Nissan turns to cricket to lure Indian buyers

Nissan Motor Co has entered into an eight-year sponsorship agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC), a company executive said, in a bid by the Japanese car maker to boost its small market share in cricket-crazy India.

Nissan's passenger vehicles sales in India fell 24 percent to 19,563 in the six months from April to September, compared with the same period a year ago, giving it a 1.5 percent share of the market, industry data showed.

India is forecast to become the world's third-largest car market by 2020.

The slowdown in India sales has forced Nissan and its global carmaking alliance partner Renault SA to cut several hundred jobs in the country and reduce production at its plant near Chennai.

ICC is cricket's world governing body and India is a key member and its biggest revenue contributor.

The deal, whose value was not given, runs through 2023 and confirms Nissan as a sponsor of cricket's international tournaments.

"We have a long term view in India... we want to grow India to at least a 5 percent market share over time," Roel de Vries, global head of marketing and brand strategy at Nissan, told Reuters on Wednesday.

"Cricket itself will not do this. But cricket together with the dealers, good customer satisfaction and with good products gives us a very good chance," he said.

Commenting on the new partnership, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “The ICC is delighted to welcome Nissan on board as a Global Partner and we look forward to working together for the next eight years to deliver a strong partnership at all ICC’s global events.

“Nissan is one of the world’s leading motor companies and boasts a strong international presence in both new and established markets. Nissan’s values are closely aligned to those of the ICC, to be innovative, with a strong focus on delivering exciting and unique experiences for our fans and stakeholders.

“We are delighted to welcome such a strong brand to our growing commercial portfolio and we would like to thank Nissan for their support.”

Nissan spends about 5 percent of its marketing budget on sponsoring sports events.

Nissan's decision comes amid media reports that PepsiCo wants to end its title sponsorship of the scandal-hit Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the world's richest sports leagues with $3.5 billion estimated brand value.

Roel de Vries, Corporate Vice President and Global Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy, said: “Innovation that excites is what Nissan does, and as partners with the ICC we will introduce ways to enrich the experience of cricket fans through our rights with the global trophy tour, the flag bearer programme and new live event experiences.

"We're excited to be part of the global cricketing family and to be involved in some of the world's most prestigious and popular tournaments. Our aim is to share with cricket fans around the world the excitement of the game and our cars. Both are created by people who have passion for what they do.”