Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li><keyword id="351" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yuvraj-Singh">Yuvraj Singh</keyword>, who has been associated with Puma for over a decade, has been roped in as the face of PUMA <keyword id="6648720" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Motorsport">Motorsport</keyword> in India.</li><li>Globally, PUMA is associated with Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, BMW M Motorsport and Porche Motorsport. </li><li>With India being one of the biggest markets for PUMA motorsport, the brand looks to capitalize on the growing demand for streetstyle products inspired by performance gear.</li></ul>Global sports brand PUMA extends partnership with former Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh. The World Cup-winning champion has been associated with the brand for over a decade. Moving from cricket to the fast lane, Yuvraj will now be seen in a new avatar as the face of PUMA Motorsport in India, showcasing his passion for fast cars and sports-inspired fashion. With this, Yuvraj also joins the brand’s global league of legends like <keyword id="6036" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thierry-Henry">Thierry Henry</keyword>, Boris Becker and <keyword id="28723" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Usain-Bolt">Usain Bolt</keyword>. One of the most flamboyant cricketers on and off the field, Yuvraj has been living up to his reputation of being stylish, not just in his sense of fashion, but also the range of mean machines that adorn his garage. An ardent fan of Formula 1 driver, <keyword id="2479527" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Max-Verstappen">Max Verstappen</keyword>, Yuvraj keenly follows Scuderia Ferrari Formula1 team. Commenting on his association with PUMA, Yuvraj Singh said, "I share a long and fruitful relationship with PUMA, it’s like family. They have supported me through every point of my career—highs as well as lows. I am excited to continue working with the brand, blending my love for fast cars and style through PUMA’s motorsport–inspired collection." Globally, PUMA is associated with Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, BMW M Motorsport and Porche Motorsport. With India being one of the biggest markets for PUMA motorsport, the brand looks to capitalise on the growing demand for streetstyle products inspired by performance gear. <keyword id="2522565" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Ganguly">Abhishek Ganguly</keyword>, Managing Director, <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">PUMA India</keyword> &amp; Southeast Asia added, “PUMA and Yuvraj share a deep emotional bond that only grew stronger over the years. His relentless courage and indomitable attitude perfectly embodies the spirit of our brand. Whether it’s his sporting exuberance or his sense of style, he has always been a role model of innumerable Indians. We cannot be happier about our continued relationship with Yuvraj. His love for F1, fast cars and orientation towards sports-inspired fashion makes him a perfect fit to represent our motorsport collection in India.”

Yuvraj Singh is the face of PUMA Motorsport in India

<ul><li>This fantasy sports platform is launching its merchandise. </li><li>The first collection was launched just in time for the IPL season 14.</li></ul>Fantasy sports platform Dream11 has entered into a partnership with the global sports brand, PUMA to launch its first athleisure collection in India. The two sporting powerhouses have co-created an exclusive range under the label - <keyword id="11138956" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pumaxdream11">PUMAxDream11</keyword>. The merchandise assortment includes t-shirts, flip-flops and caps and will be available online on FanCode Shop, at exclusive PUMA stores and PUMA.com. With over 100 million users, Dream11 will now be able to connect with sports fans offline while tapping into the athleisure market in India which is growing at a rate of 20-25% annually. Taking fan engagement to the next level, the first collection was launched just in time for the IPL season 14. The collaboration also includes an Autumn-Winter range which will exclusively be available during the upcoming T20 World Cup hosted in India. The designs under the PUMAXDream11 collection are branded under the campaign theme ‘Dream It. Own It’. <div type="Youtube" id="mGSgHQGLvGo" title="Puma x Dream11 - Dream It. Own It." thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mGSgHQGLvGo/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Talking about the collaboration with PUMA, Harsh Jain, CEO &amp; Co-Founder, Dream11 &amp; Dream Sports, said, “We are excited to launch our first athleisure collection along with PUMA, the largest sports brand in India. PUMA shares our belief in making sports better for all, and we are certain that this collaboration will strengthen Dream11’s offline brand affinity and loyalty. We are sure that this sporty collection will resonate with both our 100 million users and PUMA brand champions.” <keyword id="2522565" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Ganguly">Abhishek Ganguly</keyword>, Managing Director of <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">PUMA India</keyword> and Southeast Asia, said, “Dream11 and PUMA share a common vision to grow the culture of sports in India. As pioneers of fantasy sports in the country, they understand the pulse of sports enthusiasts and have been powering this ecosystem by giving fans a platform to follow, track and actively engage with the game. We are happy to partner with Dream11 to launch their first athleisure collection. Creating an exclusive PUMAxDream11 range will give their 100 million users access to sport-inspired merchandise infused with PUMA DNA.”

This fantasy sports platform is launching an athleisure collection in partnership with Puma

