Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Blue Ocean Strategy in Indian Premiere Cricket League

IPL Cricket has been an example of innovation in services & attracting consumers. It showed how competition brings improvement. It reminds me of US NFL franchise football, which attracts the prime time viewers to great deal. I remember cricket used to be boring affairs, 5 days, white clothes, only oldies cheering on the Lords benches. Then innovative Aussie cricket C Pecker style came with color clothes, white ball, fun and frolic. Every innovation changed the rule of the game, it changed the way people perceived the game, money and fame followed. IPLs three hours version, with Bollywood stuff, fast, fun, and celeb combined cracked the prime time soap operas and IPL became the household name. IPL success reminds of an insightful book Blue Ocean Strategy, as an example of creating a new and uncontested playing field, creating an arena where the competition simply cannot compete, as the rules of the game have changed. The pure circus companies, saddled with their costs of maintaining traditional animal shows, etc, were not able to copy the format, and Cirque carved out a lucrative niche for itself.
Cricket at LORDS was a royal affair, and then five days was not exciting for masses. IPL version is an awesome example of Blue Ocean Strategy, attracting the range of masses on the bottom of the pyramid, be it housewives or professionals.

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