Branding consultancy ITW wins rights for cricket tours in South Africa

Sports Management firm ITW Consulting has won the bid for the advertising rights for two major cricket tours coming up in the country next year. The fixtures cover the tours of India and Australia in early 2018, and the firm will now manage the in-stadia marketing of the same.

ITW is an Indian brand management and consulting firm, specialising in multi-faceted solutions and celebrity management, particularly in the sports, entertainment and media sectors. To this end, the firm has developed comprehensive techniques to enhance brand visibility and media buying, thereby widening a client’s target audience. 

In addition, the firm also specialises in sponsorship management, sponsorship activation, and event management, which has earned it a strong reputation in the sports domain in particular. The firm currently operates across four countries, out of eight offices, providing services to more than 1,700 clients.

Now, the firm has expanded its operations further, having acquired the in-stadia advertising rights for two major cricketing tours to South Africa in 2018. The first tour features a visit from the Indian team, which includes three test matches, six ODIs, and three T20s between the 5th of January and the 24th of February.

Subsequently, the firm will cover an Australian tour consisting of four tests, stretching across the month of March. The venues for the fixtures in both series’ will take place in the cities of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Centurion, Durban, and Port Elizabeth. The contract was awarded to ITW due to the higher value for the inventory offered by the firm as compared to other bidders.

As part of the deal, the firm will gain the rights to further sell these in-stadia advertising rights to companies from South Africa and abroad through extensive marketing. With potential clients, the firm can then formalize contracts to commercially optimise the advertising process.

Commenting on the deal, M.S. Muralidharan, Director at ITW said, “We are one of the new generation companies and are delighted to partner with Cricket South Africa and Megapro Marketing (Ry) Ltd for these two series. We are sure that we will be able to build strong and strategic brand associations that will be fruitful for both, the brands and cricket fans across the globe.”

Meanwhile, co-founder of ITW, Bhairav Shanth said, “With utmost pride in bagging these rights, ITW welcomes brands around the world to stand tall with global brands and cherish a seamless branding experience in South Africa, across two months of high octane competitive cricket. The Proteas have always been marquee opponents to the visiting Men in Blue over the last three decades. Its 'Redemption' time for the Indians now playing away from home, post their overhaul by the South Africans during the Freedom Trophy in India, way back in 2015.”

The sporting world is vibrant in South Africa, which will do wonders for its struggling economy. Despite the prevalence of optimism, the country would benefit from the direct and induced revenues that come from sporting events. Recent analysis from Grant Thornton revealed how hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023 could add as much as R27 billion to the South African economy.