<ul><li>Global sports brand Puma has signed a strategic 3-year partnership with <keyword id="6354506" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword>.</li><li>Puma will have exclusive retailing rights to RCB’s take down and replica jerseys.</li><li>We speak to Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA India and Southeast Asia to find out more about brand’s objective behind choosing RCB and growth of merchandising in India.</li></ul>IPL has broken many viewership records in the past two years and cricket is considered a religion in India. However, the <keyword id="11013376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sports-merchandising-market">sports merchandising market</keyword> is still at a nascent stage here. As per Duff &amp; Phelps 2021 report, on an average, the IPL franchisees’ earnings from matchday revenues (including ticket prices, merchandising, and food and beverages) account for less than 20% of their overall revenues. Indian sports leagues are still young and haven’t created as much of a fan following as their Western counterparts. For example, European and American sports leagues last for eight to nine months in a year and IPL lasts for two to three months. Most of the global football teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid’s merchandising revenue contribution is in the range of 15% to 20% of their total revenue, whereas in case of IPL, this may be less than 5% (as per Duff &amp; Phelps). So this year, Puma has entered into a 3-year merchandising partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore. The global sportswear brand aims to accelerate the merchandising market’s growth in our country. Puma will have exclusive retailing rights to RCB’s take down and replica jerseys, adding pan-India merchandise reach for the franchise across retail and e-commerce channels. The collection will also include a fanwear range of polo tees, shorts, pants, flip flops and caps. Telling us more what the brand intends to achieve from their partnership with RCB, Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA India and Southeast Asia said, “We want to achieve three things. One, there is a commercial opportunity around merchandising, which we feel is still a bit under indexed in India. The sports culture is still work-in-progress, unlike football teams in more established sports countries. In India’s sports market, the merchandising is at a very nascent stage and we would like to substantially grow that with our RCB Association. We believe that with a global sportswear brand, RCB can really do a lot more on merchandising. And merchandising is very important as a part of fan engagement as well as building the culture of sport because if you follow a team or a player, you'd like to cherish and share merchandise. It's probably the most emotional connect that a fan has with the team. So, we see this as a big opportunity of growth for future. And third, we believe that the RCB fan base is substantial. And we would like to connect with that audience and engage with them.” According to Licensing International, in 2019, the global licensed sports merchandise market was valued at approximately $292.8 billion, and was forecast to reach a value of 33.99 billion U.S. dollars by 2023. In India, sports merchandising makes revenue of barely $18 million. Now that most fans would be watching the game from home, it would be an additional challenge for the merchandising industry. Sharing why it is important to boost merchandising for the growth of sports marketing, Ganguly said, “The team merchandise market in India is pretty restricted. Today, it's a Rs 50-60 crore market and we believe that our association can substantially add to this even in the first year. And for sports culture, it is very important that this market grows because this has a trickle-down effect in the overall growth of sports in India, because the more people follow their heroes and their teams, there will be kids who take to sport more seriously, because it creates that emotional connect with their favorite team and their favorite player. So, we believe that this is something that has to grow in India to become a more established sports market.” Puma’s RCB merchandise will be promoted through its social media platforms, website, exclusive stores, multi-brand channels, large format stores like Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop and even in RCB Bar and Café. This year also marks Puma's entry in the IPL again. Puma was around for the first few seasons and had exited the league for a while. According to media <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/after-puma-adidas-to-bid-for-kit-sponsorship-rights-of-india-cricket-team/articleshow/77415609.cms">reports</a>, Nike, Adidas and Puma were keen to pick up RCB’s kit sponsorship last year as BCCI had decreased the base price to Rs 61 lakh per game, down around 30% from the Rs 88 lakh which Nike was shelling out earlier. With the pandemic, RCB’s value also dropped from Rs 595 crore in 2019 to Rs 536 crore in 2020. However, in 2020, RCB’s Title Sponsor was Muthoot Fincorp and the other brands associated with the franchise were Myntra, Jio, Exide, Nuvoco, Astral Pipes and Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT). Telling us why Puma chose to partner with RCB, Ganguly said, “We decided to come back to IPL and when we were considering which team to associate with, RCB landed on our table as a very natural choice. First and foremost, we tracked the popularity of the brand. RCB team is popular not just in Bangalore and Karnataka, but across India. And we found it to be one of the most popular and most followed teams. We also saw that it has got some huge social media following, and high engagement rates. So that gave us an idea that the fans really have a strong point of view and association with the club.” Puma also has a 9-year brand endorsement deal with RCB’s captain Virat Kohli signed in 2017.

Puma aims to fuel growth of the Rs 60 crore merchandise market in India through its partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore

<ul><li>As part of a three-year deal, MPL Sports designed and manufactured jerseys will be worn by Men, Women and the Under-19 Indian cricket teams. </li><li>MPL Sports will also sell licensed Team India merchandise.</li></ul>The <keyword id="81008" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Board-of-Control-for-Cricket-in-India">Board of Control for Cricket in India</keyword> (BCCI) on Saturday announced its partnership with MPL Sports, the athleisure wear and sports merchandise brand from <keyword id="7087972" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-premier-league">Mobile Premier League</keyword>, as the new kit sponsor and official merchandise partner for <keyword id="9389791" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-indian-cricket-team">the Indian Cricket Team</keyword>. Under the newly-inked the strategic partnership, MPL Sports has entered into a three-year agreement from November 2020 to December 2023. MPL Sports’ association with the BCCI begins with the upcoming India’s tour of Australia, 2020-21, which will see Team India sporting the new jerseys. The senior men and women and the Under-19 teams are also a part of the deal for the new kits. Apart from Team India jerseys, MPL Sports will also sell licensed Team India merchandise. MPL Sports will offer the jerseys and its wide range of team India merchandise to fans at affordable prices. Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI said: “The partnership leads us to a new frontier for Team India and for sports merchandising in the country. We look forward to working with a young Indian brand like MPL Sports to tap the potential that this sphere holds. This partnership aims at facilitating access to high-quality Indian cricket fan merchandise, including the coveted Indian cricket team jersey for cricket fans not just in the country but globally.” <keyword id="6359039" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sourav-ganguly">Sourav Ganguly</keyword>, President, BCCI said: “We are delighted to announce the dawn of a new era for Indian cricket with the appointment of MPL Sports as the kit sponsor for the Indian men’s and women’s national cricket team until 2023. We look forward to MPL Sports adding a new chapter to the team’s kit, and bring Official BCCI licensed merchandise within easy and convenient reach for the billion-plus fans who cheer for Team India.” Commenting on the partnership, Abhishek Madhavan, SVP, Growth and Marketing, MPL and MPL Sports, said: “India is a market with a billion cricket fans and we see a lot of potential in the underpenetrated merchandise market in India. We hope to partner closely with the BCCI and take all kinds of team India merchandise to the masses - with offline as well as online distribution at affordable prices. Associating with the Indian national cricket team is a matter of huge pride for us and we want every fan in the country to feel the same way and have access to the merchandise they can proudly flaunt.” MPL Sports offers a wide range of affordable products, from sports and athleisure wear to Cricket equipment, as well as other accessories such as masks, wrist bands, footwear and headgear, etc. The brand also plans to launch affordable high performance clothing and accessories dedicated to esports fans.

