A marketing battle between time and targeting: IPL vs Elections

In a country where politics and Cricket reign supreme, the clash between the IPL and The General Elections is not just a scheduling conflict; it is a battle for the hearts and the minds of millions.

Multiple reports from various agencies predict that the Indian advertising sector is poised for unprecedented growth in 2024. The combined influence of IPL and General Elections significantly boosts ad spending and earnings in this ever-growing industry.

Marketers now face a dilemma: Should they focus on the sixes being hit by cricketing greats or take into account the powerful speeches of the politicians? Marketers need to manage the task of artfully juggling their marketing budgets. Before jumping onto either bandwagon, brands need to carefully consider these mega-opportunities and then allocate their funds to reach the right target audience.

The IPL is a much-awaited yearly festival of cricketing brilliance. It is a 2-month-long carnival of pure sporting entertainment. The appeal of IPL is in the glitz, glamour and heart-pounding matches. In 2023, it shattered records with a staggering 51 crore viewers on Disney Star TV, highlighting its unmatched appeal and widespread popularity.

IPL (Indian Premier League) is a powerhouse when it comes to offering opportunities for brands and marketers to enhance their visibility and engagement with audiences. It runs for over two months with daily matches, providing a sustained platform for brands to showcase their products or services. IPL matches attract intense engagement from viewers, creating numerous opportunities for brands to connect with their target audience during every moment of the game. With matches being broadcast on TV, OTT platforms, news channels, and live-streaming websites, IPL offers brands a wide range of touchpoints to reach diverse audience segments.

IPL allows brands to be more creative with their campaigns and experiment with their strategy. It empowers a brand to create its distinct image and shape consumer opinions. The audience is more receptive to fun, interactive experiences during IPL.

Brands can directly invest in IPL advertising through various channels such as ads, banners, and digital presence, ensuring their message reaches a large and engaged audience. Apart from direct advertising, brands can also leverage indirect IPL buys like sponsorships, player affiliations, and team affiliations, which not only enhance visibility but also associate the brand with the excitement and energy of the tournament. For IPL 2024, Jio Cinema has roped in 18 sponsors and 250 advertisers. Further, IPL allows the sponsoring teams to use the players for marketing purposes. It also helps the brands create more content.

Elections, on the other hand, come every 5 years. Further, they cater to a certain niche as opposed to the IPL, which has a wider interest group. Having said that, there definitely can be an overlap in the audience.

Elections present a stark contrast to the prolonged visibility of IPL. Elections are bursts of news offering very sporadic opportunities for marketing. News channels become hubs of activity when it comes to elections. Election coverage is mainly available across all news channels 24*7 with prime time at its peak. The viewer’s interest spikes further on key days like campaign rallies, voting days or during vote counting. Brands need to be smart and quick to capitalise on these pivotal moments and capture the ever-fleeting attention of the audience. IPL matches, despite having a run time of only three hours, have several moments that a brand can capitalise on.

Brands have a unique opportunity to make a strong impact by strategically making the most of both the IPL and Elections. But if the brands were to choose between the two, IPL surely boasts of captivating a wider demographic and a dedicated fanbase. Brands should identify the immense potential within the sporting extravaganza of IPL and align their marketing strategies with the enthusiasm surrounding this event. By engaging with the IPL audience, brands can elevate their visibility and mark their presence. Ultimately, in the contest between the IPL and the elections, IPL emerges as a more vibrant platform, providing marketers with better and more opportunities to score big.