PepsiCo, Ceat, Hero spin the gender track

With women cricketers as endorsers, some brands are breaking the stereotype; but there is still a long way to go, say experts

- T E NARASIMHAN

In November last year, anew teen sensation stormed the Indian cricket field. She was Shafali Verma, who became the youngest player of the game to beat Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring a half-century in an international match. She had beaten the odds to don the kit that was originally meant for her brother and also emerged a master player of the game that has a fanatical following in the country.

Verma has just been signed on as the young face of Pepsi, a record of sorts for a woman cricketer to join the ranks of established players on the endorsement track within three months of hitting the international headlines. Apart from Verma, cricketers Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur have also signed on big brands such as CEAT, Hero, Bata’s sportswear brand Power and Amstrad India, among others.

Is the tide turning for women in the game? Not really said experts. “Women's cricket has certainly come of age. But not an age of equity as yet. The happy fact is that we are getting there. The sad fact: not fast enough. The current rush for women cricket stars on the brand endorsement wagon is due to the fact that the sport is attracting eyeballs. Brands love to share that eyeball rub-off effect”, said Harish Bijoor, founder, Harish Bijoor Consults.