What the 2025 IPL Taught Us About Brand Building in the Age of Public Everything

The Day RCB Finally Won – What the 2025 IPL Taught Us About Brand Building in the Age of Public Everything By David D’Souza Last night in Ahmedabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally did it. After 17 seasons of heartbreak, memes, and shattered fan hopes, RCB lifted the IPL 2025 trophy — beating a resolute Punjab Super Kings in a final that had more emotion than all 70 matches leading up to it. Virat Kohli didn’t punch the air or leap into a huddle. He just knelt. Right there in the middle of the pitch. Bent his head low. Stayed still. And let it all wash over him. His eyes were moist. His face was folded in silence. He didn’t need to speak. A few moments later, the team rushed in. They didn’t leap onto him. They bent down next to him. Teammates, some younger by a decade, leaned in and placed their hands gently on his shoulder. There was no screaming. No selfies. Just reverence. And then, the most intimate image of all. Anushka Sharma, who had watched every ball from the stands, came down quietly. No brand ambassadorship. No sponsor lens. Just a wife walking toward her husband. They hugged, tightly, like only people who have lived through years of public scrutiny can. That scene — more than the winning six, more than the fireworks — will live in the memory of cricket fans and brand custodians alike. Because what Kohli had achieved was not just a win. It was closure. It was 17 years of noise melting into one moment of stillness. Brand Kohli: The Long Game Wins In an age where athletes switch franchises with the speed of changing Spotify playlists, Kohli stayed rooted. Same city, same colours, same mission. Every year, he faced taunts, trolls, and ticker-tape failures but never walked away. Last night’s win wasn’t a trophy moment. It was a trust moment. A reminder that in a world obsessed with rebrands and reinventions, there’s power in showing up season after season, even when the world says you’re done. Marketers, take note. There’s a place for virality. Nothing beats a long-form story with emotional closure. Punjab Super Kings: From Noisy to Notable Credit where it’s due: Punjab Super Kings have grown into one of the most respected sides in the league. From punchline to powerhouse, their climb has been steady — built on discipline, data, and a little less drama. Led by the quietly commanding Shreyas Iyer, they played smart, spoke less, and stayed focused. Iyer, in particular, came of age this season. No chest-thumping. No rehearsed soundbites. Just clarity of thought and calmness under fire. The kind of leadership sponsors quietly admire and fans slowly grow to trust. His evolution from flamboyant stroke-maker to mature tactician mirrors what many personal brands need today — a move from flash to substance. Not every leader needs to be loud. Welcome to the IPL-verse Let’s be honest. The IPL is no longer a cricket tournament. It is a pan-Indian, hyper-social, brand-saturated entertainment spectacle. It lives simultaneously in stadiums, living rooms, memes, X threads, and Instagram reels. Every team owner this season was on camera, scrutinised by fans, sponsors, commentators, and body language experts. Smile too much? Arrogant. Don’t smile at all? Bad energy. Say something emotional? Scripted. Don’t say anything? Disengaged. Welcome to the age of public everything, where every twitch can become a talking point. For communication professionals, this is familiar territory. We now advise CEOs not just on what to say but how to sit during a panel. Like the IPL, corporate India is under 24/7 surveillance. We’re all content, whether we like it or not. Mumbai: Almost There, Not Quite Mumbai Indians showed flashes of brilliance this year. Rohit Sharma found form just in time, Bumrah bowled like a man possessed, and there were whispers of the old MI magic returning. Timing is everything. In a tournament that rewards momentum, they peaked just a bit too early. As a legacy brand, Mumbai still carries heft. This season was a gentle nudge. Fresh challengers are leaner, hungrier, and smarter. You can’t live off past performance anymore. Great brands need re-tuning, not just relaunches. Especially when younger teams are rewriting the rules. Five Brand Lessons from IPL 2025 This season gave us more than just matches. It offered a free MBA in branding, reputation, and emotional intelligence: 1. Stick to the story. Kohli’s loyalty became his most valuable asset. 2. Consistency is the new charisma. Punjab’s rise wasn’t overnight. It was methodical. 3. Leadership evolves. Shreyas Iyer went from boy to boss without yelling. 4. Perception is performance. Owners, sponsors, even mascot reactions became part of the brand story. 5. Emotion drives recall. The most shared clips? Not sixes. Not wickets. Just that one tear rolling down Kohli’s cheek. The Final Image Of all the things that happened last night, the image that will remain with me is this: Kohli, kneeling alone on the Ahmedabad pitch, head bowed, before he rose to meet the embrace of teammates and the arms of his wife. There was no speech. No brand pitch. Just a man who stayed, who endured, who finally won. In a world chasing constant reinvention, that moment — raw, real, and gloriously unscripted — was a reminder of the power of sticking with your story. Until next fortnight,