FMCG companies and cellular service providers are investing more in their brand building plans in order to gain higher visibility for their brands during the Indian Premier League-III.
For instance, the Godrej Group, as an associate sponsor of the mega event, has hiked investment in the brand building plans by 20%, while Vodafone, on-ground & co presenting sponsor for broadcast, has considerably increased its media spend to connect with consumers. In fact, Vodafone has launched 29 new advertisement films featuring ?Zoozoos? supported by on-ground initiatives and consumer promotions during the cricket extravaganza.
Likewise, PepsiCo India, as the beverages sponsor for Mumbai Indians, is spending more on in-stadium advertising, ground activation and high-voltage television campaigns to lure sports lovers. ?Encouraged by the response to their participation in the previous editions of IPL, many Indian advertisers are increasing their investments in brand building exercises this year,? said an analyst based in Mumbai.
On the group?s IPL strategy, Tanya Dubhash, executive director & president (marketing), Godrej Industries, said: ?We find the IPL as an ideal platform to showcase our new initiatives. So, we are spending more on brand building plans for all our products this year compared to the previous year.?
According to Dubash, the group is increasing its media spend by 20% to promote their brands during IPL-III.? During the first season, we unveiled our brand new logo for Godrej with the ad line, brighter living. This year, we are promoting our digital initiative, GoJiyo.com, she explained.
According to a spokesperson from Vodafone, the company has launched a slew of on-ground initiatives including customer engagement through an SMS-based contest and animations on the LED boards this year. ?The IPL is like the Super Bowl of India attracting the maximum eyeballs. We try to use this opportunity to communicate, differentiate and engage with our consumers. Through 29 new films, the Zoozoos will be seen outside Zoozoo land to spell out our brand promise,? he added.
Meanwhile, other sponsors such as PepsiCo India and Nokia India are adding more punch to their advertising strategies with new online and offline initiatives.
Leading media planners point out that Indian advertisers are getting ready to spend more on mass media and ground promotions as the matches gain momentum in the next two weeks. ?Yes, many advertisers are increasing their ad budgets disproportionately to grab eyeballs this year,? summed up Punitha Arumugam, chairman of Madison Media.