April is the time when marketers finalize new ad budgets for the year. With IPL and elections overlapping this year, advertisers prioritise these two major events, driving ad expenditure growth and pushing up ad rates.
However, this season also sees an interesting trend. With a focus on digital, advertisers are exploring smaller budget investments, boosting overall ad volume.
In a conversation with Storyboard18, Deleise Ross, senior vice president and business head at MudraMax, discusses evolving trends, ad expenditure growth, leading advertising categories, and more.
Edited excerpts
What is the kind of increase in ad spends that you are noticing this April due to the combined impact of IPL and elections?
The ad spends are estimated to increase in the range of eight percent to15 percent. Most brands have new budgets for the financial year and that will result in an overall increase.
On IPL, advertisers can now choose to opt to have the choice of experimenting with smaller budgets as well. This option of investing smaller budgets is also possible which is giving first time advertisers an option to experiment with the sport.
What are the top ad spending categories experiencing the biggest surge in AdeX due to the combined effect of IPL and the upcoming elections?
Large spenders like auto, BFSI, consumer electricals (seasonal products like air conditioners, fans, refrigerators) are most likely to top ad spends.
What are the specific goals that brands are looking to achieve with their advertising campaigns during this period of heightened viewership?
Increase in sales is what most brands / advertisers are looking for during this period of heightened viewership. To ensure this is achieved, most advertisers plan new communications, product launches and specific offers which enable them to make the most of this period.
Can you tell us which genres of programming are performing best in terms of ad viewership during the IPL and election season?
News is the genre which is gaining most in terms of viewership during this IPL and election period. Advertisers have multiple options within Hindi, regional and English news channels to opt from.
How significant is the ad rate growth compared to usual periods, considering both IPL and election?
The ad rate growth is close to 25 percent – 35 percent during the election period. This is due to the basic demand of both the properties. Most advertisers are planning and budgeting IPL and Election in depth as they would for the festive period. Additionally, advertisers closing plans earlier are getting effective rates compared to those opting for last minute buys.
Besides IPL and elections, are there any other upcoming events or trends that you anticipate will impact media buying strategies?
T2O World Cup is the next sporting event, which is estimated to garner high eyeballs, followed by the regular mix of reality, game shows and talent shows.
Read More: EXCLUSIVE: Elections will drive exponential growth in news viewership: Havas Media’s Uday Mohan