Simple Energy, an Indian-origin electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer growing its retail reach, has partnered with four Indian Super League (ISL) league teams, FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, and Kerala Blasters FC. As the official mobility partner, the brand has expanded its sporting reach by taking a key step in integrating with India’s growing football ecosystem.
In the new age sporting business era, brands are rapidly moving beyond traditional marketing to develop deeper, more meaningful customer interactions, and partnerships based on culture and community are gaining popularity. Through these collaborations, the firm hopes to move beyond logo awareness by providing fan-first experiences, increasing regional involvement, and immersing itself in passionate football communities.
Simple Energy is generating chances to interact with viewers in a more natural and engaging way by using football’s strongly engaged and regionally diversified fans. This strategy not only supports its position as a forward-thinking, innovation-driven mobility brand but it also resonates with the company’s overarching goal of providing sustainable, high-performance solutions for the next generation.
To know more about the deal, SportsMint Media got the opportunity to interact with Ms Smitha Rao, General Manager – PR, Marketing and Branding, Simple Energy. In the interview, Ms Rao mentioned about key strategic objectives, quantifying the success of this partnership, and more.
1. What were the key strategic objectives behind partnering with four ISL clubs simultaneously?
Indian football is at an inflection point. When the ecosystem was facing uncertainty, we saw an opportunity to stand for something bigger than visibility. Partnering with four ISL clubs simultaneously was a deliberate choice to support Indian football when it needed belief the most and do so at scale. For us, mobility is not just about movement, but about sustained momentum. Supporting multiple clubs allowed us to back the ecosystem meaningfully rather than selectively. The intent was to demonstrate long-term commitment to the sport and its communities, beyond short-term visibility.
2. Why did Simple Energy choose football, specifically the ISL, as a platform to drive brand growth?
Football is raw, emotional, and deeply community-driven, much like the audiences we speak to. The ISL reflects passion, resilience, and regional identity, particularly in the southern parts of India. These values mirror our own brand philosophy and how we are building Simple Energy. For us, this wasn’t just about reach; it was about relevance. Football allows us to connect with people not as consumers, but as a community. And that’s where real brand growth happens.
3. Beyond putting the logo on a kit, how is Simple Energy integrating the “Mobility Partner” title into the actual match-day logistics or fan experience to drive product trials?
We have consciously moved away from transactional engagement. Instead of pushing products, we’re building experiences. Through initiatives like ‘Simple Experience Zones’ and club-led meet-and-greets across key cities, we are focusing on creating meaningful fan touchpoints rather than product-led promotion. This immerses fans in the spirit of the game, creating moments of joy, camaraderie, and connection with the brand. We are also bringing fans closer to the clubs they love through exclusive meet-and-greets across our stores in Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, and Kerala. These are once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and we want to be the enabler behind them. The intent is to integrate the brand naturally into the matchday ecosystem.
4. How are you quantifying the success of this partnership? Are you looking at lead generation, brand sentiment shifts, or specific regional sales spikes? Given that the teams are mostly from south regions.
Instead of focusing on leads, we are building the brand on trust. We track indicators such as engagement, sentiment, and regional traction. At the same time, our larger focus is on building trust and familiarity over time. Being present in meaningful moments of celebrations and milestones helps us create long-term brand consideration rather than short-term spikes. If we associate the feeling of moving forward with the brand, that’s success for us.
5. Are there plans to leverage player endorsements or club IPs for storytelling and campaigns?
Storytelling is central to our brand approach. We are launching two original digital IPs this month in collaboration with FC Goa and Bengaluru FC. These IPs are designed to go beyond the game and focus on culture, emotion, people, and the human side of football. This allows us to build narratives that go beyond match results. This is just the beginning of how we intend to work with clubs and players.
6. How are you leveraging football’s strong Tier 2 and Tier 3 fanbase to expand adoption of EVs?
Our approach is focused on building familiarity and trust in markets that are often overlooked rather than driving immediate EV adoption. Football already has deep cultural roots in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. By embedding ourselves within that ecosystem, we can engage with the audience in a way that feels organic and locally relevant. As infrastructure and awareness grow, we want Simple to already feel like a known, trusted name – rather than a new entrant trying to convince them.
7. Is this the beginning of a long-term sports marketing strategy for Simple Energy beyond football?
We do not see ourselves as tied to a single sport, we see ourselves as backing ambition wherever it exists. Football is a natural starting point, but our broader intent is to support athletes, teams, platforms and ecosystems that reflect ambition and momentum. If there’s a story of grit, resilience, and forward motion – we want to be part of it.
