Winning is Marketing

I said this before. Then it was hockey ('How Zero Marketing can revive Indian hockey'). That the only way to get the businesses to park their money in hockey is by getting viewers to stay glued to hockey matches on TV. And the only way to get viewers to do that is by getting India to win at hockey.

That was then. This is now.

ET reports that, 'thanks to India’s best-ever showing at Olympics, the closing ceremony of Beijing 2008 was a blockbuster hit with Indian TV audiences. According to data from TV viewership measurement agency Audience Map (aMap), the extravaganza unfolding at Beijing’s national stadium was watched by about 30-million viewers on TV all over India (Cable & Satellite, 4+ years audience), much more than the 24-million viewers who watched the Indian Premier League final and the 26-million viewers who watched the T20 World Cup Final 2007.'

Among others (I wonder what?), one of the reasons why Indians take to a boring sport like cricket is 'cos that's the only game at which we are 'world beaters' (read 'world' as countries you can count on your fingertips). In identifying with it, we are in effect living our own fantasy, our own desire to win at the world stage.

Though three medals don't mean a renaissance in Olympic sports in India, it has comprehensively captured the imagination of the Indian public, thirsting for a victory in the greatest ever arena in sport, the Olympics. It sure is gladdening, that in a small way we've now 'been there, done that'.