Reliance ties up with BCCI to launch Campa nationally
This is the big bang entry of the brand that had a rebirth in mid-2022 when Reliance picked it up from Pure Drinks for an estimated value of Rs 22 crore
A relic of the controlled economy in India, Campa is set to rise from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix, waiting to quench the thirst of the nation that is drunk on cricket, aided by a multi-year central sponsorship deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) series played in the country starting this year.
A formal announcement of the deal is expected shortly.
This is the big bang entry of the brand that had a rebirth in mid-2022 when Reliance picked it up from Pure Drinks for an estimated value of Rs 22 crore.
A report in The Economic Times has stated that the Mukesh Ambani-controlled group has already signed the deal for Campa that will allow it exclusive advertisement rights inside the stadium and beverage partnership of all cricket matches played in the country during the tenure of the agreement.
Campa was launched in 1977 soon after the Morarji Desai government forced Coca-Cola to exit the Indian market. But after Coca-Cola and Pepsi hit the Indian markets, Campa failed to survive in the face of superior firepower and marketing blitzkrieg and after sputtering for a few years was quietly buried in 2012.
The deal with BCCI comes right before the summer season when the cola giant duo is expected to battle it out with Campa that will now be aided by the financial and distribution clout of Reliance.
The tenure of deal and the amount of fees the brand paid to the BCCI was not stated in the report.
“Any such exclusive cricket sponsorship is a significant benefit for brands, given the reach and following cricket has in India. Reliance, which had launched Campa Cricket last year in September as a cricket-themed lemon-flavoured sports-based carbonated drink, is expected to be leveraged extensively along with other Campa variants, as part of the partnership,” said an executive, who spoke to the newspaper on conditions of anonymity.
It was communicated last year that Campa will try to grab market share through aggressive pricing. It can also leverage Reliance’s JioMart platform and tie-ups with retail channel.