'Associating with IPL on TV consistently ensures brand trust for Joy Personal Care'

42% of IPL TV viewers are women, which technically is less than men but still turns out to be 326 million households. For a brand like Joy Care which caters to women, IPL works wonders.

“That reach, in just two and a half months, is unmatched. I’ve done IPL and non-IPL media planning, and even if you combine the top five GEC programs, they can’t deliver that kind of reach,” said Poulomi Roy, CMO of Joy Personal Care (RSH Global).

Additionally, cricket, especially IPL, is not just cricket — it’s entertainment. It’s a social phenomenon. Restaurants offer discounts during matches, players create viral moments, and social media is buzzing with memes. It’s a euphoria and Roy doesn't see any other media property delivering that kind of collective viewership.

She further explained that Joy, as a brand, sells personal care products and demands the need to communicate it is a skincare brand. “Compared to my immediate competition, which comes from FMCG giants, the awareness of Joy as a skincare brand was much lower.”

For example, Lakme, whether it's a man or a woman, they know it’s a color cosmetics brand. But, there are still many households across India that need to know Joy as well as they know their counterparts. 

Hence, for a brand like Joy, the first hit is awareness, and if you want to drive that through media, GEC and cricket offer the highest reach, she said.

Not just women but IPL helps the brand reach trade partners, dealers and retailers too. Roy emphasised that FMCG's backbone is distribution, whether it’s e-commerce, modern trade, or general trade and a large chunk of the buyers and distributors are men. 

Earlier when the brand was entering the face wash category, moisturizing was a very big category. And they just had around 1 or 2% in face wash. Now it has directly gone to 5%, which is a huge category.

Roy further elaborated, “We keep telling our people — this is the time when you need to get into more shops. Get into more dealers. This is the time when you will be able to have those hard conversations. And the people who don't entertain you will start entertaining you. So we try to make business happen during the IPL time.”

“If they consider our brand and stock more of our products, and I run consumer-facing campaigns to create demand, the probability of sales increases. In tier 2 and tier 3 markets as well, where trade relationships are crucial, IPL has been significant for us,” she mentioned.

Specifically, in tier 2 and 3 markets, the brand does trade activations, contests, and giveaways during IPL, especially with their KKR association in Bengal. 

Roy highlighted, “People notice us and say, ‘You guys are sponsors in the IPL!’ That builds trust and authenticity. Consumers understand that being associated with IPL for 3-4 years means we’re a serious, enduring brand. It boosts brand recall because they’ve seen us on TV, they recognize our ads, and even ask if they’ll get tickets. It shows they’re engaged.”

Star also conducted studies, like a brand lift study with Kantar, and the results were encouraging for Joy Care. “Our stickiness increased, and the last product shot with SRK was the most memorable. The numbers show that this strategy works, and we’ve seen significant growth, especially in smaller towns.”

Coming to which medium suits the best for Joy Care, Roy underlined that TV remains their primary medium because IPL is best enjoyed on a bigger screen. It’s a community-viewing experience. Even digital campaigns, like the one by Ogilvy for Viacom, showed people gathering to watch IPL on their phones but the message was clear: if you can, watch it on a big screen.