
ETBWS 2025: Cricket advertising drives full funnel impact
At the 7th edition of the Brand World Summit, organised by ETBrandEquity, a panel of marketing leaders explored how India's most-watched sport can be leveraged for full-funnel impact.
The panel featured Lakshmi Narayanan B, CMO, CEAT Tyres; Inderpreet Singh, head of marketing, Birla Opus; Bhawna Sikka, CMO, Adidas India; Zameer Kochar, CMO, Angel One; Aniruddha Haldar, senior vice-president and business head, commuters, EV and corporate brand, TVS Motor Company; and Robin Das, founder and CEO, Brandintelle.
The power of creativity, particularly in legacy-driven categories such as paints, emerged as a central theme.
'For me, advertising performance hinges on the creative,' stated Singh. 'I've seen it across 23 years of my career, the biggest delta that you get. You can talk about it qualitatively or run market mix modelling; whichever way you do it, it's the creative that makes the final difference much more than efficiency or other parameters.'
Birla Opus entered a competitive paints market dominated by 70–80-year-old brands, and Singh noted that differentiation was non-negotiable. 'We had one brief: be different. If you want to win, you must be very, very different. So that's what it is for me, the power of creativity.'
While creativity sets the stage, cultural integration amplifies its impact, particularly through cricket, which serves as a shared national moment.
'When you say India's largest playground for ads, nothing can beat the IPL,' said Haldar. 'We've tried pure digital, pure TV, and now follow a hybrid, because different consumers are pointedly available on their chosen medium.'
For TVS, which operates in fast-growing categories such as EVs and scooters, brand experiences must extend beyond traditional advertising.
'Cricket reaches the last mile. When RCB is in the final, it's not just Bangalore, it's Bharat. If your ad fits that moment, in that flavour, it gets spoken about and earns its own media,' Haldar added.
Cricket's ability to deliver upper-to-lower funnel continuity is another significant advantage.
'Cricket is the big one,' observed Sikka. 'When you look at BARC data, whether it is Champions Trophy or IPL, this year we've had 350 million audiences on linear TV, 250 million audiences on mobile. For a brand, it's the biggest platform to reach at scale.'
As the official kit sponsor of Team India, Adidas does more than simply buy media; it plays a central role in the fan experience.
'When you see the Indian cricket team play in three stripes, it's unparalleled pride and equity you can't monetise. That's the upper funnel,' Sikka shared. 'Mid to lower is the product: aspiring athletes looking at footwear, fans buying the Team India jersey. During big matches, jersey sales shoot up. Are we there when people want to express their fandom? Absolutely.'
Cricket also contributes to brand saliency in low-frequency purchase categories.
'The media landscape is highly fragmented. You need to be sharp to find the right media mix. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. But cricket is right on top,' noted Narayanan.
CEAT's journey with cricket dates back to 1995 through CEAT Cricket Ratings and, later, a visible on-ground presence during IPL matches.
'For a category like tyres, where buying happens once every five to seven years, cricket opens the top of the funnel not just in India but globally through the diaspora,' said Narayanan.
Kochar emphasised the integration of brand and business objectives. 'Brand and business are two sides of the same coin.' Angel One leverages data-driven media mix modelling, analysing 18 months of data to optimise creative, media choices, and budgets for improved RoI (return on investment).
'Our IPL association boosts visibility, recall, and consumer sentiment, with strong lifts in traffic, installs, leads, and positive business trends such as CAC (customer acquisition costs) and lifetime value,' Kochar added.
Das pointed out that brands can still achieve impact without large budgets by leveraging shared viewing experiences.
'There are ways brands can leverage IPL without spending that much, especially at the bottom of the funnel,' explained Das. 'Things like more streaming, where people watch together and engage, that's something brands can explore. Not every brand has a big budget, but engagement and conversion can happen in those shared moments.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
21 minutes ago
- First Post
Liverpool legend Fowler, Constantine and Jamil among applicants for Indian men's football team job: Report
A large number of 170 coaches have applied for the Indian men's football team head coach role after Manolo Marquez's exit. Some top names in the list are Stephen Constantine, Robbie Fowler, Khalid Jamil, Antonio Lopez Habas and Sergio Lobera. read more A new Indian football team coach is expected to be picked in August. Images: Robbie Fowler on X/Stephen Constantine on X Former India coach Stephen Constantine, Liverpool legends Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell and Jamshedpur FC's Khalid Jamil are among the 170 applicants for the Indian men's football team head coach role, following Manolo Marquez's earlier this month. Marquez, who is back with Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa, left the Indian men's football team head coach position after a one-year tumultuous tenure, which has seen the team plummet to 133rd FIFA ranking. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The AIFF is now in need to quickly find a replacement as India are still fighting to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia. Among the many applicants, the most prominent are former Liverpool footballers Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell, former Barcelona reserves manager Jordi Vinyals and former Brazil U-17 coach Caio Zanardie, as per a report in the Times of India. Former Tajikistan, Maldives and Afghanistan coach Peter Segrt, Mauritania coach Aritz Lopez Garai and Roel Coumans, who was part of the Australian team coaching staff at the 2018 World Cup, have also applied to AIFF. More from Football The Indian football federation, however, is not happy as it feels the 'high-profile' candidates are missing. 'Last year there was massive interest in the job, many of them (current) national team coaches and those who had managed teams at the FIFA World Cup,' a senior AIFF official told TOI. 'This time around, there's also interest from across the world, but not as many high-profile candidates.' Will Constantine get a third tenure? Constantine, who has coached India in 73 matches across two tenures, is one of the most familiar names. He has won multiple tournaments with India, including the LG Cup (2002), SAFF Cup (2015), Tri Nation Series (2017) and Inter-Continental Cup (2018). Antonio Lopez Habas and Sergio Lobera, who have trophies in ISL, are also in contention after applying for the job. Former Punjab FC coach Staikos Vergetis, who won the I-League with them, has also applied. The list of Indian coaches who have applied for the top job includes Khalid Jamil, Sanjoy Sen and Santosh Kashyap. The AIFF is still to pick a list of final candidates, who will be interviewed before a final appointment is made. India's next match is against Singapore, away from home, but they may also play some friendlies in September and October FIFA windows. They are currently at the bottom of their group in the final round of qualifiers after losing 1-0 to Hong Kong last month. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India still have four matches left in the group, but only the winner will qualify for the Asian Cup, which means the Blue Tigers must aim for four wins out of all remaining matches.


