MAM
Everything ‘official’ about sponsorship – cricket advertisers
MUMBAI: This is something which will make the ICC officials smile! Studies conducted by AC Nielsen as well as TAM India show that the official sponsors of the ICC cricket World Cup have managed to keep far ahead of their non-sponsor competitors. This is despite a large number of other brands fiercely competing for mindshare and airtime during the phase of high-decibel advertising and media activity.
Separately conducted studies conclude that the key differentiator between sponsor and non-sponsor advertising has also been the execution employed by the advertisers.
According to the findings from ACNielsen India Customised Research Services’ syndicated survey ‘Cup of Life’, on the impact of media activity during the high profile event, brands Pepsi, LG and Hero Honda topped the table for unprompted recall of World Cup sponsors. Similarly, TAM ADEX analysis released on 2 April also puts Pepsi at the top of the table in all TV homes with a total of 3082 GRPs.
The ACNielsen survey was conducted in the eight metros of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkatta, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. The survey used the door-to-door random sampling approach with survey activity conducted throughout the duration of the World Cup to eliminate any match related, timing bias.
According to the Nielsen study, while Pepsi and LG have been associated with official sponsorship at an unaided level of 70 per cent each, Hero Honda registered an association of 28 per cent amongst cricket enthusiasts. However, the TAM ADEX report adds that BSNL Celltone managed to dominate the terrestrial channel while Reliance Infocomm got more viewership on Sony and MAX. Hero Honda was placed somewhere in between Pepsi and Reliance Infocomm in the stakes with equal mileage on DD as well as MAX.
Comparing these trends with the soccer World Cup findings released by ACNielsen in 2002, it looks as if non-sponsor activity was definitely higher during the cricket World Cup as compared to the FIFA soccer World Cup. This, says ACNielsen, can be attributed both, to a greater involvement in cricket as a sport amongst Indians as well as a more conscious regulatory environment.
The ACNielsen study says that non-sponsors such as Samsung (19 per cent), Reliance Infocomm (15 per cent), Coca-Cola (12 per cent) and Britannia (10 per cent) which registered spontaneous recall in the early double digits did however manage to score better than other official sponsors like South African Airlines and regional sponsors Orange/Hutch. The TAM ADEX report also places Samsung, Reliance Infocomm and Coca Cola higher than the Orange/Hutch Cellular brand on its mapping returns chart.
An analysis of the executions recalled, point to the success of communication that was amusing, topical and featured Indian cricketers in memorable though not necessarily stereotypical circumstances.
Other interesting analyses that ranks the effectiveness of various non-TVC advertising and branding platforms used during the event indicate that ground hoardings and ground paintings followed by ‘Action Replays’ and ‘Side Screens’ have proved the most impactful in terms of recall through the event . ‘In-stadia’ branding has clearly displayed it’s superiority over ‘On-screen’ branding platforms. Not only have they registered better recall but has also supported TVC based campaigns in protecting brands against any effort at ambush marketing by non-sponsor competitors.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
