Ormax Media has released its Ormax Trac20: Ad & Sponsorship Effectiveness Research for IPL 2026, identifying the brands that generated the strongest advertising and sponsorship impact during this year's tournament.
The study evaluated 54 brands associated with the IPL and found that Tata Sierra, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Tata AIG, Rapido, Google AI Mode and Wonder Cement recorded the highest Ormax Mpact Scores, reflecting the effectiveness of their campaigns in driving consumer recall and brand impact.
The research is based on 15,000 online interviews conducted across urban India, including metros, mini-metros and smaller towns. The sample comprised 7,500 interviews before the IPL season and another 7,500 after the tournament, with each brand assessed among 300 to 500 consumers during both phases.
According to the report, Tata Sierra combined title sponsorship with multiple on-ground and broadcast integrations, including in-stadium branding, commentary mentions, its role as the official trophy car for the IPL final and its 'Escape Mediocre' campaign.
Cadbury Dairy Milk leveraged its 'Khaas Seat' initiative, while Tata AIG integrated its 'Fan Box' activation into live match broadcasts. Rapido strengthened its presence through its 'First Ride Free' campaign alongside its role as an official broadcast sponsor across JioHotstar and Star Sports. Google AI Mode used contextual cricket integrations and commentator mentions, while Wonder Cement combined its Official Umpire Partner association with in-match branding, DRS-linked activations and its 'Farq Nazar Aayega' campaign.
Commenting on the findings, Keerat Grewal said, "Cricket delivers exceptional scale, but scale by itself does not guarantee brand impact. The six strongest-performing brands in our research adopted very different approaches, but their campaigns were united by clear messaging, contextual relevance and consistent reinforcement across multiple consumer touchpoints."
Beyond ranking brand performance, the report also examines the effectiveness of different forms of cricket marketing, including title sponsorships, tournament partnerships, in-match branding, commentary integrations, franchise associations and traditional advertising. It also offers benchmarks for brands and media agencies planning future investments in cricket marketing.
