Former U.S. athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee gestures during a press conference in New Delhi, India, Nov. 6, 2008 (Last Delhi Half Marathon). Kersee was the event ambassador of Delhi Half Marathon. This year Airtel has roped in Shah Rukh Khan for the event.
Ever since they were introduced in India in 2004, marathons have become something of an annual event on the social calendar, not least because they provide a huge networking opportunity for anyone who is reasonably fit - from common or garden executives to page three and corporate celebs.
For Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom company by subscriber numbers, the 21.09 km Delhi half-marathon on Sunday provides a unique opportunity to build the brand in its largest and oldest market, Delhi.
That's because the Delhi half-marathon, for which Airtel has the title sponsorship for the second year running taking over from its competitor Vodafone (formerly Hutch), provides its brand focused exposure to hundreds of thousands of people from around the world, for several reasons.
Why should a film star be the brand ambassador for sporting event? What has changed in last one yera to prompt company shift BA from a sporting icon to a middle aged non sporting person?
Telecom companies are already facing intense value meltdown due to their own misdeeds.All of them inflated customer base to get spectrum that allowed greedy politicians with support from TRAI to induct more players.Indian telecom sector reminds the bloated US real estate situation that finally sucked the banks to liquidation.A lot of financial institutes who have extended loans to new or existing operators are hiding the facts which may not be the best news for markets.