As Vivo and Oppo make key partnership with the BCCI a lot of questions remain unanswered

Chinese mobile handset manufacturer Vivo has retained the Indian Premier League (IPL) title sponsorship rights for the next five seasons (2018-2022) with a winning bid of INR 2199 crores (approximately US $341 million), a jump of 454% over the five-year contract signed in 2012. Vivo first bagged the title sponsorship in October 2015 for two editions from PepsiCo India, who had ended its five-year contract, worth INR 396 crores, two years ahead of schedule. Vivo proved their worth in the past years and was granted the rights also for their successful campaigns.

Relationship between OPPO and VIVO

Either there must be a touch of mystery or it should go down as the highest standards of corporate integrity and either way the mega Vivo bid for the title rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of Oppo remains unexplained. Unexplained, because neither Vivo nor Oppo has come forward to comment on this. Both the companies belong to the same Chinese group and yet they tried to outbid each other for IPL title rights.

This is what sparks the question if the two knew about each others bid but as it appears they certainly were aware of being the only bidders for the title sponsorship rights. BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, when asked the same, in his response, told Mumbai Mirror, “Ask them. Why are you asking me?”

Though Johri didn’t give out anything the paper got an answer from a BCCI official who held the office in the past. “It is because the two brands have the liberty to go full blast on the their approach so that there is no other competitor,” said the former official.

Market expert’s view

The market experts say that while such competition from two brands of the same mother company is surprising but not entirely unprecedented. Lux and Rexona, brands of Uni Lever, were previously competing each other.

Vivo and Oppo’s PR firm when quizzed about the same had a common answer: “At present client is not in India. Team is away for an event. Hence we will not be able to participate in this.”