Brand Sourav

Ten minutes, 16.5 lakh rupees.

That's what was an auction of twelve cricket bats fetched yesterday. Bats used by the poster boy of Bengal cricket- Sourav Ganguly.

The event was held in an urgent aid of 19-year-old Raj Goswami from Siliguri, North Bengal, who needs an immediate liver transplant. His parents can't afford the estimated cost of nearly Rs 25 lakh. When the request to help reached Sourav he wasted no time. In the event he signed one bat after another and the cheering crowd lapped them up.

The last ten months were painful for him. His endorsement kitty absolutely dried up. Only exception was local player Priya that got him endorsing their new potato chips brand. And then he was seen in the Pepsi commercial which made his supporters bleed in mind. The most successful Indian captain said " Main Sourav Ganguly, bhule to nahin?". It must have been hard for him to appear on the ad, but being a truly spirited cricketer, he did it to cheer for Indian team.

Now after making one of the grandest comebacks in the history of cricket, the corporates are queuing up again at his doorstep. But that is not the truest sign of the power of Brand Sourav. It is a business phenomenon and happens to every successful cricketer. Something that perfectly embodies the power of the brand is an event like the one mentioned above.