BCCI ropes in MPL Sports as Official Kit Sponsor for Team India

<ul><li>In our latest series, we talk to brands about how they have been marketing during these adverse times, the things they have learnt and how they are preparing for the somewhat uncertain future.</li><li>In today's interview, <keyword id="2522565" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Ganguly">Abhishek Ganguly</keyword>, General Manager, <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">PUMA India</keyword> and Southeast Asia tells us as a retail brand, how they are preparing for the new world order. </li><li>He also tells us about the brand's <keyword id="489452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing-strategy">marketing strategy</keyword> and how it ensured it stayed connected with its audience to ensure engagement.</li></ul> The Covid-19 <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> has been a big teacher for all of us. Similarly, even for brands, the lockdown came with its own set of teachings. To most brands, it has taught resilience and agility. For a lot of leaders, it has been a lesson in empathy. And as the country slowly opens up, brands are slowly but steadily opening up to a new world order where things are very different from how they were till a few months back. The focus is now on ensuring the safety of all stakeholders, to make sure that all norms are followed. Its safe to say that the pandemic has completely redefined marketing. In an attempt to understand the changes that happened at an organizational level for Puma, we recently caught up with Abhishek Ganguly, General Manager, PUMA India and Southeast Asia who not only told us how they are preparing for the new normal, he also spoke about what helped them sail through during these adverse times. As the lockdown is getting relaxed, the brand has seen a steady increase in the footfall and conversions at their stores. Moreover, its e-commerce business has almost seen a doubling in the last 3-4 weeks, which is a positive sign and gives hope for revival. Ganguly also told us his learnings as a leader and how they are working on future-proofing the business. Excerpts: Q) Retail, as we have known it, might see a complete overhaul. How are you, as a brand, preparing to adapt to this changing consumer behavior? As we brave the road to recovery and navigate through the new normal, we are witnessing a major shift in the shopping behavior of consumers. We’re focused on creating a safe and hygienic environment at our stores to instill confidence in the minds of our customers. We have put in place the required cleaning and hygiene protocols across all our stores and facilities. Our retail staff has been trained to ensure social distancing norms are followed. Some of the measures that we are following at our stores include: <ul><li>A cap on the maximum number of consumers inside the store at any given point</li><li> Contactless payments and billing</li><li> Hourly sanitization of store fixtures including cash desk, trial rooms, door knobs and hangers</li><li> Contactless temperature screening at the store entrance</li><li> Making masks mandatory</li><li> Sanitizing hands at the entrance and at all touchpoints across the store</li><li> Demarcated areas/ layouts that allow for social distancing within the store</li></ul> Q) E-commerce will get a huge boost as people might prefer online deliveries over physically going to showrooms. Are you increasing focus on your online presence? E-commerce has always been a big priority for us at PUMA and we embarked on this journey many years ago. In the current situation, online is of course a more convenient option for consumers to shop. Having said that, over the last few weeks, footfalls and conversions in stores have also increased manifold. E-commerce business is growing very fast – over the last 3-4 weeks we have seen our business almost doubling on this channel. Q) Have there been any interesting trends you’ve noticed during the lockdown? Any segment that has witnessed more growth than others? With increased focus on fitness, has there been an increase in that segment? People are taking steps in the right direction to build their immunity and lead a healthier lifestyle. Over the last few months, we have seen people take to fitness more than ever before and it has now become a way of life for many. There is demand for Fitness and Training merchandise because of this. Also with Work from Home becoming a norm, athletic leisurewear has strong demand. I feel sportswear and athleisure would be one of the categories which would have quick revival. The trend is currently upwards and is a good reflection of how things will shape up when normalcy resumes. We have also seen a clear pattern in the kidswear segment with the consumption moving up and is similar to what it is during school holidays. With immunity being really critical and people looking for ways to boost their health, there has been a big uptake in fitness products in the kids segment. In fact, kids who used to only buy motorsports are now buying fitness and performance apparel. Q) Right now, what kind of products are people buying? Is it purely essential, need-based items? With people still working from home and taking to fitness more seriously, we are seeing a lot of our customers buy athletic leisure wear and also home fitness gear. They are looking for workout gear like running t-shirts, training tracks, tank tops, etc. On puma.com, lot of the traffic is discovering products through searches much more than before. It shows consumers are very clear about what they want and there is an intent to buy. Purchase patterns are very similar to offline stores – with apparel and footwear growing significantly. We have seen our apparel share go up by 12 percentage points with people buying T-shirts, tracks and shorts that are suitable for home workouts as well as leisurewear. Q) Post-Covid, what do you think are a few things that will help brands survive and bounce back? The revival of the economy will take time and it has to be a staged process. As compared to other nations, India can transform the crisis into an opportunity and is in a much better position. Lot of companies and investors will look at India as a destination for future growth opportunities. As businesses return to normalcy, safety and hygiene will continue to be our biggest priority. Going forward, I do believe communication will continue to be key - brands will have to constantly be in touch with their consumers to ensure brand connect and higher recall. Q) Did you have to tweak your media mix during the lockdown? Post relaxation, how are you planning to market yourself? What will your broad marketing strategy be? There hasn’t been a major change in our media mix since digital has always been our primary channel of communication. We have always prioritized digital marketing and have had a digital-first approach in our content and campaign planning. In fact, our partnerships with our brand personalities, be it <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword>, <keyword id="1377418" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kareena-Kapoor-Khan">Kareena Kapoor Khan</keyword>, Mary Kom, KL Rahul, have all been activated through our social and digital media platforms. In times like these, it is very important to engage with customers in order to increase brand relevance in their minds. As a brand, we feel we are content creators and in order to reach the right audience, one needs to marry the art of content creation with the science of media selection. Q) As a leader, what have some of your key learnings from this experience been? One key takeaway from the whole experience is that you have to take each day as it comes. We need to keep evolving and adapting to changes and as a brand we need to ensure business agility. These are challenging times for all of us and when we come out of it, we will be stronger than ever. Communication is key during this time. My main focus has been to keep my team motivated by constantly communicating with them. Compassion for people is extremely essential and it is one kind of leadership currency that will be important for future. As a business leader, I am responsible for my employees and their families and my utmost priority is to keep them going. As leaders, we need to look for purpose beyond commerciality in Business. Q) How are you future-proofing your business? What steps did you take to minimize the business impact? The retail landscape has undergone a radical transformation. No one could have possibly been prepared for the disruption caused over the last few months. Right now, more than ever, it’s crucial to have a short- term goal in order to stay afloat, survive as a business, conserve cash and ensure all our team members are safe. In times like these, focusing on survival and coming out of the crisis with minimal business impact is the most important thing. In our category, typically, one plans a fashion range 9-10 months in advance, however, given the current situation, demand-planning in advance is going to be really difficult and will need a complete rehaul. Supply-chain will be very strategic going ahead, especially in the fashion and lifestyle industry. We need to create a flexible and nimble structure. Going forward, rolling forecast on a weekly and monthly basis is going to be necessary to maintain health of the business. Q) What is your vision for the Puma of the future? What do you want the brand to stand for, a few years down the line? As we look forward to reset and accelerate our efforts in 2021, I really wish for things get back to normal. Next year is very important for us and as a company, I hope to achieve the same levels of momentum we had 6 months back. We need to stay strong and survive this with minimum impact. By next year we hope to bounce back and slowly start recouping. Till then it is all about sustenance, strength, togetherness and hope. There will be no dearth of ambition for PUMA.

