MAM
Sponsors for Oscar Awards see increase in site traffic
CALIFORNIA: It may have been the least watched Oscar telecast ever in the US but a study shows that TV and Internet advertisers have reason to celebrate.
Feedback Research, a division of The Gator Corporation a behavioural marketing company, conducted an independent analysis. A press release from the company says that its analysis has shown that Diet Pepsi’s online sponsorship of the top Oscar related Web site Yahoo! Movies Academy Awards site – http://www.movies.yahoo.com – generated significant increases in its brand awareness.
In addition, many Academy Awards television advertisers in the US, including Cadillac, Pepsi and Charles Schwab, generated a spike in online traffic to their sites on Sunday evening.
Of Gator’s 35 million active users, approximately 650,000 viewed the Yahoo! Movies Oscar Web site in the week leading up to the show. Feedback Research measured user response to the Diet Pepsi sponsorship and conducted a survey with a sample of 375 users who had recently viewed the site.
A second Feedback Research survey was conducted among 60,000 users during the Academy Awards. Finally, Feedback Research assessed online traffic to Web sites of companies who ran television ads during the show. The results indicate the following:
– The line separating the use of television and Internet is blurring. 20 per cent of Internet users were online at the same time they watched the Academy Awards.
– There was a 20 per cent recall of the Diet Pepsi sponsorship of the Take Home A Theater sweepstakes on the Yahoo movies site. For every person clicking on the Diet Pepsi ad, three people navigated to the Diet Pepsi sweepstakes page on their own.
– TV ads pull viewers to the web. Cadillac, Pepsi, and Charles Schwab were major advertisers during the Academy Awards. The TVCs run by them generated a significant spike in traffic to their Web sites during that time period. For Cadillac it was an increase of 75 per cent, for Pepsi 61 per cent and for Charles Schwab 14 per cent.
The news gets better. Between 78 – 98 per cent of the traffic to each of these sites was from consumers who had not viewed these sites in the past three weeks.
As reported earlier this week by indiantelevision.com, the news for ABC did not make for happy reading. The broadcasters three-and-a-half hour live broadcast of the ceremony, garnered a household rating of 20.4, the lowest level going back to the very first televised Oscar show in 1953.
Feedback Research offers a breakthrough way to communicate one-to-one with over 30 million consumers while they surf the Web. Its technology makes it possible for advertisers to gather data from consumers based on their actual online behaviour, says a release.The Gator Corporation works with software developers to create ad-supported software.
MAM
India’s experience economy grows as live events market hits Rs 17,000 crore
EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow report finds 78 per cent Indians prefer experiences over products
MUMBAI: India’s live entertainment scene is no longer just about music, comedy or festivals. It is increasingly becoming a powerful stage for brands seeking deeper connections with consumers.
A new report titled Beyond Attention, Into Immersion by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow suggests that India’s experience economy is entering a strong growth phase, driven by consumers who are choosing memorable moments over material purchases.
According to the study, the country’s live events ecosystem, which includes concerts, comedy tours, festivals and immersive exhibitions, is estimated to reach around Rs 17,000 crore in 2025. The growth reflects a broader cultural shift in how Indians spend their time and money.
The report finds that 78 per cent of Indian consumers now prefer spending on experiences rather than physical products. From attending concerts and festivals to participating in interactive brand installations, audiences are increasingly seeking engagement, community and shareable moments.
This change in consumer behaviour is particularly evident among younger audiences who want to participate rather than simply watch. Instead of passively consuming entertainment, many now look for experiences that allow them to interact, express themselves and connect with like minded communities.
For marketers, this shift has turned experiential marketing into a strategic priority rather than a promotional add on. Brands are moving away from interruption driven advertising and towards immersive formats that allow consumers to discover, test and emotionally connect with products.
The report suggests that experiential marketing now plays a role across the entire consumer journey. It can spark brand discovery, strengthen storytelling, encourage product trials and ultimately influence purchase decisions and loyalty.
The impact is already visible. Post event surveys conducted among 7,450 attendees at major events including Lollapalooza India and concerts by Ed Sheeran and Guns N’ Roses highlight the effectiveness of these experiences.
Around 59 per cent of attendees recalled brands they interacted with during the events, while 55 per cent said those interactions increased their likelihood of purchasing from the brand. A further 63 per cent reported that brand activations actually enhanced their event experience rather than distracting from it. Nearly 29 per cent also said the interaction improved their perception of the brand.
Brands are also changing the way they approach events. Instead of simply putting logos on stages or banners, companies are building experiences into the fabric of the event itself.
Financial services brands, for example, are offering early ticket access, exclusive lounges and curated event experiences for cardholders. Fashion and beauty companies are using festivals to showcase products through pop ups, interactive installations and social media friendly spaces that encourage visitors to share their experiences online.
The scope of experiential marketing now stretches far beyond live entertainment. Retailers are designing experiential stores where customers can explore products in lifelike environments. Entertainment platforms are extending popular intellectual properties into immersive exhibitions and fan events. Technology is also playing a growing role through augmented reality and virtual try on tools that blend digital discovery with physical interaction.
Cultural festivals remain one of the most powerful platforms for such engagement in India. Celebrations such as Navratri and Holi bring together large communities, emotional participation and heightened consumer spending. For brands, these moments offer an opportunity to become part of the celebration rather than simply advertise around it.
Despite the momentum, the report notes that some companies still hesitate to adopt experiential marketing at scale. Budget constraints, limited expertise and uncertainty around measuring return on investment remain common concerns.
However, the growing body of data around consumer engagement and brand impact is gradually addressing these challenges. More marketers are expected to allocate a larger share of their budgets to experiential formats over the coming years.
Taken together, the findings point to a clear trend. As consumers seek meaning, memories and moments worth sharing, live experiences are emerging as one of the most powerful ways for brands to stay relevant in a crowded media landscape.
