Contemporary study of Commonwealth games – analysis of Marketing strategy

Abstract

Organized every four years, Commonwealth Games are the third-largest multi-sport event in the world, after the Summer Olympic Games and the Asian Games. The 2010 Commonwealth Games were held in Delhi, India from 3rd-14th October, 2010. The Games are the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in India, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The total budget estimated for hosting the Games has been US$ 1.6 billion and this amount excludes non-sports-related infrastructure development in the city like airports, roads and other structures. This has made the 2010 Commonwealth Games the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever, being larger than the previous games in Melbourne 2006 (approx. US$ 1.1 billion). In this scenario, expectations were huge from India. All eyes were on India to prove that it matches the high international standards set by Mel Bourne and Beijing in the recent past. Games of this stature always present the host country a unique opportunity to leave its mark on the world and allow it to cash on to the opportunity of deriving immense social, economic and political benefits out of the Games. A major contributor to the success of a multi-sport international event of this grandeur and scale is the marketing strategy adopted by the home country. Effective marketing strategy can make the event successful in two ways - by making it popular and by earning money that can cover some of the costs of the event. As is evident from hundreds of news articles, time and again, the Games have been surrounded by many controversies, including political interference and being over-budget with exorbitant sponsoring rates, to name a few.