Page 335 - IPL 2

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FRANCOIS PINEEAR
Had you followed the IPL in season 1?
Yes, I did, but only in parts. Sports nuts like me follow almost everything.
Were you aware of what a phenomenon it was back in India?
The coverage we received of stadiums packed to the rafters with passionate cricket fans, the carnival atmosphere and excitement was
something I have not seen before. It was unprecedented and I remember being amazed and mightily impressed. How a competition
could capture the imagination of sports fans on such a scale in its first season was very impressive to say the least.
Talk us through that first phone call you got to be part of the IPL in SA and your reaction to it?
It is not a straightforward answer and needs some background. We lived in the UK for 6 years and got to know Etienne de Villiers very
well, we became close friends. The first phone call came from Etienne explaining that the IPL is considering relocating to South Africa
as a result of the security concerns. He said that Lalit had asked him for his opinion but wanted to hear my views as I know the market
quite well. We had a chat about the challenges and then spoke with Lalit and we both offered to fly to Johannesburg to spend an
afternoon with Lalit and his team debating the major challenges and possible solutions. I was excited to say the least after the phone
calls and I started doing some research in preparation for our meeting.
You are a legend in South Africa. Do you feel an inherent personal responsibility about any sporting event you choose to endorse?
I guess when you are fairly well known in your country whenever you work for a different sporting code, people would see you as a
brand ambassador of sorts.
How were the days leading up to that opening weekend?
Absolutely crazy stuff! We had to put together a street carnival, assist with the opening ceremony, launch the marketing campaign,
source a venue and talent for Lalit’s opening celebrations and these were just a couple of tentacles on a massive squid that kept
growing more…
Did you expect the response that the IPL got in SA?
I knew that if we position the IPL correctly we could do something special but I did not expect such a response.
Did you ever have any apprehensions that this, being essentially a domestic Indian tournament, might not find packed houses in SA?
Yes I was concerned but also saw the opportunity. I like to see the glass as half full.
Allow me to explain. South Africans love their sport and professional rugby is very popular. In 2008 I initiated a University rugby
competition and the pessimists said it would fail as rugby at this level was poorly supported. I kept reminding my team that we are not
in the Rugby business but that we are in the Entertainment industry and should apply our thinking accordingly.
I harped on the 4 P’s. If we have a good Product, which is reasonably Priced, well Promoted and Protected we will attract good crowds.
The Varsity cup was a resounding success in its first year but on a miniscule scale compared the IPL.
The IPL is a mouth watering Product with the greatest stars in the cricket world competing in a batting and bowling extravaganza. The
tickets were very well Priced; a family of 4 could go and watch these superstars for under R100. This represented great value for money
in South Africa. The IPL is Protected by the BCCI, so Lalit gave us a crystal clear brief in our first meeting: “Bums on seats”.
We had to come up with a marketing and Promotional plan that would fill the stadia throughout the 59 matches, engage the support of
South Africa’s sports fans as well as the support of large South African Non Resident Indian population and leave an enduring legacy.
When we studied the tournament and fixtures our 3 biggest challenges were:
• The lack of general knowledge about India and the IPL. Although South African people might have generally heard about the
Indian Premier League and know a little about India, there was a dearth of knowledge.
• No Brand loyalty from the local spectators. Sports fans are passionate about “their” team, how are we going to get the South
African public to adopt a team that they have little or no affinity with? What is our call to action?
• Timing of the matches. Especially the games played during the week. People are at work and their children at school.
324 THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
The overarching Heat campaign was Etienne’s brainchild. When he asked Lalit and his team what the IPL stood for, Andrew Wildblood
from IMG said; “It is a reflection of modern India”. He explained that India became an economic powerhouse mainly by investing
in education. India has a vibrant culture, rich traditions, a spectrum of hot colors, wonderfully spicy food and of course Bollywood
and all of this wrapped together represents the Indian Premier League. Through this insight, Etienne came up with our advertising
slogan:” The Heat is coming, the Heat is on”. He briefed the advertising agency the next day and our marketing campaign was born.