Our business on e-commerce has almost doubled over the last 3-4 weeks: Abhishek Ganguly, PUMA India and Southeast Asia

<ul><li>Kareena joins the brand’s roaster of dynamic women personalities like Adriana Lima, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Sara Ali Khan, MC Mary Kom, and Dutee Chand. </li><li>Puma’s last campaign in India was <keyword id="8238661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Propah-Lady">Propah Lady</keyword>. It had started a conversation around redefining what a ‘proper lady’ is. It created a ripple effect on social media; women started sharing their ‘unconventional pictures,’ writing their own rules, and posing as ‘Propah Lady.’</li><li>After on-boarding Kareena Kapoor Khan, Abhishek Ganguly, General Manager, <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">PUMA India</keyword> and Southeast Asia says the brand aims to ignite a stronger women’s narrative.</li></ul>Global sports brand PUMA has teamed up with Kareen Kapoor Khan as its brand ambassador. With this association, Kareena joins the brand’s roaster of dynamic women personalities like Adriana Lima, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Sara Ali Khan, MC Mary Kom, and Dutee Chand. Known for her dedicated fitness routine, Kareena will be the face for PUMA’s soon-to-be launched Studio Collection – a low-intensity training apparel collection perfect for Yoga, Barre, and Pilates workouts. Channelling her sartorial workout looks, the collection is sure to keep one moving from the studio to the streets with a practice in style. “What I connected most with PUMA is that they have always been pushing boundaries, encouraging women to be their unapologetic self. This resonates deeply with me because it’s something I’ve always believed in and followed for myself, whether in my personal or professional life,” said Kareena Kapoor Khan who has been brought on board as the brand ambassador. Kareena adds, “This new partnership with PUMA gives me an opportunity to connect with and encourage more women to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle. Fitness is an essential, integral part of my life and I truly enjoy it in its various forms whether its Yoga, Pilates or even just a morning walk. I’m looking forward to everything Puma and I have planned in the coming months.” Speaking about the association, Abhishek Ganguly, General Manager, PUMA India and Southeast Asia says, “Kareena personifies our philosophy ‘where the gym meets the runway’. She is not only an inspiration but is also a true embodiment of what it means for women to maintain a healthy lifestyle while donning multiple hats. We are thrilled to have her join the PUMA family. Through this association, we aim to ignite a stronger women’s narrative for the brand.” PUMA’s Studio Collection will be available from April 2020 on PUMA.com, PUMA Stores and selected retailers.

Puma tries to ignite a stronger women’s narrative by on-boarding Kareena Kapoor Khan as its latest face

<keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> has signed an eight-year deal with sports lifestyle brand Puma worth about Rs 110 crore and with this the Indian cricket team captain has become the first Indian sportsperson to sign a Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a single brand. He will be joining the likes of Jamaican sprinters <keyword id="28723" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Usain-Bolt">Usain Bolt</keyword> and Asafa Powell, and footballers <keyword id="6036" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thierry-Henry">Thierry Henry</keyword> and <keyword id="955974" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oliver-Giroud">Oliver Giroud</keyword> - among others - as a global ambassador for the brand. 
 
Kohli will be working with the German company to launch a signature line of sports lifestyle products with a special logo and brand identity. 
 "It's a privilege to be part of a great list of athletes that Puma has. Not just today's icons like Usain Bolt but also the brand's rich history with <keyword id="96776" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pele">Pele</keyword>, Maradona, Thierry Henry and others. Both Puma and I are committed to a long-term partnership. I am impressed by the way Puma has gained popularity and market leadership in India in a short period of time," Kohli told TOI. 
 Similarly, <keyword id="6354267" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sachin-Tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword> and <keyword id="10138" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</keyword> have been in the Rs 100-crore club through multi-year contract with sports and talent management agencies, which in turn brought a plethora of brands for endorsement deals. 
 In 2013, Kohli had signed a Rs 10-crore per-annum, three-year deal with sports goods giant <keyword id="6377547" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adidas">Adidas</keyword>, but this ended when both parties decided not to renew the contract last December. The signing up with Puma, however, puts the dynamic cricketer in a new league altogether. 
 "Virat has transformed the way fitness is looked at in Indian cricket. He has emphasized the role of an athlete and reshaping cricket in the millennial culture, thus endorsing our brand ethos. He is a youth icon with an effortless style," <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">Puma India</keyword> MD <keyword id="2522565" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Ganguly">Abhishek Ganguly</keyword> told TOI. 
 
Puma is expected to work with Kohli in markets like UK, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East and "wherever Cricket is relevant."

Virat Kohli creates another record but off-the-field, signs Rs 110 crore deal with Puma

The <keyword id="1910227" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Super-League">Indian Super League</keyword>, India’s very own football league is going to start from October 12th, and as the nation gears up for the first football league, here is what you should know about it. 
 
Bringing Indian football out of hibernation 
The Indian Super league was founded in 2013 after seeing that many Indians are crazy about football craze, but sadly, have no national football league to follow. The Indian Super League aims to turn the table. 
 
It would function like Twenty20 cricket IPL and will comprise eight franchise teams, owned from people and companies across the country. The league will commence in October and end in December. 
 
Slugging it out 
Eight teams that will compete in this league are as follows: 
 
· Atlético de Kolkata, coached by Antonio López Habas, with Spain as the foreign draft. 
· Chennai Titans, coached by Marco Materazzi with Italy as the foreign draft. 
· Delhi Dynamos FC, coached by Harm van Veldhoven with Netherlands as the foreign draft. 
· FC Goa, coached by Fatorda Stadium Zico with Brazil as the foreign draft. 
· Kerala Blasters FC, coached by David James with England as the foreign draft. 
· Mumbai City FC, coached by Peter Reid with England as the foreign draft. 
· North East United FC, coached by Ricki Herbert with New Zealand as the foreign draft. 
· FC Pune City, coached by Franco Colomba with Italy as the foreign draft. 
 
Who’s who in the <keyword id="244888" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Isl">ISL</keyword> The league is owned by Reliance Industries Ltd, Star India Pvt. Ltd. and IMG Worldwide Inc. It would be broadcast exclusively on STAR Sports and will have Hero MotoCorp as the title sponsor; thus the name <keyword id="2430942" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hero-Indian-Super-League">Hero Indian Super League</keyword>. From Bollywood, we have John Abraham who co-owns the team North East United FC, Ranbir Kapoor who co-owns the team Mumbai City FC, Abhishek Bachchan who co-owns Chennai Titans, Salman Khan who co-owns FC Pune City, and Varun Dhawan who is the brand ambassador of FC Goa. From the field of Indian Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar is the co-owner of Kerala Blasters FC and Sourav Ganguly is the co-owner of Atletico de Kolkata. 
 
