so well over there and I'm very thankful for that. I don't think anything will change. I try to do everything in my power to keep a good relationship with people in India. It's a great place and I've always thought that we should be encouraging every Australian, at one stage in their life if they can, to go to India. I can't praise the place enough. "I truly think that the Indian public respect what we do and they enjoy the style of cricket we play." Lee's manager, Neil Maxwell, wrote in yesterday's The Sydney Morning Herald that Lee was in a difficult predicament, given his role as an enforcer in what has become a very delicate environment. However, Maxwell - who has played an integral role in setting up the new Indian Premier League Twenty-20 competition, wrote that his client would benefit from the fact that he had shown interest in India over several years. "He knows now more than ever how carefully he has to tread the line between doing his job in the way he was brought up to do it and the way his opponents and their fans will perceive it," Maxwell wrote. "However, Brett has something on his side - he has a growing understanding of Indian culture. He has spent time there, built relationships, learnt some of the language and embraced the culture. Indians respect him for his cricket talents, but also his cultural sensitivity." Lee has made the most of the doors opened in India by his cricketing exploits. Some observers have wondered whether he was spending too much energy on pursuits other than cricket. However, the 31-year-old husband and father claims the opposite. "Life gets a bit hectic sometimes, playing for Australia," Lee said. "It's not just about playing cricket any more. It's the whole corporate world, sponsorship, lots of commitments. But I enjoy doing the ads, going out and meeting children, signing autographs. I enjoy these one-off things, like the Bollywood movie we're working on now. It's different and exciting. "I always make sure that the most important thing is my cricket, performing at the top level. I wouldn't be able to do that if the other things were a distraction. I actually feel that the things I do away from cricket energise me. I look at it as being a complementary thing, a string to my bow. I see it as part of getting away from cricket. I'm not the type of guy to sit in front of the TV for hours and veg. I love keeping busy." Lee is in good form and has taken 13 wickets at an average of 18.6 in the first two Tests of the series. This week will mark a notable point in his career, leading the attack in place of Glenn McGrath at the traditional paradise of fast bowlers in Perth. "It has the signs of being a fast and bouncy wicket," he said. "The reports are it's getting back to what it used to be. I'm hoping that it has a bit in it because it's the only chance we really have to play on a fast pitch in Australia nowadays. No one wants to see a Test end in four days. But with the number of great batsmen around these days, something has to go in the bowlers' favour. "Every bowler enjoys Perth. On the downside, sometimes you can be tempted to bowl too short. That's something we've got to be conscious of. But I am licking my lips at the prospect of bowling there. "To lead the Australian attack is great, especially there. I think I'm bowling better now than ever because I'm a bit more patient. So I won't be doing anything different in this Test. It's just going to be great to take the first over." This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/12/1199988645728.html

[arkay]

Lee is trying to distance himself from his team-mates. He certainly knows what it means from commercial perspective if he gets on the wrong side of the Indians. He would do anything to maintain his positive image with India rather than get involved in this mess.

[msb1991]

Furthermore, Lee did nothing wrong in the controversy and does not deserve to be blamed.

[arkay]

Furthermore' date=' Lee did nothing wrong in the controversy and does not deserve to be blamed.[/quote'] Could have cooled down roy like sachin did to bhaji? Could have given his story to mike procter?

[Ram]

Of course he would say these things wouldnt he ? Where were all the culture sensitivities when Murali got abused ? Where was all the " I am sensitive to their language, culture" sort of tone then ? Lee has millions of dollars riding on this, no wonder he hasnt openly come out in support of his captain. In that sense, Ponting is much better. He atleast speaks his mind.

[Sachinism]

Could have cooled down roy liked sachin did to bhaji? Could have given his story to mike procter?

exactly he could have told procter that nothing bhaji did offended him

[msb1991]

Could have cooled down roy like sachin did to bhaji? Could have given his story to mike procter?

He took the valid approach of staying out of it all.