Indian cricket fans were not the only ones to rejoice when Sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th century earlier this month.
There are also the many companies that had been waiting for this sporting milestone to cash in on it. Many firms, including the Indian units of Coca-Cola Co. to Adidas AG, were waiting for the little master to score another century to peg marketing campaigns to his 100th hundred. This took a lot longer than they expected – more than a year. Tendulkar, who endorses over 17 brands, ranging from biscuits to bikes, scored his 99th century in March of last year.
Multiretailer Future Group Ltd., for instance, was ready to release limited edition personal care products as part of their existing “Sach” brand. While they haven’t launched these yet, they are now offering “Sach”-branded goods like mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrush and soap at the discounted prices, according to Devendra Chawla, a senior company official.
Coca-Cola, on the other hand, had to hold off the launch of its 10th “commemorative can” to honor Tendulkar. They finally unveiled their latest Sachin can this week. Atul Singh, President of Coca-Cola India, said in an email that Tendulkar “sits at the pinnacle of international cricket and we at Coca-Cola India compliment and salute his achievement of the 100th hundred.” The latest can, which is golden and costs 20 rupees ($0.3 dollars), honors this achievement.
Other Sachin-inspired products were also rolled out this week. On Tuesday, German sports manufacturer Adidas unveiled limited edition sneakers. “Adidas is privileged to have been a part his impossible journey,” Tushar Goculdas, the company’s brand director for India, said about Tendulkar’s latest century in an email. He expressed hope their new shoes would inspire the cricket star “to greater laurels.”
Available in 100 pairs, the special range of shoes are striped in red and golden, a color combination which symbolizes “passion and courage,” sentiments that they associate with Tendulakar’s performance on the pitch. The shoes are inscribed with special “Sachin Tendulkar” logos.
Sadly, not everyone can fit into Adidas’s Tendulkar shoes, which are only available in his own shoe size, U.K. size 8. The company is yet to finalize the price of the shoes and when they will be available for sale.
Aviva Life Insurance, on the other hand, is planning to launch contests open to employees and customers, which would give the winner the “opportunity to meet their icon and congratulate him in person,” said Gaurav Rajput, Aviva India’s marketing director.
Few companies have sought to market Tendulkar’s 100th ton as extensively as the India unit of Canon Inc.
Tendulkar’s 100th ton was a huge “sign of relief” for marketers, Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice president of Canon India, said in an interview.
In one of their campaigns, customers who purchase a Canon camera before April 10 can get a picture taken in Canon shops that is then framed with images from Tendulkar’s 100 centuries.
Another Canon initiative promises goodies signed by the little master to winners of a competition. Fans have to pick what they think is Tendulkar’s most-cherished century. The first 100 people to get it right get free goodies.
“Companies are well aware that his 100th century would live on forever but the marketability of the moment has a finite life,” said Mr. Bharadwaj.
But will marketing Tendulkar’s 100th ton pay off? Experts believe it will.
Chhavi Bhargava, managing director of market-research firm TNS India, said it “definitely give mileage to companies.” But she cautioned that companies can only look to reap short-term benefits, as the “hype” around his landmark century would soon fade away.
