Mobile advertising: How brands can engage cricket-loving Indians during IPL season 2023

In a country of cricket enthusiasts, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just the biggest tournament

The IPL season is thus the perfect time for brands to engage Indians in eye-catching ways. However, the challenge is to stay relevant and exciting while not interfering with their quest for cricket content.

This piece explores how brands can and must take an innovative approach to their IPL advertising campaigns. We will look at understanding cricket-loving Indian audiences, their habits, and the most effective ways to reach them.

India is always on the field – with mobile

For Indians, watching a match is no longer a passive activity. It involves constantly interacting with content and experiences while they enjoy the game. A 2022 report found that 70% of Indian cricket fans are on their smartphones during matches. They turn to these devices to scroll through social media, watch their favorite celebrities and influencers discussing the ongoing game, and participate in contests.

One of the common ways people use their phones during matches is by checking the score, calling or texting a friend to share a match update, or forwarding a hilarious meme related to a particular match moment.

Indians love non-cricket content that has a cricket spin

While Indian cricket fans are on the lookout for cricket updates, they are eager to interact with other related content as long as it is interesting and relevant.

Be it a celebrity reacting to a match, brand content with a cricketing twist, behind-the-scenes updates, or interactive content such as polls and quizzes, the Indian audience is open to it all during the IPL.

Build your brand’s dream team – with a variety of engaging experiences

It is evident that your brand cannot ignore mobile this IPL. Each time a person picks up their phone to consume cricket content is your chance to engage with them.

The best way to make the most of such a moment is by creating one-click content and experiences that people can access before they unlock their phones. This could take the shape of informative or entertaining content or extremely engaging interactive experiences that stand out.

Let’s have a look at how some brands have achieved this level of one-click engagement on mobile.

upGrad's hilarious cricketing twist on the smart lock screen

As an ed-tech platform that offers professionals the chance to upskill, upGrad wanted to promote its offerings in the field of data science. However, who wants to talk about upskilling during the cricket season? It’s a time when everybody only wants to see the score and other match-related content.

upGrad swung this in its favor by giving data science a cricketing twist. Featuring cricket enthusiast and comedian Vikram Sathaye sharing IPL team and player statistics with office humor, it created 64 videos that not only drove home the brand’s message in an entertaining way but also gave cricket lovers the content they wanted. Each video was contextual to the match that was going on at that moment, making it extremely relevant.

The best part: These videos appeared on the smart lock screen, so people could enjoy them without even having to unlock their phones! All they needed to do was wake their phone up and binge. This made it a true one-click experience.

Sprite’s one-click gaming experience that got cricket lovers to cheer up during heated match moments

In India, Sprite has always been known for its refreshing communication and fun, cheeky take on everyday moments. It is a brand that is a big hit among Indian youth, and this cool masterstroke of a campaign we will now explore is an example of how and why this is such an iconic brand.

We all know how true sportspersons tend to lose themselves in the game and get really upset when things don’t go their way. Indians are no different, and Sprite captured this insight as it continued its campaign, “Din bhaari, life jaari”, which refers to heavy moments and bad days in life. Tapping into every Indian’s passion for cricket and combining it with their love for gaming around the IPL, Sprite created a cricket tournament-themed game called CPL. In the game, the player would face a “bhaari” situation or heavy moment – such as losing a wicket. When the player thought it’d be game over, they could click “Reset with Sprite” and try again. This was a clever way of driving the campaign’s core thought while integrating the beverage known to refresh people.

People could access the game without downloading it before they unlocked their phones. It took them merely one click on the smart lock screen, making it a seamless, unique, and refreshing gaming experience.

So, how can brands have a winning streak during the IPL?

The answer is simple:

• Tap into the power of mobile, where Indian cricket enthusiasts are always present
• Become a part of match moments seamlessly with cricket-related content
• Build a one-click discovery journey for your audience by taking over the smart lock screen

With this approach, there’s no doubt your brand will score.