Dentsu plans to set up sports arm in India to tap opportunities in India

NEW DELHI: Japanese advertising group Dentsu plans to set up a sports arm in India to tap opportunities in the country’s nascent sports marketing segment. “Sports culture in India is catching up fast.

Indians are becoming interested in sports such as tennis, badminton, football, car racing and golf,” said Kunihito Morimura, president and CEO of Dentsu Sports Asia. “Experiential sports events such as marathon is also catching up.” Dentsu has the marketing strategy mandates for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Globally, we have a strong presence in sports. We want to do the same in India,” said Morimura, who is in the country to help set a sports vertical. The agency recently bagged the creative duties of DEN Networks’ Delhi Team in the Indian Super League (ISL).

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, over $18 billion will be invested in sports marketing in Southeast Asia this year, up 4.4% from the previous year. Of this, $12 billion is being spent on sports sponsorship.

With sporting events such as FIFA, IPL and Commonwealth Games gaining popularity, the interest of advertisers in such events has also increased. “Sports’ marketing is in nascent stage here. However, with advertising becoming more integrated with content, brands will have to look at events related to sports,” said Rohit Ohri, executive chairman, Dentsu India & CEO Dentsu Asia Pacific (South) said.