Rules of the game 
Every year, the league would be played between October and December. Each team will play against all other teams twice on a home-and-away basis, almost like the Pro Kabaddi League. The top four teams will qualify for the finals. 
 
While building their teams, each team will have to sign: 
· At least seven foreigners, out of which two will be from the club and five will be from the foreign player draft; 
· One marquee player, which in the words of AIFF is "A foreign recruit who has represented his country in any of the continental championships like the European Championship, Copa America, African Nations Cup, Asian Cup, or FIFA World Cup will be called a marquee player;" and 
· 14 Indian domestic players, four of which have to be local players from the city the team belongs to. 
 
Stake money 
Team owners’ investments in the ISL are worth having a look. Different teams have shelled out crores to buy foreign players—the date is given below: 
 
Goa: Rs 2.46 crore 
Chennai Titans: Rs 2.34 crore 
Atletico de Kolkata: Rs 2.17 crore 
Mumbai City: Rs 2.10 crore 
Kerala Blasters: Rs 1.98 crore 
Pune City: Rs 1.75 crore 
Delhi Dynamos: Rs 1.62 crore 
North East United: Rs 1.62 crore 
 
With people from Bollwood and Indian Cricket taking up various roles in this league, be it owners or promoters, the league is surely going to be one gala event to watch out for.

Indian Super League: What It's All About?

Former President, top scientist, <keyword id="100256" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Ratna">Bharat Ratna</keyword>, these are just some of the titles that come before the name of Dr AJP Abdul <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kalam">Kalam</a>, who passed away on Monday while delivering lecture at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=iim">IIM </a>Shillong. 
 
Born on October 15, 1931 in a family of a boat owner in Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram, Kalam survived all hardship to grow big in life. He distributed newspaper at one to time to support his family and education. 
 After pursuing graduation in Physics from Madras University, AJP <keyword id="5141" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abdul-Kalam">Abdul Kalam</keyword> decide to take up Aerospace Engineering as he then desired to become a fighter pilot. But the destiny had some bigger plans for him. Traversing through his career journey at the <keyword id="6355142" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DRDO">DRDO</keyword>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=isro">ISRO</a>, Chief Scientific Advisor to the <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> in 1992, the <keyword id="858029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pokhran-nuclear-test">Pokhran nuclear test</keyword>, he was ultimately elected as India’s 11th President in 2002. 
 
And what Kalam will always be remembered for is, a President who brought people to the Rashtrapati Bhawan and this is what made him the ‘People’s President'. 
 
Once the 83-year-old had said, “It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone.” And certainly it’s his inspiring words through which he rules over a million hearts. 
 
Abhishek Sharma, a software developed, shared on Quora, “Once, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam rejected the suggestion to put broken glass on the wall of a building that needed protection. Why? Because broken glass would be harmful for birds! This happened when Dr Kalam was with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=drdo">DRDO </a>and his team was discussing options to secure the perimeter of a building that needed protection. Dr Kalam reportedly said, “If we do that, birds will not be able to perch on the wall.” 
 
The other instance is when Quora user Naman Narain drew a sketch of Dr Kalam and sent it to the President. To his surprise, the President sent him a thank you card, with a short handwritten message and personalised with his signature. 
 
At a convocation ceremony of IIT (BHU) Varanasi, Dr Kalam was the Chief Guest. There were five chairs on the stage, the centre one being for him, the other four designated for the top university officials. Noticing his chair being bigger in size than the others, Dr Kalam refused to sit on it and offered the Vice Chancellor to sit in stead. Immediately, another chair was made available for the ‘People’s president.’ 
 Another action that displays down-to-earth demeanour of Dr Kalam is that during his first visit to <keyword id="165422" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trivandrum">Trivandrum</keyword> as the then President, he was entitled to invite anyone as the “Presidential Guests” to Kerala’s <keyword id="138" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raj-Bhavan">Raj Bhavan</keyword>. And as Dr Kalam had spent a significant time as a scientist in Trivandrum, he invited a road-side cobbler – who was quite close to him during his time in Kerela; and so was the owner of the small hotel where Dr Kalam would often have his meals. Can you ever imagine any other politician or a celebrity of his stature inviting a cobbler and a small business owner as his/her most prestigious guests? 
 <keyword id="6359039" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sourav-Ganguly">Sourav Ganguly</keyword>, who received the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=padma+shri">Padma Shri</a> from Dr Kalam in 2004, recalls instances of the Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cricket">Cricket </a>team's interactions with the former President after finishing runners-up in the 2003 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=world+cup">World Cup</a> in South Africa. "I remember he wished the team. I remember <keyword id="6364325" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anil-Kumble">Anil Kumble</keyword> asked him about his subject. He knew little about cricket and we tried to explain to him how 11 men move around a cricket ball. But whenever we met him we realised that his world and thinking was different. He has become the President of India but his thought process is different from the others," said Ganguly, regarding India’s missile man as a visionary. 
(Image: economisty.com) 


We at Business Insider have created this unique platform for anyone who wants to pay homage to this the beloved Former President, APJ Abdul Kalam- the great leader, teacher, scientist and amongst many other things a visionary par excellence, even as he embarks upon his last journey. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/social/48249034.cms">Click here to pay your respects</a>.

