| MARKETING: The Chennai Open is courting a record number of marketing partnerships.
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| When was the last time a non-cricket sporting event in India had 27 sponsors? Even if you jog down memory lane, the answer you’re most likely to come up with is: “Never.” Until now, that is.
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| Chennai Open 2007, however, has managed to pull off an incredible feat by roping in as many as 27 sponsors. Among the many new sponsors at this tennis event, the one that stands out head and shoulders above the others is probably Rolex. Rolex is the official sponsor for both Wimbledon and some of the ATP Masters tennis tournaments.
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| Why has the Chennai Open suddenly become so hot? “It is not a sudden thing that has happened,” explains Balu Nair, managing director, IMG/TWI South Asia.
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| “Just like Kolkata has been the football capital and, probably, Punjab the hockey capital, Chennai has developed as India’s tennis capital over the years.”
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| The Chennai Open is in its 12th edition this year and has regularly attracted big names, both from the corporate world and the tennis world. A big brand name is attached to almost everything that can be associated with tennis.
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| You have Boost as the official beverage sponsor, Mercedes Benz as official car carrier, Iodex as official back pain reliever, Panasonic as official television sponsor…you get the picture?
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| While the money surrounding the event has almost doubled, Nair refuses to divulge the exact figure. The prize money is around $400,000, besides which there are cash awards available as well. “Sports concepts need to be packaged and presented well in order to grab a large slice of ad spends,” says Nair.
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| The event also has platinum and gold sponsors on the basis of the amount of money offered by them. For instance, any brand offering more than Rs 1 crore is a platinum sponsor, while a brand offering more than Rs 50 lakh is a gold sponsor.
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| Platinum sponsors include Indian Oil and BSNL, while Larsen & Toubro and Saint Gobain are gold sponsors. Barring the sporting aspect, charity and lifestyle events, such as a players’ fashion show and teaching clinics for children could be organised. The Open will see world number two Rafael Nadal playing at Chennai. |
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