Baseline Ventures’ Ramakrishnan R calls out brands for abandoning athletes after Olympic setbacks

India's overall performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 has been lackluster and in a few cases, unfortunate, marked by several near-misses and setbacks, such as Vinesh Phogat's disqualification and Mirabai Chanu narrowly missing a medal in the women's 49 kg weightlifting event. 

However, there seems to be a pattern where we, as a nation, only celebrate the successes of our athletes and fail to support them during their disappointments. This is evident among brands as well. Last year, brands widely celebrated Neeraj Chopra's historic Olympic gold in javelin, often without proper authorization. This year, many brands similarly congratulated Phogat before her disqualification but offered little support after the setback.

Ramakrishnan R, co-founder of Baseline Ventures, a sports marketing agency that represents Phogat, expressed concern about this trend. He argued that brand custodians, who significantly influence public perceptions of athletes, often eagerly align with athletes poised for success but distance themselves when the athletes fall short. This opportunistic approach undermines the essence of sports and meaningful partnerships. 

On LinkedIn, Ramakrishnan criticized this behavior, stating, "A more troubling trend than moment marketing is when brands focus solely on the success or anticipated success of an athlete just before a medal event and then withdraw when the athlete falls short." He questioned the integrity of such brand partnerships and the true spirit of a sporting nation, emphasizing that setbacks do not diminish an athlete's exceptional skills. He advocated for celebrating athletes' competitiveness at every level of their careers.