This is how Dr APJ Abdul Kalam touched lives of #AamAadmi

<ul><li>Making a significant investment in Indian sports, <keyword id="138873" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma">PUMA</keyword> signs 15 Athletes and <keyword id="11623794" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="3-para-athletes">3 Para Athletes</keyword> in India.</li><li>With an aim to spread a vision of hope, optimism and self-belief, PUMA has signed these athletes as a part of its latest brand campaign ‘Only See Great.’</li></ul>Sports brand PUMA has signed 18 Indian athletes who will represent the country in national and international events across sporting disciplines like shooting, hockey, track and field, boxing, table tennis, discus throw and badminton. It’s a major step for the brand as it continues to push boundaries and celebrate diversity in sports. Through its brand campaign ‘Only See Great’, PUMA aims to explore the very idea of achieving greatness and how these athletes have strived for it during extraordinary times. With an aim to bring about a mindset transformation towards equality in sports, the brand is focused on supporting talent across multiple sporting disciplines. In addition to ace boxing champion, <keyword id="47387" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mary-Kom">Mary Kom</keyword> and Indian national sprinter, <keyword id="1142452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand">Dutee Chand</keyword>, the brand has signed a bevy of big-hitters like boxer Pooja Rani; track and field athlete Tejinder Singh; shooter Manu Bhaker; swimmer Srihari Nataraj; hockey players Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Savita Punia, Sushila Chanu, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, <keyword id="809404" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vandana-Katariya">Vandana Katariya</keyword>, Gurjit Kaur and Udita Duhan. The list also includes para-athletes like shooter Avani Lekhara; table tennis champ Bhavina Patel and discus throw athlete Ekta Bhayan. “We are thrilled and honored to sign some of the country’s finest athletes. As they continue to lead the way with their strength and athleticism, it's equally important to work with them to break down barriers on the field of play. As a brand, we strongly believe that being unique is a great strength and our unwavering commitment to inclusivity in sports is testament to this,” said Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, <keyword id="11623792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="puma-india-southeast-asia">PUMA India &amp; Southeast Asia</keyword>. “Our athletes have time and again proven their mettle. I am sure with their grit and determination they will continue to outperform themselves. I wish them good luck in their pursuit to achieve greatness and make our country proud,” he added. With their eyes set on the challenge, each athlete will be showcasing their prowess as they set out to achieve their own moment of greatness in sport. PUMA’s ‘Only See Great’ campaign puts the spotlight on them as they strive for greatness, listening to their hearts, and finding a vision that no one else can see. Mary Kom said, “I have been associated with PUMA for over two years now and I am proud of the fact that the brand has always been at the forefront of encouraging the spirit of sports. For any athlete, grit, passion and hard work are the key ingredients to success. My boxing journey has not been that easy, but with years of practice, hard work and determination, I achieved the improbable. I am glad to represent India in the international sports circuit after such a long time.” Dutee Chand added, “PUMA was my very first brand association and will always be very close to my heart. I’m thrilled and proud to see the brand encourage athletes across sporting fields and support them in their journey to achieve greatness. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I believe that my hard work has brought me closer to my goal. My single focused aim is to win more laurels for the country in national and international sporting events.” Commenting on the association, Ekta Bhayan said, “Everybody has the right to dream, don’t let disability define you. I hope my sporting journey sets an example for others that nothing can stop them. I am so thrilled to be associated with PUMA at this juncture in my sporting career. It’s great to see the brand continuing to break stereotypes and champion inclusivity in sports.”

Puma signs 18 athletes to celebrate diversity in sports ahead of upcoming competitions

<ul><li><keyword id="138873" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma">Puma</keyword> has partnered with the NGO <keyword id="6806699" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="goonj">Goonj</keyword> to upcycle <keyword id="6362766" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="apparel">apparel</keyword> and footwear and then distribute them in rural communities in India. </li><li>The products will then be given as a reward to citizens who are doing deeds like ‘building a bamboo bridge, digging a well, building community spaces etc.’</li><li>Amitabh Kant, CEO of think tank NITI Aayog had said that the country’s circular economy will create 14 millions in the next 5-7 years.</li></ul>Global apparel and shoe brand Puma has partnered with the NGO Goonj to upcycle apparel and footwear for rural communities in India. “This initiative gives us a great platform to collaborate with our consumers to crowdsource essentials like apparel and footwear. We will continue to actively be a part of the circular economy and encourage more people to make a conscious choice towards sustainable living,” said Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">PUMA India</keyword>. As a part of the campaign, PUMA is putting out collection boxes in 360 stores across the country. And consumers who donate clothes will be given PUMA gift vouchers. “Customized kits will then be prepared for specific local needs of people in different parts of the country - like Family Kits, School Kits, Rahat Disaster Relief Kit, Aaganwadi Kit, Labour Kit and Menstrual Dignity kits. In the remote rural villages, these kits will act as a mobilizing and motivating tools to reward people who work on their own issues like building a bamboo bridge, digging a well or building community spaces,” said the company’s statement. Through this initiative PUMA hopes to encourage people’s participation in the circular economy. Circular economy refers to an economic system that prioritises waste management and maximises resource utilization. Recently, Amitabh Kant, CEO of think tank NITI Aayog had said that the country’s circular economy will create 14 millions in the next 5-7 years. “By 2050, world population would reach 9.7 billion of which 3 billion people would prosper to middle class consumption level. This would require 71% more resources per capita, thereby raising total mineral and material demand from 50 billion tonnes in 2014 to 130 billion tonnes in 2050,” said Kant, speaking at an event by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Puma will upcycle used apparel and shoes to reward people in rural areas for ‘good work’

