Making your presence felt in the cluttered brand space during IPL

How do you stand out in a sea of voices asking for your attention? An ocean probably to bring scale to mind. That is what the Indian Premier League (IPL) is today. It’s more than just a cricket tournament, it is truly one of the biggest marketing spectacles of the world. Each season, brands pour billions into advertising, hoping to capture consumer attention amidst a frenzy of sponsorships, commercials, influencer campaigns, and digital activations. However, with nearly every advertising avenue occupied, the challenge for brands is no longer just about being seen, it’s about being heard and being remembered.

The other challenge is of 'How much is good enough'.  Underexposure runs the risk of the cost of acquisition negating the spends on activating your sponsorship thereby showing negative ROI’s. On the other hand, overexposure can make even the most expensive campaigns fade into the background, leaving marketers struggling to justify their ROI.

So how do we solve this paradox?

Leveraging Moment Marketing, unique brand voices, collaborations 'is the way to go', enhanced and evolved use of content driven by tech, hyper localised campaigns and owning moments beyond the traditional IPL moments.

Brands that react in real-time to in-game events often win the engagement battle. Zomato, Swiggy, and Amul have perfected this strategy by creating witty, contextual ads that tap into viral IPL moments. The key is to be fast, relevant, and entertaining.

Instead of generic cricket-themed campaigns, brands need to carve out their own distinct voice. The one campaign that I’m sure will always occupy mindspace is Cred’s Rahul Dravid 'Indiranagar Ka Gunda' campaign. Timing, creative innovation and humor. Perfect mix. Without even bringing about IPL in any of the communication.

With second-screen engagement at an all-time high, here is the opportunity to gamify your content. In the world of AI and AR, brands need to leverage the world of interactive content. Brands need to spend on data analytics to identify and retarget IPL’s most engaged audiences. AI-driven ad placements, programmatic buys, and geo-fencing can ensure that campaigns reach the right consumers at the right time.

While digital content is king, we cannot forget the importance of on-ground activations at high footfall areas that still have immense potential. I remember working with Acko Insurance in 2022 when they had sponsored 6 IPL teams. Meraki partnered with them to create The Acko Fan Arena- a unique 'drive in match viewing experiences across the 6 team home cities. The experience drove home the product proposition of easy Car Insurances and recorded a significant increase in brand recall that year.

This also leads us to the opportunity of hyper-localisation of consumer engagement. Since IPL viewership spans across India, brands should consider regional language campaigns and hyper-localized storytelling that connects with different state audiences. Partnering with regional influencers can add credibility and act as reach amplifiers.

The key lies always in activating your asset in the right way. Sometimes the loudest in the room is not the most effective. However the one that stays in everyone’s mindspace long after the room is empty, wins. In the battle for consumer attention, creativity and authenticity will always triumph over mere visibility.

This article is penned by Namrata Parekh, Co-founder, Meraki Sport and Entertainment

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.