iWorld
KlugKlug report Cadbury dominates Valentine’s influencer game
Cadbury deploys 472 creators for 15.6M views, Hershey’s and Galaxy trail far behind.
MUMBAI: Cadbury didn’t just melt hearts this Valentine’s, it melted the competition’s chances with sheer creator firepower. Creator intelligence platform Klugklug has released its deep-dive report “Why Valentine’s Day Still Belongs to Silk?”, analysing three months of influencer activity across the chocolate category. The study reveals how sustained, high-density creator deployment builds lasting cultural dominance far more effectively than seasonal marketing bursts.
Cadbury led decisively, activating 472 creators (mostly nano and micro) to generate 15.6 million views at a 3.13 per cent engagement rate per view. Hershey’s followed with 242 creators, 4.7 million views and 1.95 per cent ER, while Galaxy worked with just 37 creators for 1.4 million views and 1.16 per cent ER.
The report emphasises that category leadership stems not only from volume but from consistent regional penetration, vernacular relevance, emotional association with romance, and repeated cultural touchpoints. Cadbury’s strategic focus on nano/micro creators created unmatched density and depth.
Klugklug warns challenger brands that outspending without out-positioning risks burning budgets for short-term attention rather than long-term memory. Key strategic takeaways include:
Sustained presence creates structural advantage
Market leaders defend share through creator density
Regional depth is a strategic lever, not a tactical add-on
As influencer marketing matures into a performance discipline, the report underscores the need for data-backed, long-horizon strategies over festive-only spikes.
In the sweet science of influence, Cadbury isn’t just winning Valentine’s, it’s rewriting the playbook: flood the feed, own the emotion, and watch the category stay yours for years.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