<ul><li><keyword id="31174" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="brands">Brands</keyword> have seen early signs of recovery during <keyword id="126295" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshaya-Tritiya">Akshaya Tritiya</keyword> and <keyword id="6385850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raksha-Bandhan">Raksha Bandhan</keyword> and their businesses are approaching normalcy. </li><li>After surviving the storm during the lockdown, brands have a lot of hope resting on the festive season to bring in cheer and profitability in their businesses. </li><li>With Ganesh Chaturthi around the corner, we decided to speak to a few brands across categories on how they are preparing for the festive season and what kind of expectations they have pinned on the latter half of the year for recovery. </li></ul>Brands are pinning a lot of hopes on the festive season this year to help them bounce back. They have started working on their advertising campaigns in full swing to win back consumer trust and help shape the <keyword id="29547" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Market">market</keyword> sentiment. The festive season, which begins in August and continues till January, often results in a disproportionate increase in demand of goods and services, marking an important period for most consumer brands. However, the pandemic this year has made consumers frugal and the current market unrest has taken a sharp toll on the total spends. As per Madison’s report, AdEx collapsed by as much as 65% because of COVID-19 in Q2, indicating how badly the economy has been performing so far. Last year for Television, the Indian Premier League (IPL), ICC World Cup and Elections in Q2’19 contributed around Rs 3,000 crore (34% to the TV AdEx in Q2’19). However, the pandemic removed both these money-spinners from the AMJ quarter this year, which has added to the decline. This year, brands are trying to come up with innovative solutions to reach out to their consumers at their door steps and are optimistic about seeing a stable growth in the next few months. Fashion e-commerce giant Myntra has seen early signs of recovery and <keyword id="1549018" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-sentiments">consumer sentiments</keyword> picking up during Raksha Bandhan as it witnessed a surge in demand for women's ethnic wear, men’s occasion wear, kids wear, and accessories such as watches, handbags. It also saw 3.5 million customers shopping during the June edition of EORS, a testimony of how consumer sentiments are getting back on track. “The festive season, followed by winter, is the most exciting quarter for Myntra. This year we are expecting a massive scale and growth in festive buying as consumer sentiment continues to be strong. Myntra is already operating at a pre-lockdown scale, and this upcoming festive season will definitely help us in boosting our growth further. Our focus will continue to be on enhancing customer experience by providing high-quality merchandise in a curated and personalized store, along with safe and fast delivery. Our new customer acquisition is at an all-time high and we are ensuring we help them in all their lifestyle needs. We are witnessing a spike in our Tier II and Tier III customers and orders as well,” said Ayyappan Rajagopal, Head of Business, Myntra. Another new-age brand Melorra that specializes in modern jewellery, has managed to avoid the losses incurred by various other businesses during the pandemic months. It saw a 400% growth in the last financial year, and is confident of matching that level of growth with a strong performance in the upcoming festive season. “The festive season this year is expected to be even more impactful than the past for Melorra. Firstly, the lockdown that started in March slowed down the jewellery purchase due to disruption in the delivery logistics, and most of the people are looking to buy jewellery now that the deliveries have resumed. Given the pandemic, all festivities in the first 2 quarters of the FY was a washout, hence there could be a trend reversal during festive season – but not at the previous levels. Since the prices are also at an all-time high, customers would opt for lightweight and trendy gold jewellery that is not only stylish but also easy on the pocket. Melorra caters to women who live in the moment and do not keep gold stacked away in lockers like before. Hence, it is definitely a key period for the brand and the jewellery industry at large,” said Sharat Krishnan, Head of Marketing, Melorra. The festive season has always been the most important part of the year for the jewellery business. Titan has already seen 80% recovery because people are celebrating their milestones with their families at home. It has a campaign and launch of a new collection lined up for October. Ajoy Chawla, CEO Jewellery Division, Titan Company Ltd sees no reason why the festive season shouldn’t be as good as last year. “It would be as good as last year or slightly lesser. The most optimistic expectation is that it should be as good as last year. Even if it is 90% or 80% close to last year’s performance, that’s good. We’re currently seeing 80% recovery and this is my best estimate. We’ve seen this recovery because people are still celebrating milestones like anniversary, birthdays, etc. They understand that the reality is grim but how long can you keep your life on hold? They want to feel good. Also, Q3 is wedding season but the festive season is delayed this year so the season may start a little slower unless there are massive rebound cases. Some markets also take two steps forward and three steps back, there is always some fluctuation. However, after October, we are hoping to see more stability. We will also launch a new collection and campaign around October,” shared Ajoy Chawla, CEO Jewellery Division, Titan Company Ltd. On what the consumer sentiment would likely be this festive season, Nidhi Sinha, Head of Content, Mintel India said, "One of the most important things people are looking forward to once the restrictions of the pandemic are lifted is meeting friends and family. However, according to research from Mintel’s Global COVID-19 Tracker in August, 42% of Indian consumers are looking forward to meeting family and friends in person compared to 34% of consumers in early July. This desire has accelerated due to the onset of the festive season." Mintel's research data indicates that consumer sentiment is improving and there is more willingness to spend on luxury items and good brands in the market. Sinha added, "Ganesh Chaturthi, which is round the corner, would be one such important festival that would entail celebrations in a different way so as to be in line with the pandemic protocols. As people continue to be under restrictions due to the pandemic, this festival is expected to be low key compared to regular times. However, Mintel research highlights that 30% of Indian consumers are planning to spend more on clothes and accessories, presenting an opportunity for brands. This is indicative that people are planning to spend on indulgences despite a negative economic outlook. Brands like Gemini oil, Ferns and Petals and Cadbury have been very agile in talking about the changing face of the festivities and how it is an opportunity for people to spend such festivals at home with their loved ones.” Festive season is an important period for the retail industry. It is a time when consumer spending is at an all-time high. One of the leading sportswear brands PUMA has multiple new launches planned throughout the season to cater to increasing demand. Telling us how the consumer sentiment changed in retail, Abhishek Ganguly, General Manager, PUMA India and Southeast Asia said, “As we’re witnessing right now, online channels will continue to be a convenient option for consumers to shop. Given the precautions around health and safety, we are seeing people shop online or go to a store where they are confident about the hygiene measures being implemented. Having said that, as lockdown continues to be relaxed across the country, we are seeing a steady week-on-week increase in footfalls with consumers visiting our stores to buy fashion essentials.” On festive expectations, Ganguly added, “Over the last 3-4 months, we have been seeing steady growth across both our offline and online channels. The conversions have increased substantially from pre-Covid times as people exactly know what they want to buy and are shopping with a clear intent. Given the trend of how things are continuing to improve compared to the previous months, we are very hopeful of a strong September and October. We hope this trend continues through the festive season and beyond.” Electronics giant Philips has launched a few new products like Smart Hair Dryer, Eyebrows Trimmer this month to ride on the improving consumer sentiment due to the festive season. Gulbahar Taurani, Vice-President, Personal Health, Philips Indian Subcontinent, Philips India, said, “The trends indicate that this is going to be a good season. We will have our challenges in terms of supply chain, partial lockdown, movement of products because the number of COVID cases are going up. From a demand standpoint, we see a very positive sentiment. I believe that this is going to stay, which will drive the festive season. As a part of the festive season, we had a couple of new launches last month itself.” The furniture segment, which was on complete halt during the lockdown as it did not fall under essentials, is also gearing up for the festive months. Given that individuals are spending more time at home due to the lockdown, home-grown brand Pepperfry witnessed an uptick in demand for WFH furniture and décor. In fact, Pepperfry is already at 100% of its pre-lockdown sales volumes. Kashyap Vadapalli, Chief Marketing Officer &amp; Business Head, Pepperfry is now anticipating to see this trend boost their sales further as people continue to focus on making their home spaces better equipped for everything. The brand is upping its digital media game and has launched a new campaign called ‘Swadeshi is Great’. “Given that household products and celebrations at home play such an important role during the festive season, consumers are constantly looking to revamp/renovate the space such that the home category witnesses a natural upswing in demand during festivals. With this combination of consumer adaptation and brand innovation, we are positive about the consumers’ outlook and demand for categories like home décor and furniture. As consumers have become apprehensive with regards to shopping offline or even stepping outside, they are increasingly adapting to buying online. Our online business is already at 120% of pre-COVID levels. As we move along, we plan to keep innovating with digital tools to enhance our consumers’ buying experiences,” said Vadapalli. The sudden outbreak of the pandemic brought a lot of businesses to a standstill. However, one of the few sectors that have seen an upturn amid the nationwide lockdown is EdTech. Now, to evolve with changing times and to prepare for the upcoming festive season, upGrad is looking at altering its marketing strategy. It is shifting its spends towards TV as consumers would want to spend more time together, while supplementing it with digital. Telling us what kind of changes EdTech has gone through lately, Arjun Mohan, CEO-India, upGrad said, “Given the current scenario, consumer priorities are being re-calibrated. They are now undergoing a behavioral shift which is directly reflecting on their spends. Unlike earlier, individuals today have ample time and money to spend on upskilling options, which otherwise, was parked for a later date. upGrad has seen a big behavioral shift in the mindset of parents too towards learning online, as they have seen their kids benefiting from it in real-time. This is one of the major drivers that has created a massive demand for our specialised online programs, which not only enhances the domain knowledge, revise skill sets, etc. but also help professionals achieve desired career outcomes.” All brands voiced their confidence that the worst has passed, and the markets will only move towards normalcy hereon.

