|
A couple of weeks ago, the official, authorized Indian football jersey showed up on the internet. Manufactured by Nike in Indonesia, its colours were described as Blue Lagoon/Team Orange, it was made of lightweight Breathe Fabric, with Dri-FIT Technology and had "stretch rib panels at the sides" for, we were told, mobility. Super. Social media was far less awed, the most scathing called it a "banyan (men's vest) with an orange border" but most of the anger, it appeared, arose not from the look of the jersey, but its cost. The Indian football jersey to be worn this year by men's team and the u-17 teams at the World Cup will cost Rs. 4695/- online, with Rs. 750 added for shipping (for a lightweight shirt?) -- more than the online price for authentic replica jerseys of Paris St Germain and on par (minus shipping) with Chelsea and FC Barcelona on the official Nike website in India. An official Nike India spokesperson told ESPN, that the team shirt fit into to the official price points, "The pricing of the jersey is at par with Nike's other club and national kits." Quite. Another argument also made is that the technical specs of the replica jersey -- Breathe Fabric/Dri-Fit/Stretch-Rib -- is exactly identical to the Brazil jersey and FCB/Chelsea/PSG shirts, so why should they not cost the same? Okay. The Nike stable usually includes the biggest superstars in every sport and cashes in on their uber-popularity with outrageous pricing of specialised branding: Roger Federer, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Chelsea, the Brazilian football team, PSG, and in India, the cricket team. To extend that same argument to the Indian national football team -- seniors and u-17s -- does however boggle the mind. Why not make a range of cheaper, more sellable fan shirts for the average Indian football fan, at a time when India is going to host its first FIFA event and hope to spark a football revolution in the country? AIFF Chief Operating Officer Kishore Taid told ESPN on September 14 that the federation had been at work over the past couple of months, "along with our commercial partners and Nike... on making multiple official merchandise for the fans which will be available at much lower price points." The details can't be revealed but an announcement, Taid said, can be expect in the coming week. So Indian fans can wait for the cheaper options that have been promised. Otherwise, they will no doubt do what Indian fans have been doing for decades: buying rip-offs for a few hundred rupees from roadside vendors and flooding into stands with Blue Lagoon/Team Orange made in Tiruppur (world capital of Banyans Without Borders). It's not that merchandising in India is a zero-sum game only because Fake Rules Ok. To fans, a jersey is a piece of the team itself and owning one that is 'genuine' does emit a kind of glow from their wardrobes. Yet in India, regardless of our dreams of global superpowerdom, it is the price that determines how much the fan is willing to spend for the 'genuine' article. It is usually not something that costs a kidney. Take the example of Bengaluru FC, inarguably India's most successful football team -- on and off the pitch -- of the millennium. Yes, they deal with a different brand, so it might be apples and oranges, but look at the options: their replica jersey for their 2017-18 season, manufactured by Puma, costs Rs. 2299/- (shipping charges Rs. 60), and includes a name and number printed on the back. Every season, BFC also sells cheaper shirts at around Rs. 300, along with caps and scarves on their site and at their home venue. Club officials told ESPN the pricing of their merchandise -- which they believe to be an important part of the identity -- was determined by the Bengaluru fan demographic. And, they add, the jerseys are sold out at the end of each season. At the Pro Kabaddi League, the second-most watched league on Indian TV after the Indian Premier League, home team shirts sell at the venue for Rs. 300 and scarves for Rs. 50. At IPL venues, there are usually a range of merchandise available covering all possible price points. And at the u-17 World Cup, the official FIFA merchandise around the event is expected to be around the price range of Rs. 399, Rs. 699 and Rs. 999. The u-17 World Cup will be a good test case for how well Indian football promotes and markets itself. Nike have been sponsors of the Indian football team since 2007 -- if they were to fashion their brand on exclusivity and being seen on celebrities in VIP boxes, that would be their prerogative. But if AIFF doesn't think of the fans on the cheap seats, who will? In two weeks, the world's best young footballers will meet the Indian footballing community. If there is any time to cash in on the goodwill around Indian football, it is now. If they don't jump onto the bandwagon through whatever means are at their disposal -- through their commercial partners or through Nike, and especially through the cheaper jerseys they have promised -- the u-17 World Cup will be an opportunity lost.
|
