Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo: Binda Dey on the marketing legacy of KKR
The grand IPL season is underway, and brands, players, and franchises are all continually vying for supremacy both on and off the field. As Social Samosa kicks off a new series exploring the marketing playbooks of IPL franchises, it is fitting to commence with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), a three-time IPL champion (2012, 2014, 2024), the first cricket franchise to go global, and the first IPL team to launch an anthem with Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo by Vishal-Shekhar.
KKR's journey from a cricket team to a global brand is marked by its expansion into international territories, including the Caribbean Premier League with the Trinbago Knight Riders, and ventures in the UAE and USA, thereby redefining the scope of an IPL franchise.
Established in 2008, KKR is co-owned by Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, and Chawla’s spouse Jay Mehta. A significant factor in KKR's brand appeal is the involvement of Shah Rukh Khan. Beyond his ownership stake, Khan serves as the face of the franchise, leveraging his global fan base to enhance KKR's visibility and marketability.
Financially, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reported steady growth, supported by a diversified revenue model. In FY24, the franchise reported revenues of ₹698 crore, up from ₹322 crore in FY23.
Their revenue channels span media rights, digital platforms, ticketing, and a thriving merchandise ecosystem. The franchise also earned ₹246 crore solely from broadcast revenue in 2024.
Following their 2024 IPL win, KKR’s valuation rose by 19.3% to $216 million. The franchise was also reported as the second-richest team in the IPL with an estimated net worth of ₹9,147 crore in 2024.
According to reports, 20–30% of KKR’s income stems from sponsorships, with marquee brands backing the team.
Additionally, Eden Gardens, which is one of the largest cricket stadiums globally, serves as a key asset. The franchise earns significantly from ticket sales, gate passes, and home-ground matchday experiences, making their Kolkata base not just a fortress, but a financial engine.
At the helm of KKR's marketing evolution is Binda Dey, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Knight Riders Sports. In this interview, we delve into the strategic underpinnings of KKR's marketing journey, exploring how the franchise has adeptly navigated the changing landscapes of fan engagement and digital trends to establish a brand that transcends cricket.
Edited Excerpts:
Looking back at KKR's 18-year marketing journey, what have been the key highlights that defined the brand's evolution? How has the marketing strategy adapted to changing fan behaviours and digital trends?
Looking back at Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) remarkable 18-year marketing journey, the franchise has masterfully evolved into a powerhouse brand by fusing the worlds of sports, entertainment, and technology. From the iconic launch of “Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo” by Vishal-Shekhar to the high-octane fan anthem “Laphao” by Badshah, KKR has consistently invested in emotionally resonant, culturally relevant campaigns that deepen fan loyalty.
As the first cricket franchise to go global, expanding into the Caribbean (2015), UAE, and USA (2023), KKR redefined what it means to be a cricket brand with international resonance.
A frontrunner in digital innovation, the team commands one of the most robust social media ecosystems in the league, offering immersive experiences through digital collectibles, AR filters, and the Knight Club super app, which drives year-round fan engagement via gamification, loyalty rewards, and exclusive content. KKR’s strategy is rooted in insight-driven storytelling, localised outreach including regional language marketing, and strategic collaborations with creators who echo the brand’s ethos.
Additionally, KKR has created a marketing blueprint for the industry by developing original IPs like Living with KKR (with Discovery India, 2014), Knight Club Show (with Star Sports since 2016), KKR Films (sponsored by Amazon Pay, 2020-21), Knight Bite (sponsored by TTK Prestige, 2025), and Train Like a Knight (sponsored by Amul Protein, 2025), elevating fan experience and brand storytelling across formats and platforms.
Does KKR being owned by a Bollywood actor provide a strategic advantage beyond visibility? How does celebrity ownership influence sponsorship deals, fan engagement, and the team's global brand positioning?
Absolutely, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla Mehta provide a strategic edge far beyond visibility. Their presence unlocks a powerful film-sports crossover, creating a unique entertainment-led brand narrative that few sports franchises globally can replicate.
Shah Rukh Khan, with his massive international fanbase, elevates KKR’s appeal across geographies, while his deep understanding of audience sentiment and early embrace of digital media have helped shape a “fan-first” philosophy at the core of KKR’s marketing with focus on high-impact storytelling.
