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)

Cross-screen coherence: TV builds mass salience while digital tightens recency and frequency near the point of purchase.
Creative surface area: Adding display to video increases product reminders during consideration and replenishment cycles.
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

Pre-book cross-screen inventory and lock video + display bundles.
Run a 2-cell experiment (cross-screen vs. single-screen) in matched regions.
Integrate retail media and JioStar reporting into one incrementality dashboard.
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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Rohil