4K stream on IPL to unlock ultra premium audiences for advertisers

Indian consumers today want nothing short of the best and are willing to pay for premium content experiences. There is no clearer testament to this than the increasing adoption of 4K devices. CTV sales have been on the rise, especially the ones at the higher end in terms of costs and quality of experience. Ultra HD 4K devices now enjoy a 35% market share, the second dominating segment in the CTV universe. With 5G set to hit the 150 Million subscribers mark this year, the ease and accessibility are adding significantly to this shift to 4K devices. A 5G user can stream content at almost 25x the speed available to 4G users. That’s an experience no viewer wants to let go of. 

What does this mean for brands?

Irrespective of scale or industry, brands are always on the lookout for customers who have a high propensity to purchase, essentially affluent customers. And 4K offers ultra-premium customers. These audiences over-index on consuming discretionary categories such as beauty/personal care, investment, dining out, entertainment, consumer durables, and travel, prioritising unique and personalised experiences and seeking exclusivity in purchases. 

Combine affluence with a highly engaged environment, and you have an opportunity that’s not to be missed. For India, nothing is as engaging as the most awaited sporting tournament — IPL. This year, it’s anticipated that 650 Million viewers will watch IPL on JioCinema, significantly higher than last year’s 449 Million. Out of this, 40 Mn will be exclusively 4K, almost 80% higher than last year. While the scale makes IPL an attractive destination for brands, JioCinema’s 4K targeting available this year makes it a must-have. For the first time, brands would be able to tap into an ultra-premium audience hooked onto their screens. The average watch time per match for 4K audiences is 90 minutes! All brands need to do is action the insights and craft compelling narratives.

Reflecting on the development, Priyanka Sethi, head of marketing, Haier India, “In line with our strategy to connect with premium households, targeting 4K audiences on IPL seems like an exciting opportunity to explore & create a meaningful connect with this hard to access cohort.”

To ensure brands are effectively able to leverage this opportunity, the digital streaming platform has also launched innovative and impactful ad formats. With custom pre and mid-rolls up for grabs, brands can establish ownership and have a high SOV on the 4K feed. Marketers can also advertise on static and video mastheads to leverage the premium real estate on the screen. 

Ravi Nindwani, MD of India and Asia operations of Delta Faucet, the global faucet leader from USA, says, “We have been searching for reach in the fragmented, “weak impact-money sucking” blackhole digital is and were quite surprised when the Jio team indicated to us that they might be able to offer a part of the cricket audience to even an emerging brand like us. We dove into the details and figured out the CTV, geo, spot buy and scheduling cuts with them for the India-AustraliaT20s. I must say that it was a good experience – both on reach as well as on frequency. Another exciting idea on the table now is the possibility of targeting an even more sharply defined luxe audience through the 4K cut. We look forward to more such ideas for emerging, premium brands from Jio Cinema.”

A combination of a compelling narrative, industry-first ad innovations and precise targeting for 4K devices can propel brands to shine this IPL. 

(This is advertorial content curated by partner team)