Exclusive - VP & Head, Marketing & Communications, South Asia at Mastercard talks about company’s gender equality efforts in cricket

Mastercard has implemented a series of initiatives designed to support women-led sports, including financial aid, mentorship, training, and access to networks. The company has also invested in a number of partnerships and sponsorships to advance diversity and inclusion within the sports industry.

The company also supports the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO). The latter celebrates women’s achievements in the business and provides mentorship and resources to help female entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies.

The organization provides access to financial services, mentorship and training programs, and digital tools to support women-owned businesses.

Mastercard is launching a global advertising campaign called Women of Tomorrow to celebrate the courage, strength, and ambition of women across the world. It features stories of female entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders from around the world.

The company's support for women in sports is a prime example of their commitment to diversity, inclusion, and good governance in sports. This can be easily observed through their projects, from the major sponsorship deals across football and cricket to their inspiring #HalkeMeinMattLo campaign.

The company is helping to create a brighter future for women in sports by continuing to invest in and support women’s-led sports, helping to build a more inclusive and diverse sports community, and working to create a more equitable future for all women in sports.

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VP Manasi Narasimhan sheds light on Mastercard’s endeavors to create opportunities for women in sports

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Business of Sports, Manasi Narasimhan, the Vice President & Head, Marketing & Communications, South Asia at Mastercard, outlined the company's strategy for promoting gender equality in sports. She also threw light on the commitment to create equal opportunities for women in the sports industry:

“Mastercard Worldwide has been a great believer in gender diversity, both as an employer and in what we do externally. In addition, promoting women in sports is a big part of our sponsorship focus. The company is very much invested in women, making it a natural extension of their support for women in sports.”

India is the title sponsor of all international cricket matches (both women's and men's) through its partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Historically, Mastercard has sponsored female tennis and golf athletes, the Indian women's cricket team, the Indian women's hockey team, and the Women’s Rugby World Cup tournament.

Elaborating further on the situation in India and how Mastercard is having a positive impact on women’s cricket, Mrs. Narasimhan stated:

“Cricket is a national passion point in India, it is the one passion that unites the country. Having said that, women athletes do not get the same recognition that men do. There are exceptions, but in general, women's sports are not as widely followed, although the gap is decreasing.”

India has faced some challenges in promoting gender equality in sports, such as a lack of visibility for female athletes and a lack of awareness and understanding among the public. To address these hurdles, Mastercard has taken steps to increase visibility and understanding through its #HalkeMeinMattLo campaign. The logic is simple - half the country is made up of women.

If you have to be an excellent athlete, the training and the effort you need to put in is very, very high, whether you are a man or a woman. Additionally, most women in this country have to fight a patriarchal society to get ahead in life and sports. So when they do make it, they deserve every bit of recognition.

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Introduction of the #HalkeMeinMattLo campaign, a source of inspiration for the next generation of female athletes

The #HalkeMeinMattLo is a campaign that, through a series of videos, displays the stories of female athletes in India with the intention of inspiring the next generation of players. The content features some of India's most inspiring female athletes and role models such as Shafali Verma and Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar.

The objectives of this campaign were to get people to watch women's cricket, highlight how the sport is as exciting as the men's game, and thus encourage people to come and cheer for India.

The campaign was done in partnership with the BCCI, which ties in their goals to gender diversity in cricket. In support, the body posted the videos on their website and social media handles because they understood the goal was not about selling products but about athletes and their stories. The interesting part was that a product was never in any piece of content.

Evaluating the success of the #HalkeMeinMattLo campaign Mrs. Narasimhan stated:

"In my marketing career of 20 years now, there have been many good campaigns, but personally, very few have given me the kind of satisfaction that this one did see DY Patil stadium sold out for India Australia Women. The is a very long way to go before India becomes a great sporting nation. Having said that, every step counts to reach our Ultimate Goal."

Mastercard's marketing efforts in the direction of diversity is helping them engage with their audience. MS Dhoni has been an ambassador for the company since 2018, and his involvement aligns with efforts to promote gender equality in sports. He has been an active part of the #HalkeMeinMattLo campaign, appearing in the campaign's videos and helping spread the message of gender equality in sports.

It has been a very successful partnership. His upbringing in Ranchi, his popularity in all parts of India, and most importantly, Dhoni himself is a passionate advocate of women's cricket.

With the women's IPL around the corner, women's cricket will be getting the spotlight that it never had.

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How Mastercard used its unique sonic tune to connect with audiences

Mastercard has a unique initiative called the Sonic Trophy Initiative, which has a very significant audio brand known as Sonic Tune. The jingle is an instantly recognizable piece of music that the audience links to the company.

Sonic melodies are common across the world, but they have certain regional nuances. The overall melody is undeniably that of the company, but it has a different flavor than, say, Latin America versus the Middle East versus, say, India.

The localisation of the jingle was made through a great fan-engagement activation. During it, fans had to record their cheers for India in their own unique way and send these audio files to Mastercard’s Instagram handle. The company used all these cheers to add to its unique melody. When the winning captain lifts the trophy, this new hyper-localised and specifically curated tune is played.

When asked about how the impact or sponsorship of such campaigns is measured, Mrs. Narasimhan gave us a great insight into consumer behavior, saying:

“Any marketing investment will always have two broad objectives. One is to improve the brand or to strengthen brand attributes in whatever measure. Improvement of the brand is done through the driving of business.”

She further talked about sports is an "enabler" and works as the "passion point" that aids the audience in connecting to Mastercard:

“Sport is an enabler of driving business for companies. It is a passion point where the audience can connect to the brand. This is because for the consumers their passion point is priceless. There is a state of incredible passion and energy in India when people go out there to watch cricket. That is a passion point that audience links back to Mastercard.”

Commenting on the limitations of advertising and the potential benefits of sponsorship strategies, Mrs. Narasimhan said:

"As a marketer, I understand the importance of targeting the right passion points. Many organizations associate themselves with sports through advertising and marketing, but I believe that a sponsorship strategy is more effective. The limited advertisement slots and the high competition for them, along with the rise of ad blockers and premium accounts, make advertising a risky venture. Although some advertisements may be memorable, the audience often perceives them as an interruption."

Explaining how advertising poses certain limitations and challenges and how many people still perceive it as an interruption, she said:

"Firstly, in advertising, there is a limited advertisement slot and bidding for advertisements is highly competitive. Secondly, there is a high risk of aversion to advertisements such as ad blockers and premium accounts to name a few. Even though certain advertisements are memorable. In general, the audience perceives ads as an interruption."

By investing in the initiatives mentioned above, Mastercard is making a lasting impact on the future of women in sports. Through its commitment and dedication to promoting gender equality, it is helping to create a level playing field with equal opportunities for all athletes, and providing a platform for female athletes to achieve their full potential.

Mastercard is dedicated to creating a more inclusive workplace environment. It has developed a comprehensive, diverse, and inclusive program that is designed to ensure equal access and opportunities for all employees.

It wants to make a lasting impact in the industry by investing in partnerships and sponsorships. The company is also committed to creating a culture of inclusion and respect in the sports industry and beyond.