As India gears up for another cricket season, marketers and advertisers are gearing up to capitalise on insights from the recent report titled ‘The Cricket Playbook for Growth Marketers.’ The report, jointly presented by mobile marketing analytics platform Adjust and Smart Lock Screen platform Glance, offers guidance for growth marketers seeking to leverage mobile advertising opportunities during cricket season.
The report delves into trends and insights regarding user behaviour and content consumption during cricket season, offering best practices for engaging with cricket enthusiasts, particularly on smart surfaces. It emphasises the importance of embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to generate personalised content at scale, tailor user experiences, drive efficiencies, and measure success effectively.
One key finding highlighted in the report is the significant role played by mobile devices, particularly during Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. With 73% of IPL viewers tuning into the tournament digitally, and 52% of them opting to watch matches on both TV and mobile, it’s evident that mobile has become an integral part of the cricket-watching experience. Additionally, 30% of viewers prefer watching the IPL solely on mobile, compared to 18% who prefer TV.
“Owing to soaring costs during this sporting tournament, mobile becomes a preferred, innovative and lucrative medium for advertisers compared to traditional platforms. In fact, 73% of IPL viewers tuned into the tournament digitally last year, and 30% prefer watching it solely on mobile. The advent of smart surfaces like the Glance smart lock screen that facilitate effortless app downloads with a single tap is a game changer. We are glad to share these insights with the marketing community in collaboration with an industry partner like Adjust,” Vasuta Agarwal, chief business officer, InMobi Group, said.
The emergence of smart lock screens, such as those offered by Glance, has transformed the way cricket enthusiasts consume match updates. With 75 million people checking scores daily on average during the 2023 cricket season, the smart lock screen has become a go-to destination for instant match updates. Notably, engagement with cricket content on smart lock screens is 2.6 times higher than average during the cricket season.
During the IPL, e-commerce apps witnessed a 16% increase in installs compared to the overall 2023 daily install average. Gaming apps experienced a 15% rise in installs during the IPL, while streaming apps saw a significant 45% surge in installs compared to the overall daily average in 2023.
Moreover, the average session length on apps during the IPL was 24.04 minutes, slightly higher than the yearly average of 23.52 minutes. Streaming apps registered the longest average session length, with an increase from 20.24 minutes to 32.48 minutes during the cricket season. News apps also witnessed an increase in session lengths, from 8.62 minutes to 9.63 minutes during the IPL.
“Adjust empowers marketers to navigate the dynamic landscape of mobile advertising with confidence and precision. Our robust measurement solutions enable marketers to seamlessly evaluate user quality across diverse acquisition channels, including innovative platforms like Glance. With Adjust’s comprehensive user lifecycle tracking and innovative products like incrementality, marketers can unlock the full potential of their campaigns, harnessing the power of tentpole sporting events to drive growth and maximize ROI. Together with Glance, we’re shaping the future of app marketing, delivering actionable insights and best practices to fuel success in the competitive mobile landscape,” added Ajit Pawar, director of partnerships – APAC, Adjust.
Despite the focus on cricket matches, users continued to engage with various app categories, highlighting the enduring appeal of mobile devices as a second screen during cricket season. This sustained engagement was reflected in the rise in retention rates, which increased from the yearly average of 20% to 20.5% during the IPL. Games saw the most significant increase in retention, rising by 3 percentage points from 21% to 24%.