Meanwhile, Juhi Chawla brings purpose-driven credibility to the brand through her sustained advocacy of green initiatives—from eco-friendly waste management at Eden Gardens to tree plantation drives like Plant a 6 and Runs to Roots, which reinforce KKR’s commitment to sustainability and community.
Together, their influence strengthens KKR’s positioning as a purpose-led, globally resonant sports brand rooted in both entertainment and impact.
The decision to register actual stars in the sky with names linked to KKR's motto is an unusual branding move. What was the strategy behind this, and do you see it strengthening the connection with fans?
The decision to register actual stars in the sky and link them to KKR’s iconic motto was designed to elevate the team’s third IPL championship into a culturally resonant moment. With the addition of the third star on the 2025 jersey, marking a decade-long wait since the last title, the campaign strategically leveraged this milestone to create a “cosmic connection” with the Knight identity.
By aligning the activation with a nostalgic cinematic reference of Parzaan Dastur’s “counting stars” moment from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the initiative tapped into pop culture storytelling to deepen emotional engagement.
This non-traditional brand play served as a powerful form of symbolic co-ownership, giving fans a stake in the team’s legacy in a way that’s both personal and timeless. The campaign also unlocked high-impact digital content, social virality, and created a differentiated brand narrative in a cluttered IPL marketing ecosystem.
The team has released multiple numbers of theme songs since its establishment. What role does the theme/anthem songs play in building community and fan loyalty? How do you decide when it's time for a new one?
Theme and anthem songs have played a pivotal role in KKR’s brand-building strategy, acting as powerful tools for sonic branding, community-building, and cultural localisation.
As the first IPL team to launch an anthem, Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo, by Vishal-Shekhar, KKR set the standard for emotional storytelling through music. The anthem has become a core part of the franchise’s brand identity, transcending generations and uniting fans through a shared auditory experience that bridges regional (Bengali-Hindi) and emotional divides. Its enduring resonance is evident in the organic user-generated content it continues to inspire, most recently with a reimagined version by Antara Nandy, amplifying brand reach and fan loyalty.
The release of Laphao in 2020, music by Badshah, was a strategic content refresh aligned with the evolving energy of the fan base, designed to evoke celebration and resilience.
New anthems are introduced as part of larger brand repositioning moments - such as major squad overhauls, shifting brand tone, or milestone seasons, ensuring each track aligns with the team’s narrative arc while reinforcing emotional affinity and fan stickiness across touchpoints.
IPL jersey launches have become much more than just jersey reveals; they are now key marketing moments. How do jersey launches contribute to KKR's merchandising revenue, and what role does exclusivity play in driving fan purchases?
Jersey launch is a much awaited event for any team’s fans and KKR fans take a lot pride in donning the new jersey for the season. Jersey sales contribute significantly to KKR's annual merchandising revenue, but overall the L&M category for sports franchise is gradually evolving. We have SIX5SIX as the exclusive retail partner for our jersey, and the exclusivity of working with a partner helps in developing better design, marketing campaigns and retail distribution plans. Also, it helps keep quality control and enable a partner to monetise the opportunity optimally.
Limited editions typically sell out quickly, one of the reasons why we brought back the iconic OG Black and Gold jersey - exclusively for retail sales. Fan purchasing peaks within weeks of launches and during playoff runs. Digital-first reveals in form of unique drops have increased first-day sales compared to traditional launches.
What is it that the team looks for while associating with sponsors?
Beyond commercial value, KKR seeks sponsorship partners who align with the brand’s core values and long-term vision. We prioritise synergy over short-term gains, focusing on creating multi-year partnerships that go beyond standard brand visibility to deliver integrated marketing solutions across digital, on-ground, and content platforms.
Our approach is rooted in co-creating impactful narratives that drive business outcomes for partners. We especially value associations with brands from Kolkata that are scaling nationally or globally, and we take pride in being part of their growth journey—building a shared success story that goes beyond the boundaries of the game.
KKR's marketing spans traditional and digital media. How do you strike the right balance between TV, print, OOH, and digital-first campaigns? Based on data, which platforms have proven to be the most effective in driving engagement and ticket sales?
