Avoid brand conflicts: IPL to franchises

The Indian Premier League has advised its eight franchisees to avoid brand conflicts "as far as possible" while using top players on their rolls for team endorsements.

The IPL rules specify that each player will have to give ten days to the franchise for team endorsements, which should involve a minimum of three players from the team. But the franchises were reminded by IPL officials at a meeting in Mumbai today to avoid any potential legal hurdles by opting for a safer route.

"Why get into those legal hassles, was the common line at the meeting," a franchise representative who was present at the meeting said. "There is scope for conflict. For instance, we can insist that a top player, who has a personal endorsement with a particular brand, endorse the team which may be associated with a rival brand. And if the player pulls out, he will even have to face a cut in the fee he gets from the team. But we will try to avoid all that."

All the top Indian players have hefty endorsement deals with corporate majors like Pepsi and Reebok while the Australians have global team sponsors like Emirates and Foster's to deal with.

"It's just the first year and everybody is trying to figure out where things stand, so there will be a spirit of accommodation," an Indian cricketer, who is part of the IPL, said.

The IPL officials, including Lalit Modi, its commissioner, also briefed franchise representatives on the rules governing the marketing and branding opportunities available for the tournament.