It set out initially to educate the South African public about the IPL and created a mouth-watering expectancy addressing our first
concern about knowledge. To get the South African public to adopt a team, I recommended that we encourage all the radio stations
and their respective disc jockeys to adopt a team. It was vital that they understood the importance of South Africa hosting a successful
tournament; this would have a meaningful impact in particular on cross border relationships between South Africa and India. We did a
whirlwind 2 day trip trough South Africa to present the IPL and our campaign as well as the importance of a successful tournament to
all the radio stations. The support was tremendous and we got unequivocal buy-in from every DJ and radio station, they became Brand
Ambassadors. This insight helped us to get the radio listeners and loyal fans of the station to follow suit. When my sons called me
and Jean stated that he is now a Delhi Daredevil and Stephan triumphantly proclaimed to be a Rajasthan Royal, I knew we were onto
a winner.
What was the thought behind the HEAT campaign?
It addressed our third concern. “The Heat is coming, the Heat is on” marketing campaign got people excited about the IPL but how are
we going to put “Bums on seats” during the week? Etienne and I discussed this at length until the small hours of the morning. Etienne
suggested that we consider a Lotto at every match and this would attract great interest and support. He kept asking the question what
the IPL’s legacy would be once the tournament left our shores. I liked the idea a lot and we developed it further. . I am passionate about
education and started the Make A Difference foundation (www.themadbunch.com) on my return from London along with a group of
friends. We help academically talented but financially disadvantaged kids get the best education possible. I suggested that the IPL
should give away scholarships at every game to kids randomly selected in the crowd, I was confident that the schools would allow the
kids to attend the matches and convince one or maybe both of their parents to tag along. Lalit liked the idea and the Help Educate And
Teach (HEAT) initiative became a reality. The IPL committed $1 million dollars to the HEAT campaign, which has left a legacy.
• At every match 5 randomly selected kids got their scholarship paid by the IPL for one year. We gave away 300 scholarships throughout.
• We selected 31 Schools in disadvantageous communities and with the help of the franchise owners handed out R100 000 cheques
to each of these schools.
• We developed Help Educate And Teach (HEAT) tickets, which allowed school children free access to an IPL match and a chance to win
a one year scholarship courtesy of the IPL.
Peter Griffiths and his team at IMG were magnificent in helping us getting the HEAT tickets to the schools in the days leading up to
an IPL match. I remember calling all the headmasters in Port Elizabeth on a late Sunday afternoon explaining the HEAT initiative and
encouraging them to allow the children time off school to watch the IPL match the next day. We had only sold 12% of the tickets at
that stage. They all bought into the HEAT initiative and what we found was that the kids dragged their parents along whom all bought
tickets to watch the match.
What was the personal significance of the HEAT campaign for you?
I will never forget the day when Lalit launched the HEAT campaign at the Alexander Sinton school in Cape Town. The IPL franchise
captains attended the event and I recall the shock on their faces when they were welcomed like rock stars, everyone just wanted to
touch them. Lalit deliver a wonderful speech and when he handed over the HEAT cheque to the headmaster, the roof of the school hall
almost lifted with the cheers of “Thank you!” There are many bright kids all over the world that cannot afford a good education. If
these kids get a chance to develop their intellect, the world will be a much better place.
How were the schools picked for each grant?
We developed selection criteria for the schools to qualify for the IPL grant. We focused on:
• Corporate governance and the ability of the school to manage the grant effectively.
• We insisted that the Headmaster and/or Chairperson of the Governing body actively participated in the application of the grant.
• The schools had to open an IPL Bursary fund bank account to manage the funds.
• We looked at the financial disposition of the schools and the particular educational needs.
“ • We considered the academic, cultural and sport development at the school. “
• We considered the schools proximity to the match venues.