Branding googlies for late entrants
If cricket is a religion in India, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a coliseum - the ultimate stage for the clash of the titans. In its ninth edition, the country's biggest and most successful sporting property is offering cricket lovers,advertisers and marketers an opportunity to pull their weight behind two new franchises - Gujarat Lions andRising Pune Supergiants (RPS). The debutants are up against established brands such as Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR), Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils who as first movers command a strong legacy and massive fan following. As late entrants, do Gujarat Lions and RPS have it in them to emerge as challenger brands and up the ante against veterans? What will it take for the rank outsiders to break through the clutter? Are there any brand managementlessons to be learnt from success stories scripted by late entrants in highly competitive markets like fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), mobiles and automobiles? "A late entrant has ...