Power Play @ IPL 2015: ‘Strong focus on creating exciting content and engagement on digital platforms'

Have your investment gone up or down over the years since 2008? What explains this?

 

The IPL accounts for our biggest marketing spends on any event. United Breweries spends between 17 and 20 per cent of its annual advertising budget on the IPL. The company is increasing its overall advertising budget by about 10 per cent this year, and hence there will be a marginal increment in the investment in IPL 2015.

 

Has the nature of leveraging the association changed over the years?

 

UBL is the 'Good Times' partner for seven of the eight IPL teams, with the exception of KKR. Our association does not end with merely the sponsorship; we invest our efforts into effectively leveraging this association through a plethora of innovative marketing initiatives. Over the years, we have introduced several fun engagements with the objective of getting fans closer to the cricketers and consequently, the brand. With the recent onset of social media, we are strongly focusing on creating exciting content and engagement on our digital platforms.

 

Why have you associated with the IPL?

 

The single most loved and followed sport in India is cricket, and within cricket, the IPL stands for much more than just a sporting event. The IPL offers the most appropriate mix of glamour, entertainment, sport and style, which is perfectly synonymous with our tagline ‘The King of Good Times’. I enjoy terming the IPL as India’s biggest reality show! For India, it is bigger than the FIFA World Cup, it’s bigger than the Cricket World Cup, it’s bigger than Formula One and even the Olympics.

 

Did you advertise on air during the World Cup as well?

 

UBL is not associated with the World Cup.