Wimbledon Serves Up Cricket Diplomacy to Ace the Indian Market

New Delhi: Wimbledon is strategically targeting the Indian market, leveraging the immense popularity of cricket to expand its brand reach. The presence of prominent Indian cricketers at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) highlights this initiative.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Sachin Tendulkar have been frequent visitors at Wimbledon. Rohit Sharma's photo on Wimbledon's Instagram became their most engaging post ever, generating 4.5 million likes!

AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton has identified India and the US as key markets for growth. Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, discussed the strategy with TimesofIndia.com, emphasizing collaboration over competition with cricket. "Cricket is much loved and certainly king for Indian audiences. So rather than trying to compete with that, I think it's about trying to find interesting ways to collaborate," Dinen said.

Leveraging Cricket's Popularity

Wimbledon is actively seeking ways to integrate with cricket to capture the attention of Indian sports fans.

• Social Media Engagement: Wimbledon collaborated with an Indian social media influencer, providing them with a unique experience at Lord's Cricket Ground and the Wimbledon Championships.
• Cross-Promotion: Star Sports, Wimbledon's broadcast partner, created a tennis-cricket crossover trailer that aired during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dinen highlighted the potential for growth in India, noting that Wimbledon had 60-70 million engagements last year but aims to reach a much larger audience in the country.

Targeting Younger Audiences

Wimbledon recognizes the importance of engaging younger demographics. "Younger audiences and audiences of the future are crucial to us," Dinen stated. The tournament is focusing on content creation for platforms like Instagram and YouTube, ensuring tennis remains central to their approach.

Overcoming Challenges

Organizing events in India is challenging due to the monsoon season. As a solution, AELTC is partnering with PVR INOX to broadcast the finals in theaters.

Utilizing Star Power

Inviting Indian cricket icons like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar to the Royal Box aims to leverage their massive social media followings.

Embracing Technology

Wimbledon is blending tradition with technology, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the fan experience.

• Match Chat Assistant: During live matches, an AI-powered assistant answers fans' questions, providing immediate responses and match analysis.

Dinen emphasized the importance of technology in balancing heritage and innovation, stating, "We continue to embrace technology, and it sits at the heart of the balance between heritage and innovation."