MAM
Havas Media Group launches study to understand IPL’s impact on brand health
Havas Sports and Entertainment, which functions under Havas Media Group, in association with YouGov has launched Hi-CRICKET, a proprietary study to understand the impact of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in influencing brand health metrics across categories.
The study, led by the Havas Insight team, has respondents from key cities in India to get a deeper understanding of how a larger-than-life platform such as IPL helps influence mind measures. HI-CRICKET will also answer the role of premium media buys in impacting brand health, one of the most critical questions raised by advertisers today.
The respondents will be interviewed over five phases from 1 April 2021 to 1 June 2021 during IPL 2021. Each phase will track the impact of the game on brand health and capture shifts along with attributes that drive Meaningfulness as the league progresses.
Keeping in line with Havas Group’s Meaningful Brands philosophy, HI-CRICKET 2021 will help brands to further bolster their meaningful connect with consumers and will also identify the most meaningful campaigns during IPL this year. Havas’ Meaningful Brands framework constitutes of benefits brands offer across Functional (What does the product or service deliver?), Personal (How brands improve people's lives?) and Collective parameters (What’s their role in society?). Previous studies had suggested that all these benefits collectively drove brand performance.
Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi said that HI-CRICKET will help advertisers understand the overall impact of their association with IPL.
"This study will help advertisers understand the overall impact of their association with IPL. HI-CRICKET is the first initiative by Havas Insights and Havas Sports and Entertainment; we also intend to take the partnership into other sporting domains such as the Olympics, Hockey, Football, and Kabaddi," said Joshi.
YouGov India general manager Deepa Bhatia said, "Sports assets have impacted the recall of brands globally. YouGov panel constitutes data of 2 lakh active panel respondents who have participated in various surveys. During the IPL season, YouGov will consistently reach out to people who watch IPL to set up the study. Using Havas’ Meaningful attributes, the customized HI-CRICKET study will help us understand what drives meaningfulness for brands and to what extent are campaigns able to drive perceptions for brands based on functional, personal, and collective benefits."
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
