Case Study: Driving FMCG Sales with JioStar During IPL 2025

[Rohil]

Executive Summary

FMCG brands that advertised on JioStar during TATA IPL 2025 delivered a +5.7% average sales uplift across 4,400+ stores, 40+ brands, and 15 categories (Aintu Inc. study). Performance improved with cross-screen mixes (TV + digital), higher investment tiers, and richer formats (video + display). The findings position JioStar’s IPL inventory as a scalable sales-activation lever, not just a reach vehicle.

Business Objective

Convert seasonal IPL reach into measurable store-level sales for FMCG portfolios while identifying the optimal media mix (screen, spend tier, and format) to guide future playbooks.

Context & Challenge

• IPL spikes attention but fragmentation (TV vs. digital, urban vs. rural, modern trade vs. GT) makes it hard to tie ads to scans.

• Marketers need proof of incrementality beyond vanity metrics and a mix model that scales across categories.

Intervention

Brands ran IPL-timed campaigns on JioStar with varied mixes:

• Screens: TV only vs. Digital only vs. Cross-screen

• Formats: Video only vs. Video + display

• Spend tiers: ₹10 cr+ vs. sub-₹10 cr

Measurement Design (Abridged)

• Sample: 4,400+ stores; 40+ brands; 15 FMCG categories

• Windows: Pre-IPL baseline → IPL flight → short tail

• Method: Matched-store comparisons and pre/post analysis controlling for seasonality; category and region fixed effects to reduce noise

• Primary KPI: Value sales uplift (%) versus matched control

Note: As with all field studies, residual confounders (pricing, trade push, distribution changes) are possible; see Limitations.

Results

Headline Impact

• +5.7% average value uplift across participating brands.

Mix That Outperformed

• Cross-screen (TV + Digital): +6.3% vs Single screen: +5.3%
• Higher investment (₹10 cr+): +8.4% vs <₹10 cr: +4.9%
• Video + Display: +7.2% vs Video-only: +5.5%

Category Notes (directional)

• Impulse and beverages saw faster week-1 response; home & personal care built steadier, cumulative gains over the flight.

• Stores with digital-led audiences (higher app usage) showed stronger video+display responsiveness.

What Drove the Gains (Interpretation)

1. Cross-screen coherence: TV builds mass salience while digital tightens recency and frequency near the point of purchase.

2. Creative surface area: Adding display to video increases product reminders during consideration and replenishment cycles.

3. Scale economics: Above the ₹10 cr threshold, brands reach sufficient weekly GRPs/Imps to sustain an always-on presence through the IPL calendar.

Commercial Implications (Back-of-Envelope ROI)

• If a brand’s IPL-period baseline sales are ₹100 cr, a +5.7% uplift ≈ ₹5.7 cr incremental.

• With ₹8 cr media: ROI = 0.71x gross.

• With ₹10 cr+ (avg. +8.4% uplift): incremental ≈ ₹8.4 cr; ROI = 0.84x gross.

• After trade margins and gross margin (e.g., 40–55%), several portfolios clear positive contribution when creative and retail activation are coordinated (bundles, shelf, coupons).

Recommendation: model contribution ROI using brand-specific margins and pass-through; the media mix is close to break-even on gross and typically positive on contribution with in-store support.

Playbook for IPL 2026

Mix & Investment

• Anchor on cross-screen; resist TV-only or digital-only unless budget-constrained.

• Target ₹10–12 cr per core brand (or pooled by category) to hit effective weekly frequency.

• Use video + display; deploy display to sustain mid-flight reminders and last-mile nudges.

Audience & Timing

• Front-load awareness in opening fortnight, then maintain steady weekly pressure; spike again in playoffs/finals.

• Layer retail media (Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon/Flipkart) to capture in-moment demand; synchronize price/promos.

Creative & Merchandising

• Build two creative lines: (1) Mass salience (TV) and (2) Offer/variant reminders (digital/display).

• Mirror claims and packs on PDPs and store shelves; ensure consistent SKU/hero image and inventory in hot ZIPs.

Measurement

• Set up geo-split or matched-store tests with MMM/MTA overlays.

• Track incrementality by screen, format, spend tier, and retailer cohorts.

• Define safety KPIs: out-of-stock rate, price parity, and cost-to-serve during spikes.

Risks & Limitations

• Attribution bleed from concurrent promotions or competitor moves.

• Distribution gaps can cap uplift even with strong media.

• Creative wear-out if weekly rotation is thin; plan 3–4 cutdowns and display variants.

Next Steps

1. Pre-book cross-screen inventory and lock video + display bundles.

2. Run a 2-cell experiment (cross-screen vs. single-screen) in matched regions.

3. Integrate retail media and JioStar reporting into one incrementality dashboard.

4. Align trade plans (fill rates, secondary visibility) to the media calendar to avoid stock-out drag.

One-Slide Summary (for leadership)

• Impact: +5.7% avg uplift (peaks: +8.4% at ₹10 cr+, +7.2% with video+display).

• Winner Mix: Cross-screen > single screen; video+display > video-only.

• So What: Treat JioStar IPL as a sales activation channel; pair with retail media & shelf to convert reach to revenue.

• Do Next: Lock cross-screen, spend at scale, add display, run controlled tests, and tie to in-store execution.

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