Lukewarm response for CWG merchandise

We spoke about Premier Brands pulling out from its association with CWG 2010 in our September issue. However, the same company got back in action in September, keeping in mind the national interest. Luxor on other hand is the official writing instruments licensee for CWG for all its brands including Parker, Pilot and Waterman in India.

 

Premier Brands’ merchandise: Up and there

We now have an array of products (29 types) which are up for sale across Delhi. The merchandise were available at all the competition venues and games village as well as at the high footfall areas in the capital including international and domestic airport terminals, metro stations, selected railway stations and retail outlets. Apart from the official shops, the merchandise was made available to the student community as well. Premier Brands arranged mobile shop vans for sale of these merchandises.

 

The official games merchandise was available at the store set up at the OC headquarters and comprised of branded sportswear like T-shirts, jackets, casual wear, kids apparels, generic items like umbrellas, key-chains, mugs among others. The product prices ranged from Rs 25-300 and no product was priced more than Rs 300 in the first phase of the merchandise launch.

 

The combined celebrations of the Commonwealth Games and the Diwali season during the same time of the year call for a special addition. As per the information provided by Premier Brands, CWG coins (Gold and Silver) would be up for sale during the Diwali season.  In an effort for people to store the memories of the XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 in precious metals, these innovative items would also be made available. The coins would carry the Commonwealth design elements and other attractive motifs.

 

Luxor: pen power

Parker, one of world’s leading manufacturer and renowned pen specialist since 1888, also unveiled a special edition Parker Duofold pens, uniquely designed and handcrafted, to mark the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010.

 

“Coveted as masterpieces for more than a century, Parker offers an exclusive range of luxurious writing instruments. Legends in their own right, Parker’s Duofold has been the preferred choice of the elites and royal families of the world. Duofold, which has constantly reinvented itself to maintain its numero uno position in the category, this time it has drawn inspiration from the XIX Commonwealth Games which represents the true essence of the brand with its grandeur and exuberance”, says, Pooja Jain, Executive Director, Luxor Group.

 

The commemorative edition of pens has a distinctive collection of nineteen intricately crafted Parker Duofold pens epitomizing the XIX Commonwealth Games.

 

Third person’s view 

Wasim Basir, Director-Integrated Marketing Communications, Coca Cola India says, “One of the best things that CWG has done is that it has made us aware that there are many more sports that existed beyond cricket. That’s the most important thing that the organisers have done, having brought this game to us because now my 9 year old wants to go for a cycling event more than he wants to go to watch an IPL match. That’s in itself is a big achievement because he never knew that cycling was a competitive sport till now! The sale of licensed merchandise shows that the people want to keep a part of this memory for them. If you look at all the sporting events that I’ve been to around the world, these items form a part of my ‘show and tell’ element when I grow old and that’s what people do!”

 

This mainly implies that there are opportunities galore out there in the country. Amar Shankar, Senior Manager-Business Advisory Services, Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd opines, “Sports licensing, always traditionally, leads the path or pack. The largest group to target is mainly the kids. Creating products which cater to the kids, creating them to the kids’ fancy will certainly do well. If you look at Walt Disney, I would not be surprised to know that their licensing programme is more than that of any sports licensing programme.”

 

“However, CWG is definitely an opportunity. We’ve had some hiccups as far as the licensing programme is concerned. The Polo youth licensing was exceptional (great price, great products, and great off take). But, all this will happen only when there is a platform, when there are brands which people go and buy. I think, it will take another 3-4 years from now,” he further adds.

 

Happy ending?

When we talk about FIFA and the upcoming London Olympics 2012, things are way better and much more organised. With two years to go for the event, a wide range of Olympic and Paralympic products are already up at the official website for the interested customers to grab. Also, in case of the Beijing Olympics, merchandising sales commenced almost three years prior to the event.

 

Even in a non-soccer playing nation like the USA, sales of official FIFA World Cup merchandise crossed $35 million. The response in India has also been great with great footfalls and sales in stores like Puma which offered an array of FIFA merchandise at their stores.

 

Though, the expectations of the licensees have not really met the kind of target they had aspired for, but the response has been pretty good and the merchandise is going off the shelves really fast. The games merchandise sales are sky-rocketing but they have come to see the daylight too late, it seems!

 

Out of the merchandise platter, the T-shirts, vuvuzelas and Shera soft toys have proved to be the biggest hits so far. Other goods adorning the shelves are caps; visors; badges (small and big); notepads (50 pages and 100 pages); plates, national flags with the national anthem engraved in it; cover for mobile phones and laptops; sippers and musical instruments.

 

The Organising Committee also appointed Fast Trax Food Pvt Ltd as its food licensee for all the 12 stadiums of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 and Media Village at ITPO. Fast Trax sold CWG tickets at their restaurants located all over the city, along with iconic CWG merchandise like sippers, mugs, glasses, etc.

 

However, there have been many setbacks in this regard, with even the Delhi Police  overruling the committee’s order to set up 63 CWG merchandise stores inside the stadium venues for security reasons, and ordering the removal of the existing 17 merchandise stores from the stadium.

 

 

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