Exclusive: Mastercard’s Raja Rajamannar on the BCCI deal, cricket and sports marketing

"We are truly a mass brand and we want to be able to connect to people. Our brand positioning is about “connecting everyone through priceless possibilities”... cricket provides us with deep penetration across all the segments," says Raja Rajamannar, global CMCO, Mastercard.

The global CMO of Mastercard talks about sponsoring cricket and other sports and how to break advertising clutter.

Simply Speaking: A brand mosaic and the little things that make it

Distinctive assets make brands much more recognizable by the public. You don’t even need to mention its name for it to be remembered. (Representational image: Giulia May via Unsplash)

Think of Netflix’s “ta-dum”, Tiffany’s patent colour, Coca-Cola’s red or Nike’s swoosh. Then think if you recall anything more. Do you need to?

BCCI cricket sponsorship rights – what’s in it for Mastercard?

The title sponsorship spot with BCCI could play an instrumental role in bringing back the excitement in the credit card category, say experts. (File image)

Mastercard is set to replace Paytm as the title sponsor for BCCI’s international and domestic cricket matches till 2023. This move can put the credit cards major back in the spotlight which had shifted to digital wallets and BNPL products.