The rising 'woman power' in Indian sports is changing the dynamics of the marketing world
Films like Dangal, Chak De! India and Mary Kom celebrate the success stories of women in sports. The most recent and outstanding example of women shining in the arena is the winners' tally of the Commonwealth Games being held at Gold Coast, Queensland in Australia. From weightlifting and table tennis to air rifle events, Indian sportswomen have made the country proud. This has not gone unnoticed by brands as well.
The rising 'woman power' in Indian sports is changing the dynamics of the marketing world. They are not only entering a world where cricketers rule, but also giving tough competition to Bollywood celebrities. According to a Duff and Phelps 2017 report, female athletes are today emerging as the first choice to promote fashion, banking, health and home products.
Sportswomen in India are taking big steps in the endorsement world, so much so that in the Forbes 2017 celebrity rich list, ace badminton player PV Sindhu took the 13th spot with earnings of Rs 57.25 crore. And that’s not it: she climbed 49 points from previous year’s list, thanks to 16 brand endorsements in 2017, which helped boost her earnings by almost 1,600 per cent.
After winning a silver medal at the Rio Games, Sindhu inked an endorsement deal worth Rs 500 million from Baseline Ventures, a sports marketing, entertainment and brand licensing firm. This is the highest contract offered to a non-cricketing sportsperson in India.
In addition to Baseline Ventures, she also endorses various companies/products including Apis Himalaya Honey, Bank of Baroda, Bridgestone India, Gatorade, Moov, Myntra, Ojasvita, Panasonic batteries, Vizag Steel and Yonex.
Industry experts say it is the potent purchasing power of women that is leading to growing interest in female athletes. And Sindhu is not the only recipient of this growing interest. Saina Nehwal entered the big league of the endorsement space after signing a Rs 120 million, 3-year sponsorship-cum-endorsement deal with financial services group Edelweiss. She currently endorses Herbalife, Huawei Honor and Savlon.
Indian freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik, after winning a bronze medal at the 2016 summer Olympics, signed several deals and endorsements such as the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative and Nissan’s Datsun.
Sania Mirza, a lawn tennis aficionado, became the first Indian to be ranked World No. 1 in WTA's doubles rankings and won the Padma Bhushan in 2016. She endorses products like FabB and Vencobb Chicken. She is also the brand ambassador for the state of Telangana.
The success of these players give a positive signal to those trying to make it big in sports, especially with the number of women on the rise. According to data compiled in March 2015 by Indiaspend, women participation in village, district, state, and national-level sports has grown 328 per cent over the past four years.