Asian Paints estimates a 3X to 4X return on its new BCCI partnership, based on algorithmic modelling that compared cricket and non-cricket properties before the deal was finalised. Managing director and chief executive Amit Syngle said the company evaluated the investment scientifically and found that a colour-led association in cricket offered better returns than the other properties it reviewed. The company will be paying Rs 45 crore per year for the three-year deal.
Edited excerpts:
Q. What made you choose a BCCI on-ground sponsorship at this stage, given that Asian Paints is already a well established brand?
A. This year we got on to the Asia Cup and were very prominently present there. Cricket has been one of the areas where we have been appropriating far more strongly, but more in a conventional manner. It could be either as a sponsor, buying spots, or doing other interventions. That is something we have done for a while.
This is very special because we are getting into something no one has done earlier. This is the first time in our industry, in our category of paint, waterproofing and home decor, that we have partnered with BCCI to become the official colour partner for Indian cricket. This gives us a big opportunity to tie up with Indian cricket in a meaningful way because colour connects everywhere. It gives us a strong hook to seed our category in this space in a big way.
Q. How does this three year deal fit into your broader brand strategy?
A. As I said, we have been on high impact properties including cricket and KBC. This gives that a leap forward because cricket will always remain very strong. Cricket is almost like a religion in India. It cuts across geographies and languages. We believe it will remain on top in terms of eyeballs.
This property gives us a strong anchor to the core idea of colour. It aligns with our corporate positioning of Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai. Given that cricket is so popular and cuts across genders and segmentations, we get access to every home in India. Colour is our core and integrates brilliantly with our positioning for the next three years.
Q. You have bought ad spots on cricket and had IPL associations earlier. How is this association different from what you have been doing?
A. What we have been doing is conventional, like taking sponsorships or spots. What is different here is that we are bringing the core of paint and home decor to cricket in a strong way.
We now have the opportunity to do many interventions. To start with, we are doing two big interventions for every match played in India. One is the Colour Cam, an innovative property where anyone in the stadium who is colourfully adorned, whether face painting or anything else, will feature on the big screen. The second is the colour and decor countdown, where with each countdown number the colour and decor change. This is more than an ad. It is an intervention and is interactive with people in a big way.
We also recently launched the world's largest colour system, Chromacosm, of 5300 colours. This gives us a strong hook for how we keep playing with colours across cricket in future.
Q. What brand or sales outcomes are you targeting?
A. The main area is taking forward the corporate brand Asian Paints in a big way. We will concentrate on the corporate brand with colour as a strong means to ignite interest and creativity.
In segmentation, it gives us a cut across SEC A, B and C and across geographies north, south, east, west and central. And that is something we are evaluating from an ROI perspective. Any money we invest today can deliver returns of roughly 3x to 4x. It’s not just about getting a single spot; it’s about what we can achieve with it. It’s about the full 360 degrees of activity we can build around it. It’s also about the innovation we can bring to it. And it goes far beyond just having space on a jersey, helmet, or wicket.
Q. There are concerns around viewership of bilateral matches. How did you evaluate the efficiency of this spend versus other channels?
A. Our evaluation was very clear and followed a scientific approach. It was based on several internal algorithmic models designed to help us maximise our spending. Within those models, we assessed comparable properties, including some outside cricket, to understand where we could get the best leverage for our investment.
Our recent work with both the IPL and the Asia Cup has delivered very strong returns. The model used these learnings, particularly around achieving certain TRPs and CPRP benchmarks that work well for us. This combination gave us a significant boost in our projections.
We also looked beyond traditional advertising. We evaluated how we could create deeper meaning through colour, relatability, and stronger brand associations. This approach is more powerful and more likeable than simply showing an ad. We examined the fatigue factor as well and concluded that colour, being a live and evolving space, offers room for continuous experimentation without the risk of wearing out.
Given all this, the potential returns we identified were far higher than any other property we have invested in so far.
