To be sure, building a sports brand in the country is a challenge, especially given that it is a category the Indian consumer is not exposed to.
Clearly, the biggest challenge is to create brands as well as brand loyalty for teams which will play for cities but under names such as Deccan Chargers and DareDevils.
Besides, there won't be any national pride at stake as the miscellaneous teams will showcase Indian and international cricketing talent.
According to Ogilvy's Giri, the real task of building the brand lies in each team building its own polarised fan following and getting fans to enjoy every IPL match.
"That's easier said than done. Chennai, for instance, has no love lost for Dhoni," says Dentsu's Goyal.
Besides, Indians are not exactly known for their pride in the cities they live or work in. Cricket fans cheer only for the national team when it is pitched against other countries.
Image: Delhi and District Cricket Association Executive Committee President Arun Jaitley addresees a gathering after the unveiling of the name and logo of the Delhi team | Photograph: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images
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