The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Student-Centric Counselling Gaining Ground Among Study Abroad Aspirants
Hyderabad, July 19 — As international education becomes more competitive and outcome driven, students from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are becoming increasingly selective about their overseas education choices. What was once influenced by advertisements and promotional events is now guided by informed decisions and measurable success. At the center of this transition is i20Fever – Yathapu Consulting, a Hyderabad based firm quietly reshaping the landscape of overseas education counseling through ethics, accuracy, and a deeply student focused approach. Founded in 2006, i20Fever – Yathapu Consulting has guided over 33,000+ students to globally ranked universities across the USA, Australia, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, and France. Operating eight branches across Hyderabad, Warangal, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam, and powered by a team of more than 150 professionals, the consultancy's influence spans both metropolitan and tier-two cities. Their approach combines regional insight with global exposure, an advantage that today's students are increasingly seeking. At the helm is Mr. Naveen Yathapu, a Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, USA) alumnus, who also serves as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors at AIRC (American International Recruitment Council). Under his leadership, the firm has consistently upheld international best practices while catering to the unique needs of Indian students, a balance that resonates strongly with aspirants looking for transparent and reliable guidance. Education Fair to Bring Global Opportunities Under One Roof On July 26, i20Fever is organizing its flagship USA & Australia Education Fair at Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, from 10 AM to 4 PM. This year's edition will host representatives from over 40+ reputed universities, offering students and working professionals a platform to receive on-the-spot profile evaluations, scholarship insights, and visa guidance. While the event is focused on the USA and Australia, it also includes dedicated help desks for UK, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and France, enabling students to explore multi-destination plans based on their profile and goals. The fair is expected to draw a strong turnout, continuing the firm's tradition of high impact engagements every academic year. Students Prioritize Outcomes, Not Just Admissions Today's students are more concerned with long term outcomes, career prospects, visa sustainability, and return on investment, than with flashy promotional campaigns. With increasingly complex visa regulations, competitive application cycles, and evolving English proficiency requirements, aspirants are placing their trust in counselors who provide accurate, timely, and personalized support. Students from engineering, management, public health, and emerging tech domains are now choosing firms that offer data backed counseling, curated university shortlists, and rapid application processing. At i20Fever, a 48 hour turnaround for applications, real time updates, and systematic follow up have become standard practice, earning them the trust of students aiming for globally competitive programs. Credibility Is the New Currency In a crowded counseling market, track record and institutional affiliations are proving more persuasive than advertising budgets. Families are increasingly relying on word-of-mouth references and verified success histories. For many, the combination of i20Fever's alumni base across top global universities and its leadership's international credentials offer a level of assurance that's hard to replicate. The demand is no longer just for an offer letter, it's for a guided journey that addresses financial planning, visa compliance, and post-study pathways. Consultants with the ability to connect local realities with international requirements are now shaping the future of global student mobility. Southern India's Growing Footprint in International Education As observed over the past three years, students from the southern states particularly Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are increasingly placing their trust in i20Fever – Yathapu Consulting when it comes to overseas education. The consultancy has consistently emerged as a top choice among aspirants, thanks to its proven track record of placing students in leading global universities. Whether it's securing a STEM admit in the U.S., enrolling in engineering programs in Australia, pursuing healthcare in Canada, a business degree in the UK, pharmacy in Ireland, or automobile engineering in Germany, students are no longer swayed by flashy campaigns. Instead, they are making informed decisions driven by results, transparency, and personalized guidance. In this evolving landscape, i20Fever continues to lead with a student-first approach, setting the benchmark for ethical and outcome-oriented counseling across the region. For more details please visit 'This article is part of sponsored content programme.'


Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
Roger Binny disqualified as BCCI chief after turning 70, but may not step down just yet. Here's why
BCCI President Roger Binny turned 70 on 19 July, leading to uncertainty over whether the former India cricketer can continue in his role given that the BCCI constitution does not support it. The Supreme Court-approved BCCI constitution stipulates that any office-bearer who turns 70 is disqualified from holding office. Multiple reports then suggested that BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla could be appointed interim president. However, a new report by Hindustan Times, citing sources, states that Binny could continue in a caretaker capacity as BCCI President without signing any official documents. Moreover, the National Sports Bill, which is slated to be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session, could further complicate matters. While the BCCI does not function on government grants, the body is a part of the National Sports Federation, which could bring it under the bill's provisions. The new bill includes a provision to increase the upper age limit for office-bearers of national sports federations from 70 to 75. It states that any individual between the ages of 70 and 75 can contest elections and seek nominations, provided it complies with international charters and the concerned body's bye-laws do not prevent it. If the bill eventually becomes law, it could potentially allow Binny to retain his position as BCCI President, given that there is no age cap in ICC statutes. As per a recent PTI report, Binny is expected to get in touch with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and the board's legal department to ascertain the way forward. The Indian cricket board has not issued an official statement on the matter. Top BCCI officials are currently returning from Singapore after attending the ICC Annual Conference. The PTI report states that the BCCI is currently discussing whether to install Shukla as president for two months or wait for the Sports Bill to come into effect.