Ankur Bisen in Livemint: Why Padel and Pickleball are the “New Bollywood” for Marketers
A new strategic battleground is emerging for India’s top consumer brands. From
Zomato and
Swiggy to
McDonald’s and ITC Foods, companies are investing heavily in new-age sports like padel and pickleball.
A new article from
Livemint explores this rapid shift, featuring expert analysis from
Ankur Bisen, Senior Partner at The Knowledge Company.
The article details how these partnerships are moving beyond simple sponsorships to include infrastructure, coaching, and even team ownership, as brands race to capture the attention of a young, affluent, and lifestyle-driven audience.
“Sports is the New Bollywood”
Why are these sports suddenly such a powerful magnet for brands? Ankur Bisen provides a clear and powerful analogy:
“Sports is the new Bollywood in the marketing world. Sports brings together participants rather than just spectators, giving brands multiple points for activation.” — Ankur Bisen, Senior Partner, The Knowledge Company
This is the core of the strategic shift. Unlike passive media consumption, sports like padel and pickleball are inherently social, easy to learn, and build strong urban micro-communities.
Brands are not just buying ad space; they are embedding themselves into a community’s recreational life.
The Shift to “People-Led Marketing”
Ankur explains that these partnerships help “rewire a company’s marketing strategy—shifting it away from traditional advertising to people-led marketing.”
Because the target audience for these premium, new-age sports is so well-defined, it delivers a “sharper reach on digital channels.”
While the investment may be small compared to a national campaign, the long-term advantages in brand recall and loyalty within a high-value demographic are significant.
The “Vanity-Driven” Risk: A Need for Clear ROI
Despite the opportunity, Ankur offers a critical expert warning. The excitement around a new trend can be a trap if not executed with clear business goals. Success depends on thoughtful execution and, most importantly, measurable returns.
“Without clear metrics, the spend risks becoming vanity-driven.”
He notes that companies must be able to convert the “buzz” from these partnerships into tangible outcomes, whether that means increased app activity, higher user retention, deeper loyalty, or a measurable improvement in brand perception.
Supporting Strategic Retail Transformation
Ankur Bisen’s contribution to this discussion exemplifies TKC’s role as a trusted advisor to businesses navigating complex retail and consumer transitions.
Whether it’s category expansion, private label strategy, or Q-commerce profitability, our insights are built on decades of experience and real-world data.
We work closely with clients to evaluate emerging categories through a multi-lens approach—consumer behaviour, infrastructure, margin potential, and operational scalability.
As the retail ecosystem evolves rapidly, our role is to balance ambition with execution reality.
This feature in Livemint aligns with TKC’s ongoing work in:
Brand activation and sports marketing strategy
Consumer trend analysis and strategic forecasting
Go-to-market strategy for new-age CPG brands
Omnichannel and direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy advisory
At TKC, we believe the future of retail will be built on precision, adaptability, and consumer-first thinking—not just speed.
Need help assessing a new category or go-to-market model?
Reach out to TKC for tailored, forward-looking consulting across Q-commerce, food retail, e-commerce, broader retail transformation, and consumer strategy.
