Rattibha

Royal Challengers Bengaluru is the 2nd most valuable team in IPL
Even though they have never won an IPL trophy!
The crazy part? They are more valuable than the 5-time champion Mumbai Indians!
THREAD: How a trophy-less RCB became the biggest brand of IPL🧵

The first thing that comes in mind after reading that is — what is brand valuation anyway?
It is the process used to calculate the value of a brand or the amount of money another party is prepared to pay for it.

RCB is second in terms of brand valuation right after Chennai Super Kings.
And it has seen a meteoric rise of 52.3% in terms of brand valuation since 2022.
The reason? Fans make up RCB.

The very reason that they have never won IPL, is the reason why RCB has the most loyal fanbase.
Because the most loyal fanbases are cultivated at the intersection of fascination and frustration.

And RCB fans have been through a lot of frustration. Like a lot…
Losing is etched in our memory more than winning.

But when you look back properly, you’d notice that from the outside we only see the end outcome.
We don’t see the kind of matches that were played, the intent that the players showed, and the brand of cricket they displayed throughout their journey.

All that is forgotten from the outside perspective,
but for the fans, these moments always stay alive.
That’s why we need to understand that winning is not the only reason why people watch sports or follow teams.

All this is can be attributed to a psychological phenomenon
— Zeigarnik Effect.
Because of this, the sense of an unfinished business and the anticipation for success keeps the fans engaged and loyal.

But even Punjab Kings or Delhi Capitals have never won and they also had a few close calls, then why isn’t their fanbase like that of RCB?
Think about Punjab Kings for a second.
What does their brand stand for? Nothing comes to mind, right? No core values at all.

Besides that, they couldn’t maintain a constant core group of players like, say, Mumbai did with Rohit, Bumrah, Malinga, Pollard, and Surya.
So, you can’t think of a reason why you should root for them.

But in the case of RCB, their why is pretty clear — they play with all their heart and play bold.
RCB is a symbol of hope and loyalty, no matter what happens.
Irrespective of the outcome, players keep fighting and fans keep supporting.

Their core team remains constant, even when there’s no winning.
And that helps them a lot in creating a premium brand out of RCB.
Also, the core group always consists of stars whose brands extends beyond the game of cricket itself.

The main one being of course — Virat Kohli.
There’s definitely an aspect of player loyalty. Everyone in India loves Virat Kohli and we all tend to be a fan of the team where our favourite player plays.
It’s that simple.

And that helps RCB command a premium pricing from their sponsors because literally everyone wants a piece of Virat.
Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, are on their way to build that player loyalty aspect with Rishabh Pant.

Now, we want to ask you a question
— how many of the teams in the IPL currently can you think of as aspirational premium brands?

RCB quickly pops up in our minds because over the years, they put in a lot of effort to build this persona.
An aspirational brand will automatically command higher valuation, no matter what.
In fact, RCB has been accused of being a content company that happens to play cricket.

This aspirational aspect is what helps RCB not only build multiple streams of income, but also command a premium in every income stream.
The best example being — Ticketing.

Every team makes money from IPL ticket sales, but for RCB’s home matches in the Chinnaswamy,
the price of a ticket varies from ₹2300 to ₹42,350!

While the 5-time champion CSK’s ticket price varies from ₹1500 to ₹18000.

Not only that, RCB has a whole digital gym built out of Virat Kohli’s fitness-based branding called Hustle by RCB.
RCB is the only team doing such unique things.
They are not just a sports team, they are a brand.

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