MAM
MEC launches Partnership Intelligence study
Mumbai: MEC, media and planning agency and a founding partner of GroupM, has announced the launch of its global research study Partnership Intelligence.
Partnership Intelligence is an online tool that enables in-depth analysis into consumer interest, media consumption and attitudes towards partnership platforms including Sport, TV programming, Art, Entertainment and other global properties.
This Partnership Intelligence global research has been conducted via an online survey across 17 markets including India, with a sample size of 1500 in each market.
Besides delivering an analysis of property attributes, the tool also provides “comprehensive assessment” of the potential fit of a property with a brand‘s own values.
MEC national director- Analytics and Insight Geetha Shiv said, “Partnership Intelligence provides insights that help in deciding the most effective partnerships for brands based on how engaged their Target Audience is with different properties. It also helps select properties based on image profiles that fit with brand values.”
Some of the key findings from the research include among cricketing properties, ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup were considered the most preferred with ‘love‘ and ‘like‘ score of 80-81 per cent. IPL only came third with a 71 per cent ‘love‘ and ‘like‘ score. FIFA World Cup had the highest interest among non-cricket properties with 66 per cent ‘love‘ and ‘like‘ score whereas Formula1 is far below in the seventh position with a score of only 51 per cent.
The research also revealed that loyalty towards teams was translated with the national cricket team scoring the highest at 75 per cent ‘love‘ and ‘like‘ score, followed by the National Hockey and Olympics teams at 59 per cent and 54 per cent respectively.
Within the entertainment segment KBC dominated television reality shows cutting across age groups. Other than KBC, Dance India Dance (62 per cent), Indian Idol and Sa Re Ga Ma (59 per cent) and India‘s Got Talent (56 per cent) are among the Top five properties.
The interest in KBC is greater than IPL as per the study. KBC is the only non-cricket property with a ‘love‘ and ‘like‘ score of 74 per cent, which made it to top five properties in MEC‘s Partnership Intelligence study.
MEC India managing director T Gangadhar says, “This is a unique, never-done-before study that helps advertisers make choices between seemingly disparate opportunities. It offers an intelligent view on how one can go about choosing the right partnership or association for a specific brand. The study offers terrific insights based on people‘s motivations and choices.”
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
