MAM
Neo may land up with Rs 800 mn ad rev from Asia Cup
MUMBAI: Neo Cricket, the official broadcaster of the Asia Cup, could land up with an advertising revenue of Rs 800 million, according to Indiantelevision.com‘s preliminary estimates.
Telecom handset manufacturer Micromax has come in as the title sponsor for the event for the second consecutive time. Nimbus Sport and Micromax have entered into an agreement in a deal that is estimated to be in the region of Rs 70-80 million, according to sources.
Micromax business director Vikas Jain said, “Micromax is proud to be part of the Asian Cup 2012, which is the most coveted cricket championship in Asia. Cricket is not just another sport, but a culture that connects youth beyond boundaries.”
Nimbus is also looking for four associate on-ground sponsors. Nimbus Sport COO Yannick Colaco said, “Micromax is an exciting brand, close to the heart of youth, and one which is a good match to the dynamic and vibrant nature of this event. We are also looking at four associate on-ground sponsors.”
On air, Neo Cricket plans to rope in two co-presenting and six associate sponsors.
“An ad rev of Rs 800 million from telecast of the event looks probable. There is a low mood now due to India‘s poor performance in Australia. But let us not forget that the team should do better in subcontinent conditions,” says a media buyer who did not want his name to be revealed.
Weighing in Neo‘s favour could be the fact that India is playing arch rival Pakistan after a year when they last met in the World Cup semi-finals. The four-nation Asia Cup is also a contest among three strong teams – India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Neo Cricket‘s distribution is taken care of after One Alliance inked a fresh one-year deal this January.
The Asia Cup kicks off on 12 March and will consist of seven ODIs. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will take part.
In terms of broadcast syndication, Nimbus Sport has inked a deal in the UK with Zee Cafe. The channel will run live telecast and an hour of highlights on each match day.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