Q. Will you look at other on-ground sponsorship assets such as ICC, IPL or WPL?
A. We are absolutely open to any opportunities that come our way. Ultimately, it is a function of deciding where to allocate our budget most effectively. We will evaluate every proposal we receive, whether it is within cricket or outside it. And if an opportunity helps us maximise the value of our spend, we will not hesitate to pursue it.
Edited excerpts:
Q. What made you choose a BCCI on-ground sponsorship at this stage, given that Asian Paints is already a well established brand?
A. This year we got on to the Asia Cup and were very prominently present there. Cricket has been one of the areas where we have been appropriating far more strongly, but more in a conventional manner. It could be either as a sponsor, buying spots, or doing other interventions. That is something we have done for a while.
This is very special because we are getting into something no one has done earlier. This is the first time in our industry, in our category of paint, waterproofing and home decor, that we have partnered with BCCI to become the official colour partner for Indian cricket. This gives us a big opportunity to tie up with Indian cricket in a meaningful way because colour connects everywhere. It gives us a strong hook to seed our category in this space in a big way.
Q. How does this three year deal fit into your broader brand strategy?
A. As I said, we have been on high impact properties including cricket and KBC. This gives that a leap forward because cricket will always remain very strong. Cricket is almost like a religion in India. It cuts across geographies and languages. We believe it will remain on top in terms of eyeballs.
This property gives us a strong anchor to the core idea of colour. It aligns with our corporate positioning of Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai. Given that cricket is so popular and cuts across genders and segmentations, we get access to every home in India. Colour is our core and integrates brilliantly with our positioning for the next three years.
Q. You have bought ad spots on cricket and had IPL associations earlier. How is this association different from what you have been doing?
A. What we have been doing is conventional, like taking sponsorships or spots. What is different here is that we are bringing the core of paint and home decor to cricket in a strong way.
We now have the opportunity to do many interventions. To start with, we are doing two big interventions for every match played in India. One is the Colour Cam, an innovative property where anyone in the stadium who is colourfully adorned, whether face painting or anything else, will feature on the big screen. The second is the colour and decor countdown, where with each countdown number the colour and decor change. This is more than an ad. It is an intervention and is interactive with people in a big way.
We also recently launched the world's largest colour system, Chromacosm, of 5300 colours. This gives us a strong hook for how we keep playing with colours across cricket in future.
Q. What brand or sales outcomes are you targeting?
A. The main area is taking forward the corporate brand Asian Paints in a big way. We will concentrate on the corporate brand with colour as a strong means to ignite interest and creativity.
In segmentation, it gives us a cut across SEC A, B and C and across geographies north, south, east, west and central. And that is something we are evaluating from an ROI perspective. Any money we invest today can deliver returns of roughly 3x to 4x. It’s not just about getting a single spot; it’s about what we can achieve with it. It’s about the full 360 degrees of activity we can build around it. It’s also about the innovation we can bring to it. And it goes far beyond just having space on a jersey, helmet, or wicket.
Q. There are concerns around viewership of bilateral matches. How did you evaluate the efficiency of this spend versus other channels?
A. Our evaluation was very clear and followed a scientific approach. It was based on several internal algorithmic models designed to help us maximise our spending. Within those models, we assessed comparable properties, including some outside cricket, to understand where we could get the best leverage for our investment.
Our recent work with both the IPL and the Asia Cup has delivered very strong returns. The model used these learnings, particularly around achieving certain TRPs and CPRP benchmarks that work well for us. This combination gave us a significant boost in our projections.
We also looked beyond traditional advertising. We evaluated how we could create deeper meaning through colour, relatability, and stronger brand associations. This approach is more powerful and more likeable than simply showing an ad. We examined the fatigue factor as well and concluded that colour, being a live and evolving space, offers room for continuous experimentation without the risk of wearing out.
Given all this, the potential returns we identified were far higher than any other property we have invested in so far.
Q. Will you look at other on-ground sponsorship assets such as ICC, IPL or WPL?
A. We are absolutely open to any opportunities that come our way. Ultimately, it is a function of deciding where to allocate our budget most effectively. We will evaluate every proposal we receive, whether it is within cricket or outside it. And if an opportunity helps us maximise the value of our spend, we will not hesitate to pursue it.