Festive Marketing: Brands are optimistic that improving consumer sentiments will help them bounce back and bring in profitability

The Indian Super League (<keyword id="244888" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Isl">ISL</keyword>), which is touted to be a game changer for <keyword id="64" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Football">football</keyword>, has had quite a successful opening. The league scored a record reach of 74.7 million on its first day and the cumulative reach for the first week was a whopping 170.6 million. These reach figures are the second highest for any sports league, after the twenty-twenty cricket league, <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>. 
 Now these numbers speak volumes about the encouraging response the league has got from the viewers. Interestingly, <keyword id="6354632" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Social-media">social media</keyword> has played a key role in creating buzz around the league. Zafar Rais, CEO of MindShift Interactive says, “The digital era has put forward a platform for every property to reach a wider audience with an advantage of instant feedback. Indian Super League has strategically focused its campaign via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, garnering just about 70,000 mentions of the ISL on social media (majority of them on Twitter) in the last 15 days.” 
 
Social Media Presence Of ISL 
The league has quite a strong presence on key social media platforms including Facebook, twitter, youtube besides others. The leagues’ total fan likes on Facebook were a whopping 1,078,081. Twitter followers were 54,284 and YouTube had 2,298,298 views and 3,772 subscribers (As of October 26, 2014). Compared to the 20-20 cricket league IPL, these numbers look miniscule, yet they are quite encouraging, considering this being the first year of the league. Moreover, these numbers are much ahead of India’s domestic football league, the I-League. 
 
Other than this, there are Facebook &amp; Twitter accounts of the 8 teams that are part of the Indian Super League, namely – Mumbai City FC, Atletico De Kolkata, Delhi Dynamos, Kerala Blasters, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, FC Pune and Northeast United FC. 
 
The Buzz Created So Far 
There have been just about 70,000 mentions of the ISL on social media (majority of them on Twitter) in the last 15 days. The league’s follower count on Twitter is 1/29th of the fans of the EPL (English Premier League), and 1/14th of the fans of the IPL (Indian Premier League). So, it hasn’t really kicked off in India on the social media front as it would have expected. 
 
#LetsFootball is the most popular hashtag that is trending around the league. With the general sentiment around the league being positive, males between the age group of 21-30 are the most who have used this hashtag. In terms of popularity, the hashtag is discussed more on Twitter than Facebook (source: Mindshift Interactive report). It is also more popular than the I-League, the traditional top division football league of India. 
 
Stats around the hashtag #LetsFootball 
Now, let us just look at some interesting statistics around the hashtag #LetsFootball. 
● According to the Mindshift Interactive report, there were about 113,178 tweets, 1.06 billion impressions and 68,483 mentions of the hashtag on the day of ISL launch. 
● These mentions of the hashtag have dropped considerably post launch day. 
● On the opening day of the league, 5 of the 7 trending topics in India were related to ISL. These are: #LetsFootball, #IndianSuperLeague, #atleticodekolkata, #MumbaiCityFC and Luis Garcia. 
● The Indian Super League is talked about in 50+ countries, including the likes of USA, UK, Indonesia and Brazil. 
 
Celebrity Promotions On Twitter 
 
The celebrity glitz has also helped the ISL generate buzz on social media platforms. Cricketers and film personalities like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and John Abraham co-own franchises in the ISL. These celebrities and a few others have added to the ISL social media zing by mentioning it in their tweets. During October 7th-14, 2014, the ISL got 1100 twitter mentions by Priyanka Chopra, 900 mentions by Sachin Tendulkar, 840 mentions by Hrithik Roshan, 635 mentions by Sourav Ganguly, 440 mentions by Ranbir Kapoor, 400 mentions by Abhishek Bachchan and 130 mentions by John Abraham. 
 
Looking at these numbers, one can say that social media has helped create a good initial buzz for the league. Though there is a need for a lot more to be done, not just this season but in the forthcoming seasons, to take the ISL to the heights of other popular leagues like the IPL and EPL.

You Searched For "Abhishek Ganguly" and got 13 results

Yuvraj Singh is the face of PUMA Motorsport in India

BI India Partner

This fantasy sports platform is launching an athleisure collection in partnership with Puma

BI India Bureau

Puma aims to fuel growth of the Rs 60 crore merchandise market in India through its partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore

Karuna Sharma

BCCI ropes in MPL Sports as Official Kit Sponsor for Team India

BI India Partner

Our business on e-commerce has almost doubled over the last 3-4 weeks: Abhishek Ganguly, PUMA India and Southeast Asia

Samarpita Banerjee

Puma tries to ignite a stronger women’s narrative by on-boarding Kareena Kapoor Khan as its latest face

BI India Partner

Virat Kohli creates another record but off-the-field, signs Rs 110 crore deal with Puma

BI India Bureau

Indian Super League: What It's All About?

Nandini Sharma

This is how Dr APJ Abdul Kalam touched lives of #AamAadmi

Saba Haider

Puma signs 18 athletes to celebrate diversity in sports ahead of upcoming competitions

BI India Partner

Puma will upcycle used apparel and shoes to reward people in rural areas for ‘good work’

Sanchita Dash

Festive Marketing: Brands are optimistic that improving consumer sentiments will help them bounce back and bring in profitability

Karuna Sharma

The Social Media Push For ISL

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides