CMO PERSPECTIVE
‘Office-goers find value online’ Rishi Khiani | CEO, Times Internet Limited
This year, IPL is being broadcasted online on Indiatimes.com. Khiani shares the website’s plans: What are your expectations in terms of online viewership of IPL - 5? Season 4 saw significant traction amongst the urban, online Indian audiences across the globe. IPL on Indiatimes saw 76 million views last year, clocking a massive 79% growth compared to the year prior to our having won the rights. We had 18 million users spending on an average 30 minutes per session. We’re anticipating a growth of 20% this year. TV viewership of IPL - 4 was relatively low as compared to the earlier seasons. How do you see this impacting online viewership? We are seeing all signs of online viewership not being impacted by trends across other media. Our figures last year are evidence
enough that young audiences, particularly office-goers, have found value in the web & mobile products. We only expect this to be better this year. What kind of innovations can brands come up with online? When brands associate with super premium content like IPL on the web, part of the value is derived from sheer brand association and partly from customised brand integrations. As part of our sales strategy this year, we prempted this and offered clients multiple properties and advertising innovations for clients like virtual Cheerleaders, video timeline, pre-match show to name a few. Which sector of advertisers do you see coming on board for the online platform? FMCG, Automotive, Consumer electronics, Financial services are the sectors from where we have seen serious interest.
‘IPL - 5 will be the biggest ever’ Anuradha Aggarwal | Vice President, Brand Communication and Insights, Vodafone India
Vodafone has been one of the biggest advertisers during IPL, and has used ZooZoos effectively in the past. Aggarwal shares the company’s plans this year: The IPL rating on a broader note has shown a decline trend. Why do you think it still commands advertiser’s interest? IPL for us has delivered very well both in terms of efficiency of reach and effectiveness of on ground engagement with our customers. The testimony of our commitment has been that we have been on ground sponsor as well as presenting sponsor on TV for the last five years. Any big sport is also a great platform for guerrilla marketing. What is your take on guerrilla marketing in IPL? BCCI has taken stringent measures to safeguard the
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interests of the sponsors and have been quite successful in managing it. The IPL, with its communication this year, has once again taken the carnival theme and upped the entertainment quotient in a different way. What is your view on how this proposition will deliver for IPL? IPL from the onset was broader in engagement than just cricket as a sport. It was designed in a way to appeal to a wider spectrum of consumers. BCCI is doing its best to sustain the excitement surrounding the IPL. The organising committee based on past experiences is the best suited to decide what is needed to attract and deliver increased engagement to consumers and we are confident that IPL 5 will be one of the biggest ever sporting spectacles.