As Tatas replace Standard Chartered Bank as the new title sponsor of the Mumbai Marathon, sponsorship value rises by 8-10%; SCB cites ‘fresh look at numerous sponsorship avenues available today’ as reason for delink with property that had become synonymous with the brand
By NEETA NAIR
The Mumbai Marathon which had for the last 14 years come to be synonymous with Standard Chartered Bank, just found itself a new title sponsor in the Tata Group. For the next 10 years, India’s most prestigious long distance race will be called the ‘Tata Mumbai Marathon’ (TMM) with its 15th edition scheduled on January 21, 2018. It will be jointly sponsored by the Tata Group and Tata Consultancy Services, which was the associate sponsor for the marathon in its earlier editions.
Vivek Singh, Joint Managing Director, Procam International, the promoter of Mumbai Marathon, says, “The Tatas have always played the bridesmaid’s role in the Mumbai Marathon and when the opportunity came, they were very happy to step up. The Tata Group has had great regard for the property and maintained that if we ever needed a new sponsor, we should approach them first. With the Tatas coming in, the sponsorship amount has gone up by 8-10%. At the moment, Standard Chartered is not part of the event in any way, but who knows, going forward they may.”
Revealing the reason behind distancing themselves from a property with which the brand has had such a successful run, Subhayu Mishra, Head, Corporate Affairs, India, Standard Chartered Bank says, “While we have had a very fulfilling association, a review of evolving consumer preferences calls for a fresh look at the numerous sponsorship avenues that are available today through which to engage our customers and stakeholders. Consequently, we decided that the 2017 edition would be our last sponsorship.”
Meanwhile, the new title sponsors are jubilant about the association with TMM which will interestingly coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Tata Group. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons says, “Partnering with India’s premier long-distance running event is a great way for the Tata Group to increase our engagement with the community, raise funds for charity as well as create societal awareness about the necessity of good health and fitness. As a marathoner, I’m personally proud to support this partnership.”
The Mumbai Marathon, Asia’s largest marathon, has been attracting more than 40,000 runners in the past few years. In 2018, around 45,000 participants across six different race categories are expected to be a part of TMM. Along with the change in sponsorship, a new logo has been unveiled for the property. Interestingly, the logo designed by the ad agency Infectious shows the seven islands of Mumbai and from the space between the islands emerges the shape of a runner depicting the true spirit of Mumbai Marathon. Also for the first time, there will be a 10K timed run exclusively for charity. While actor John Abraham has been the face of the event for more than 12 years, we will perhaps see a change in 2018. Singh explains, “John is very deeply connected with the Mumbai Marathon. From our side it would be a privilege to have him, but it is up to him as to whether he would like to be the face of the marathon even in 2018. This call will be taken closer to the event.”
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