Packaged food companies are betting big on IPL and are set to make significant investments as sponsors on the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL).

Companies in this category are not only associating with IPL teams, but have also inked sponsorship agreements with the official broadcaster Star India, as the tournament is slated to happen during the critical festival season.

Pact with RCB

Nestle India has inked a sponsorship agreement with Royal Challengers Bangalore for its brand Milo. Vineet Singh, Director, Dairy, Nestle India Ltd, said: “Through the partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore team and Milo we extend the brand’s legacy of more than 86 years, of providing budding champions with nutritious energy all over the world. With our campaign #RoarForCricket, we want to provide an opportunity for our consumers to look beyond the many challenges of the ‘new normal’ and relish the excitement and celebration of the cricket season with Milo energy.”

APIS Honey is associating with the IPL for the first time and has signed up as an associate sponsor with Rajasthan Royals. Pankaj Mishra, CEO, Apis India, said, “We always wanted to associate with IPL to leverage on its strong mass viewership but in the past, it was usually scheduled in the April-May period, which is not the key advertising season for us. Since this year, IPL is happening in the third quarter, it coincides with our critical advertising period and we felt it was the right time for us to associate with the tournament.”

Companies such as Mondelez India, ITC Foods and Coca-Cola India have picked up associate sponsorship slots on IPL’s official broadcaster Star India. At a time when the out-of-home consumption channels have been severely disrupted due to the pandemic, experts pointed out that even players such as beverage major Coca-Cola India are associating with the T20 tournament to boost in-home consumption of their products. Due to growing awareness about hygiene and safety, Indian consumers are also increasingly seeking branded products and trusted brands. This has also led key packaged food players to look at leveraging IPL to strengthen their connect with consumers.

Anil Viswanathan, Senior Director – Marketing (Chocolates), Insights & Analytics, Mondelez India, said, “One of the areas where we are seeing significant traction is snacking at home, as part of the ritual of spending more time with family or with oneself. Given this trend, the upcoming IPL season will definitely witness an upsurge in snacking, specifically in-home consumption gaining further precedence.”

“Amplified social media influence has also triggered a trend wherein home-bound consumers are now increasingly looking at ways to indulge in or create at home moments and chocolate consumption is at the centre of it,” he added.

Brand sentiment

Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former marketer, said, “I think consumer goods brands see the IPL as a great opportunity to drive brand sentiment and get consumers’ minds off the pandemic induced gloom. Also with the IPL being prime time viewing for many food and beverage brands it drives both association and consumption in a receptive environment.”

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