The media mix strategy is driven by a clear audience segmentation and objective-first approach. We begin with a season-long marketing blueprint, followed by a content calendar, and only then activate media planning to align with desired outcomes.
Each channel plays a distinct role: digital-first campaigns deliver high engagement, performance marketing, and measurable CTAs; television remains the most effective for mass reach and top-of-funnel brand recall; print and OOH are leveraged for hyper-local impact—particularly in Kolkata—where they drive strong regional affinity and top-of-mind awareness.
On-ground activations like AR booth innovation at stadiums and experiential events build brand love and deepen fan loyalty. Meanwhile, owned platforms like the Knight Club app and our WhatsApp bot enable personalised, data-driven engagement and retargeting, allowing us to activate specific fan cohorts.
How does KKR tailor its content strategy across different social media platforms? Are there distinct engagement patterns you've observed on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook?
KKR’s content strategy is rooted in audience insights and platform-specific behaviour, ensuring each channel delivers tailored engagement. We develop distinct content buckets each season, but stay agile to adapt to evolving algorithms and user trends.
Instagram prioritises short-form, visually rich storytelling to maximise engagement; Twitter functions as our real-time pulse for match updates and live fan interaction; YouTube is optimised for long-form, high-retention content like training footage and behind-the-scenes narratives; while Facebook caters to a broader demographic with community-driven storytelling.
We also house exclusive, premium content on the Knight Club app to drive loyalty and owned engagement. Every creative element - from video length, graphics, edit style, subtitles, to framing, is optimised for platform consumption, especially with the rise of connected TV driving longer video viewership. This multi-platform, format-first strategy enables KKR to deliver high-impact storytelling while deepening fan affinity across digital ecosystems.
Last year, KKR introduced IP's like Knights Dugout, Knights Unplugged and this year, we see Knight Bite and Train like a Knight. What insights drive the creation of new content formats, and what kind of engagement metrics do you track?
The creation of IPs are driven by deep audience insights and evolving content consumption trends. Knights Dugout emerged from fan demand for authentic, behind-the-scenes access and player-driven narratives.
Following the digital success of Knights Unplugged, we extended the format into a large-scale on-ground fan engagement event in 2024, which scaled further in 2025 with over 8,000 fans participating in a LIVE interaction with the full KKR squad at the start of the season. Train Like a Knight tapped into the booming fitness content trend, while Knight Bite leveraged the widespread popularity of food content for lifestyle-led engagement.
We track a robust set of KPIs across platforms; view-through rates, engagement rates, shareability, sentiment analysis, and growth in subscribers and app users, ensuring each IP drives both brand affinity and measurable digital impact.
The Knight Club App reportedly saw half a million downloads and a 70% active user base last IPL season. How has the app's adoption and MAU trended this year? What new features or innovations have been introduced to improve fan engagement, and how does the app complement KKR's broader digital strategy?
The Knight Club App has continued to show strong adoption and sustained engagement, building on last season’s momentum. This year, we’ve introduced innovative features & additions in gamified loyalty programs, second-screen match experiences, and exclusive content drops to deepen fan immersion.
The app plays a pivotal role in KKR’s broader digital ecosystem by enabling rich first-party data collection, personalised user journeys, and direct monetisation through merchandise, ticketing, and partner integrations. Unlike third-party platforms, the app allows us to deliver tailored content and rewards at scale, reinforcing fan loyalty while driving measurable business outcomes.
With IPL evolving each year and fan engagement becoming more immersive, what's next for KKR from a marketing and brand-building perspective? Are there any upcoming innovations or plans in the pipeline that fans can look forward to?
As fan engagement continues to evolve, KKR is set to elevate its brand experience with tech-driven innovations and purpose-led storytelling. Mid-season will see the rollout of immersive digital features designed to deepen fan interaction, alongside a large-scale cause-based campaign that brings the community together in a meaningful way.
A major highlight will be the Knight Golf – a charity fundraiser event on April 22 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, where the brand spotlight champions beyond the field. This builds on our season’s core narrative, Zidd Ki Nayi Hadd, which celebrates relentless spirit both on and off the pitch.
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