Q] We are currently in the middle of the IPL season. How have brand activations around the IPL evolved over the years?
We’re a Bangalore-based agency with 16 years of experience specialising in tactical reward and long-term loyalty programs. Our platform helps brands automate, gamify, and engage with customers, ensuring seamless reward fulfilment and transaction automation. For IPL activations, the approach has evolved from being driven by visibility to ROI, focusing on measurable impact rather than just exposure. Brands now aim to measure the effectiveness of their spends in terms of transactions, first-time buyers, and long-term engagement. The conversation has shifted to how these spends can be both measurable and reusable, with an emphasis on customer retargeting and impactful, data-driven outcomes.
Q] From your introduction of the company, it is evident that you are involved in experiential marketing. Based on your experience, how do you think experiential marketing has changed over the years and how does it tie back to IPL?
IPL's intense fandom and passion make it a perfect fit for experiential marketing. During COVID, a confectionery brand leveraged this by running a campaign where fans could support their teams from home. By giving a missed call, fans gained access to branded AR filters to cheer during match moments, creating a stadium-like experience at home. This activation sparked virality, as people shared their experiences with friends and family. IPL's deep connection to team pride and competitiveness provides rich opportunities for experiential marketing that taps into fans' emotions and drives engagement.
Q] How have AR and VR, as technologies, helped change the experiential game for brands?
AR has become much more accessible in recent years. A few years ago, accessing AR required specific hardware, fast internet, and external apps. Now, with widespread high-speed internet, AR experiences are seamlessly integrated into smartphones, requiring no downloads. This shift has drastically increased accessibility and engagement. AR allows brands to interact in real-time with users, creating richer, more personalised experiences based on their environment, such as weather or pollution levels. This not only increases the time spent with the brand but also enhances storytelling and consumer connection.
Q] How have brands leveraged gamification to have more genuine customer interactions?
Gamification has evolved from a gimmick to a powerful tool for driving transactions. Brands now use gamification to directly impact sales, structuring promotions to deliver ROI. Engagement levels rise significantly when done right, especially in crowded spaces like IPL. For instance, a beverage brand gamified purchases, offering ‘runs’ for each transaction, which could be redeemed for IPL tickets or rewards. This fun, intuitive approach boosted consumer interaction and drove positive sales results during a 60-day window, proving gamification’s power beyond just entertainment.
Q] How are brands balancing digital-first activations with traditional in-stadium experiences during the IPL?
In recent IPL series, offline-only activations have become rare, as brands now recognise the power of digital engagement. While in-stadium activations still happen, they’re always paired with a digital layer to reach a broader audience, especially since millions watch on platforms like Hotstar. Fans today don’t just watch—they want to engage through fantasy leagues and predictions, making a digital component essential. With tech-enabled stadiums enhancing the experience, brands now blend the in-stadium atmosphere with at-home participation, expanding the reach and impact of their activations.
Q] What role do loyalty programs play in IPL activations and marketing?
Loyalty programs often miss the opportunity to integrate with events like IPL, which offers a unique chance to engage customers. Brands should incorporate an IPL flavour into their loyalty programs, leveraging the competitive and passionate nature of the event. For example, running top spender contests or city-based challenges can add excitement. Loyalty programs should evolve throughout the year with new, engaging themes to keep things fresh. Additionally, IPL is a great time to activate loyalty among channel partners like kirana stores or sales teams, creating a buzz and maximising engagement across the board.
Q] How do brands look at sports marketing campaigns, and how do they determine the success of IPL marketing activism?
A decade ago, the focus was on metrics like impressions, reach, and PR mentions. Today, it's all about ROI. Brands now measure success through tangible results like transaction increases, footfall growth, and sales uplift. Participation rates are also key—how many of the targeted audience engaged with the campaign. Sentiment analysis has become crucial, helping brands gauge social media chatter and consumer excitement. Additionally, first-party data generation has gained importance. For example, one brand collected 20 million data points, offering valuable insights that can drive future campaigns and personalisation.
Q] What is the USP of your company?
The USP of our company is that we enable you to run, reward programmes, that will deliver measurable outcomes. So, these are outcomes that any brand will be able to very easily measure at the end of that program in terms of increase in sales and increase in participation. Therefore, everything that we do completely revolves around results, it is outcome-based marketing and it’s supported by rewards and technology.
Q] What is the future focus of your company?
Our company's future focus is on staying ahead of consumer behaviour shifts. We're reinventing ourselves every few years to ensure our reward networks remain relevant, particularly by integrating sustainability initiatives to align with evolving consumer values. We aim to use data more effectively, focusing on enabling transactions rather than overwhelming consumers with reminders. Additionally, we're dedicated to creating future-proof tech solutions that will engage consumers in the coming years. Our approach combines innovation in rewards, technology, and seamless data utilisation to stay relevant and intuitive for consumers.
