Paying Top Dollar for the NY Marathon

Published by Business Standard on November 12, 2013

In the seventies and eighties, Japanese auto firms in America faced a severe backlash as they started gaining market share. They were blamed for stealing US jobs and car sales, with outraged auto workers even smashing Japanese cars in protest. One of the tools that several firms adopted to change the tide of public opinion was to sponsor local cultural events that would make them seem like  insiders.

When India’s largest IT services provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recently announced that it has tied up with the New York Road Runner (NYRR) as its title sponsor, many in the branding world felt a dejaRs vu. NYRR organises the popular New York City Marathon.