The Indian Premier League (IPL) season has captured the attention of advertisers and viewers alike, with its immense popularity and widespread reach. Thanks to free streaming on JioCinema, the Digital AdEx has seen a huge boost from sectors such as FMCG, BFSI, and gaming. In a chat with Storyboard18, Sidharth Singh, co-founder, CupShup, an online marketing firm, talks about advertisers witnessing favourable returns on investment on digital spends, leveraging platforms, tailored strategies and more.
Edited excerpts:
What has been the focus of Digital AdEx during this IPL season?
With the limited sample size of clients that we engage with, we foresee FMCG, BFSI and, no prize for guessing, gaming as the focus of Digital AdEx this IPL season. A good monsoon is what the Met has been forecasting, giving hopes of an uplift in rural spending and FMCG clients are out to make a killing. Banks profits are at all-time high and the country with the fastest growth estimates is hungry for credit. The latest filing of banks and PSUs show zooming profits and even the government is planning to hit the reset button on the PSU privatisation plan. This bodes very well for banks that are looking to make the most of fast-paced growth. The gaming industry is in a state of flux despite claiming the lion’s share of AdEx. On the one hand, there are bigger players trying to consolidate their position by roping in big names, on the other there are many small fish who still believe that customers are not close to choosing what is best for them and are looking for options.
Are advertisers seeing a good return on investment from their digital ad campaigns during the IPL?
The fact that IPL claims a staggering 90 percent of the total cricket budget is testimony to the clout of the recently-turned-decacorn cricket razzmatazz. A decacorn is an entity with a valuation above $10 billion. Having said that, whether you get a better return or an average one completely depends on how you make the most of platforms, media options and mix. It isn’t just the players that go out on the field. Entire India gets down now to play and engage with them and thus brands need to come up with tailor-made strategies to make the most of returns. Overall, this IPL has proved true to its promises so far and brands have reaped benefits for playing their cards right.
Have you seen a reduction in wastage of ad spend on digital platforms during the IPL?
It is too early to comment as we are yet to complete the brand lift study for various clients, but initial numbers suggest that there certainly has been a reduction in wastage due to factors like vernacular commentary option and more engagement embedded into the live matches on digital platforms.
Has the move towards free streaming of the IPL benefited both advertisers and viewers?
Definitely, this has been a win-win proposition for both parties. Number one, through CTV, there are multiple feeds available to users, thus, better targeting as well as more reach. Secondly, it is available in 12 regional languages other than English, making the experience personalised. On top of it, engagement with the game is at an all-time high, leading to more and more consumption time.
What are your views on the effectiveness of connected TV advertising during the IPL?
Other than the benefits I already mentioned, CTV gives you an option of surround programming and on-demand IPL content for consumption. Thus, now you are never away from your favourite moments and can relive them as per your convenience. This certainly is giving a lot of firepower to the advertisers.
Do you believe that linear TV will remain as relevant in the coming years as it has been in the past for IPL viewership?
I really believe that CTV is the way forward. With internet penetration increasing and mobile phones and TV units getting cheaper, it is only a matter of time that linear TV would fade away with time only to make way for CTV
Finally, where do you personally prefer to watch the IPL, on linear TV or through digital streaming platforms?
I prefer watching it through digital streaming for the flexibility options that the medium offers.