The CVC Capital-owned franchise has signed Reliance Industries’ RISE Worldwide as its exclusive partner for sponsorships.
The company, which acquired the team that won Ahmedabad with its Rs 5,625 crore bid, snubbing the Adani Group, has signed electric vehicle brand Ather Energy as the principal sponsor (front jersey), while BKT Tyre has come on the back of the jersey.
“Since we are new entrants into the IPL, we wanted to represent some of the new age businesses in India,” said Arvinder Singh, COO, Gujarat Titans. “Over the last few years, this country has witnessed a start-up boom, some of which have excelled on the world stage. The market strategy has been to represent brands that are not only young and energetic but have also shown tremendous growth in recent times.”
He told ET that the Gujarat Titans were pleased to have signed brands that are at the top of their respective categories. “These associations are not only mutually beneficial but the synergy we aim to achieve over the next few years shall also help us and our partners achieve our respective objectives,” he said.
Other brand partners include Capri Global (right upper chest), Reliance Jio (leading arm), Astral Pipes, Acko, Toothsi, Meesho, Dream11, boAT, Amul, and Kotak.
Singh added that there would be many activations by the partners.
“Our focus while signing up partners was not about the commercials alone but more about the value a brand can add to our team. Our partners will focus their activations both at the national as well as regional levels. Some of their assets will include below-the-line, above-the-line and digital. These activations are in sync with ours and the respective partners’ core brand values, “he said.
Fan engagement will be the cornerstone of the team’s marketing strategy—whether it is from a digital perspective or an experience.
“The fans are the most important part of the sporting ecosystem,” said Singh. “Irrespective of the sport and where you are, it is imperative for a team to connect with the fans in ways that build loyalty. Cricket in this country is what it is today because of the power of the Indian fans.”
He added that fan engagement platforms evolve over time, and as a sports team, your marketing strategy has to be flexible enough to adapt to the ever-changing environment.
“We launched our logo in the Metaverse, becoming the first team to do so in the IPL. It was the Gujarat Titans’ way of embracing innovation in this fast-moving world. Similarly, some of our activations will also reflect that innovation – which has been fashioned according to our learning from international sporting ownerships.”
CVC Global, which also owns a stake in the Spanish football league, La Liga, is one of the most active private equity firms in sports. It has also invested in rugby and volleyball.
