Gehna associates with pickleball tournament to test the ground for future opportunities in sports

While the brand did not focus on direct business returns, the event allowed it to connect with a relevant audience in an unconventional setting

Chennai: Jewellery retail brand Gehna sponsored a pickleball tournament in Chennai in early February, bringing together teams that competed over two days. It was the brand’s first involvement in a sports event, and therefore a new experience. While Gehna did not focus on direct business returns, the event allowed it to connect with a relevant audience in an unconventional setting. The brandis now considering future opportunities in sports events and will assess the impact over time to determine how such initiatives fit into its broader brand strategy.

The brand’s decision to sponsor the tournament was influenced by multiple factors. One key reason was that the sport aligns with its target audience, which primarily includes women from the upper-middle class and high-net-worth individuals. Many of the participants and team owners fell within this demographic, making the event a good fit for the brand. “Additionally, one of our representatives, who is also a player, personally supported the event and saw an opportunity to encourage the sport’s growth. This was more about supporting the sport rather than driving sales,” said Vineeth Samdaria, Director of Marketing, Gehna.

The tournament was organized by a close group of people who regularly play the sport. It followed a bidding process where teams were purchased, and players were selected through an auction-style system. The tournament itself was relatively small, with just five teams, each consisting of 15 players, including reserves. Several sponsors other than Gehna also supported the event.

The sponsorship materialized through conversations with event planners, who were mutual friends of some of the Gehna team members. Despite being one of the sponsors, Gehnadid not take part in the bidding process or own a team. Its role was limited to providing financial support. “The players and team owners largely represent our customer base, so it made sense for us to be involved,” Samdaria remarked.

As Gehna did not want todrive immediate sales, it did not put up marketing standees or distribute promotional materials;nor did it offer incentives such as gift cards. Also, Gehna’s marketing team was preoccupied with Valentine’s Day promotions at the time. Instead of treating it as a business-driven initiative, the jeweller utilized the sponsorship to test the ground and explore new engagement opportunities in sports in future.

The event provided visibility to Gehna before an audience that qualifies asits potential customer base, though being the first edition of the event, the overall audience size and media attention were limited. However, the organizers mentioned that the league was registered with a global pickleball tournament registration body, which could help in gaining more recognition in future. Gehna has expressed interest in continuing its support for follow-up tournaments during the year. “We are open to supporting more tournaments in future as the league grows,” said Samdaria.

Gehna has its flagship store at Harrington Road in Chennai.

Written by Aparna Bhowmick

Retail Jeweller India Exclusive