If you ask what’s that common thread that ties most of India together, it is undoubtedly a good game of Cricket. It connects with people irrespective of geography, age group, gender, and economic status, and no better example of this than the IPL.
The Indian Premiere League has been a runaway success, since its first season in 2008. It not only connects with the metro audience but also tier 2-3, rural, and even international audiences. No wonder, there is a growing number of electric vehicle makers who are keen on associating with the brand to popularise the new technology.
Tata Motors, Ather Energy, and Ampere Vehicles are some of the marquee EV brands that have associated themselves with the ongoing Tata IPL 2023. Explaining the rationale, Sandeep Goyal, Founder, Mogae Group says, “IPL ensures quick brand awareness build up even though costs are high. But it does guarantee mass visibility in a very short window of exposure. Electric vehicle makers are using that opportunity for quick catapulting to consumer consciousness.”
Harish Bijoor of Harish Bijoor Consults too agreed, “IPL is a medium that draws big eyeballs. Any medium such as this is bound to attract those who desperately need connection with eyeballs. The EV category is one such.”
Automakers and association with Tata IPL 2023
Tata Motors has had long association with sporting events and this year Tiago.ev has become the Official Partner of IPL 2023. This will no doubt allow increased awareness about electric vehicles and also enhance the talks around EVs, while showcasing and driving engagement.
For Greaves Electric Mobility CEO Sanjay Behl, the decision to explore a partnership for Ampere with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is based on two key factors. The massive following for cricket in India and Tata IPL’s broadcast reach across different age groups, genders, and regions. “Secondly, Ampere intends to expand the awareness and reach of its brand and by partnering with RCB. which is the world’s first Carbon Positive Cricket franchise, with year-round sustainability initiatives in waste management, recycling our goal of promoting sustainability aligns well,” he added.
For Bengaluru-based Ather Energy, this is the second time it has been associated with the event. Pranesh Urs, Head Marketing, Ather Energy tells Financial Express, that the company’s association with IPL is an opportunity to meet larger brand goals. As it expands its retail footprint in the form of Ather Space Experience Centres throughout the country to meet demand, its partnership with IPL franchise Gujarat Titans as the Principal Sponsor helps build brand awareness and salience amongst prospects across India.
“IPL also attracts a broad set of demographics, from Metros to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, allowing us to penetrate deeper in markets and put EVs in the consideration set. We have seen over the last couple of decades on how brands have leveraged cricket to reach and engage with customers. It’s no different for automotive brands. Whether it’s new or emerging or established brands, all have benefited by associating with cricket,” he explained.
Return on Investment
But is the investment yielding suitable returns? According to Behl, Return on Investment (RoI) for EV players advertising/associating with the IPL can vary depending on several factors such as the level of investment, marketing strategy, and target audience.
However, associating with IPL provides several benefits such as being able to reach a broad demographic and showcase ones products and services. EV players can also enhance their brand recognition, build customer loyalty, and engage with fans through various promotional activities and events.
“Secondly, the IPL has a strong digital presence, and the tournament is widely followed on social media platforms. Thus, EV players can leverage this digital audience to create engaging content and campaigns that resonate with the target audience. Lastly, as more and more people become environmentally conscious, the demand for EVs is likely to increase. By associating with the IPL, EV players can tap into this growing market and position themselves as leaders in the industry,” he elaborated.
Ather Energy’s Urs too agreed to it, “As the awareness around E2W brands is still low, associating with IPL helps the brands to attract new customers in newer markets. The short-term RoI is the engagement that brands can drive with the consumers to drive brand awareness, brand interest, and consideration. In the long term, it helps take the brand narrative to a large audience segment and will help in building the brand imagery metrics when executed in the right way.”
Branding gurus take
Bijoor believed that for brands associating with IPL “the RoI is short-term but return on passion is long-term. Being associated with IPL is a tag of pride for brands today. With the Jio cinema free telecast of content format, IPL is all about bigger and unmissable eyeballs. To that extent, the show is getting bigger, wider, and deeper into the hinterland markets that will count in the future.”
Goyal added that “IPL ensures quick brand awareness build up even though costs are high. But it does guarantee mass visibility in a very short window of exposure. EVs are using that opportunity for quick catapulting to consumer consciousness.”
On the other hand, Ambi Parameswaran has a different take, “IPL is the biggest platform to reach prospective EV buyers. But IPL is very expensive, and it will be difficult to justify the premium paid. The only logic is that you want to create a positive attitude around the brand. In the case of Tata Motors, what they do on IPL for their EV will also have a rub-off effect on their IC-cars. In the case of pure-play EV makers, I suppose the idea is to create a leadership image around their EV scooters.”
Targeting customers in Tier 2-3 regions
It comes as no surprise that the IPL provides a good opportunity for EV makers to make faster inroads, especially in terms of awareness in Tier 2 and 3 cities. According to Ather’s Urs, “We are confident that our association with the defending IPL champions, and our engaging campaign will not only increase brand awareness in Tier 2-3 cities but also showcase how well Ather 450 products are engineered. This also sets the tone and probably stimulates our consumers to think about what they should seek while buying a new scooter.”
Behl too is confident about the positive impact of partnering with IPL, especially in tier 2-3 cities, “Additionally, Tier 2-3 cities are often considered untapped markets for several brands and industries. By associating with the IPL and focusing on these markets, brands can expand their reach and connect with new customers. Furthermore, these cities have a more localized culture and language, making it easier for brands to tailor their marketing campaigns and messaging to resonate with the local audience.”
