With retail demand forming a substantial portion of its sales in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, The India Cements Ltd. (ICL) has decided to focus on building long-term brand loyalty at the grassroots.
Indicating this at a media briefing here on Wednesday, Rakesh Singh, executive president, ICL, said this exercise required the company to embark on a non-traditional approach.
The title sponsorship of the second edition of Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) was part of this exercise, he added. The sponsorship and the promotional activities built around TNPL would give the company a clear edge over competitors in terms of brand recall and loyalty, he said.
This would help ICL fortify its market position around clusters where TNPL matches were played, he said. Nearly 50-55% sales came from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Retail demand formed almost 75-80% of total sales in these two States.
For ICL, TNPL “is a good opportunity’’ to communicate the brand message to the right person directly.
ICL would foster a sense of loyalty among assorted stakeholders in the value chain by giving them prominent focus in TNPL-related events, Mr. Singh said.
IPL franchise CSK gave ICL a national visibility. Though CSK had since become an independent company, ICL would look at a business association with CSK to build its corporate identity, Mr. Singh said.