Q-Comm delivery tracking pages turn into high-stakes ad zones this IPL season

New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is running in its 18th season. This marketing juggernaut thrives on speed and action, much like quick commerce platforms do. While fans keep one eye on the scoreboard, the other is glued to their phones, stalking their snack delivery.

The delivery tracking pages — those dopamine-charged screens where animated riders zip from the warehouse to your doorstep — are quietly becoming the hottest ad turf in town.

Lure of the last mile

Quick commerce platforms provide brands with a “surround channel” strategy, said Raj Swaminathan, Senior Director - Revenues and New Initiatives, Globale Media.

According to Swaminathan, the entry cost for IPL is quite high. Thus, brands find quick commerce an alluring platform. “Since impulse buying peaks during cricket, there are high chances that the audience might engage and even transact at the same time on the quick commerce platform,” Swaminathan said.

“These are not just ad impressions; they are rituals,” said Prrincey Roy, Co-founder and CEO, Huella Services. “When someone orders during an IPL match — a cold drink, chips, or even a bar of chocolate — they don’t just place the order and forget it.

They keep going back to the tracking screen, checking if the rider has left, where they are, and how many minutes are left. That kind of high-frequency, high-intent viewership is rare in digital media today,” Roy pointed out.

Surbhi Allagh, Co-founder, itch, called it prime real estate, as brands get to catch people exactly when they’re in that ‘I need it now’ mindset. “The way people are using quick commerce these days — multiple orders a day from the same household — it's a game-changer for brand visibility, especially during something as high-engagement as the IPL,” Allagh said.

Budget shifts and flows

Vishal Sharma, Deputy Vice-President - Media Buying, LS Digital, shared that while brands dedicate about 15–20% of their IPL marketing spends on digital channels in 2024–25, this season is seeing a pivotal shift.

“Some leading brands, particularly in categories like FMCG and D2C, are now allocating as much as 50–60% of their digital ad budgets to quick commerce, especially when targeting impulse-driven purchases,” Sharma said.

Roy from Huella Services highlighted the strategic approach brands are taking with delivery tracking pages on quick commerce platforms.

“For some, tracking pages are being used to complement broader IPL campaigns, while others are using them as a standalone strategy to capture attention in high-intent moments. What’s clear is that this format is no longer on the sidelines — it’s becoming a priority touchpoint for many IPL-linked media plans this season."

Putting things in perspective, Gopa Menon, Chief Growth Officer - APAC, Successive Digital, stated that quick commerce tracking pages are capturing roughly 8–10% of digital IPL ad budgets this season, reflecting almost 4% growth from last year. On the other hand, the share for traditional e-commerce platforms remained flat at 12–15%.

“While still smaller than premium video spots on streaming platforms (30–35%) and social media campaigns (20–25%), this represents the fastest-growing segment in the IPL digital ecosystem,” Menon told BestMediaInfo.com.

More than just eyeballs

Advertising on quick commerce delivery tracking pages is giving favourable outcomes to brands. The strategic placement of tracking page ads at the point of purchase during IPL matches offers brands significantly higher conversion potential compared to broader awareness-focused channels like social media or video ads.

Menon shared that brands report 15–20% higher conversion rates from tracking page ads compared to standard digital display advertising during IPL.

LS Digital’s Sharma echoed this data, stating that while social media and video campaigns typically deliver brand recall increases of 11–18% and purchase intent growth of 10–20%, tracking page ads engage consumers at a critical moment — right when they are actively ordering — resulting in conversion rates that can be 10–15% higher than these formats.

The click-through rates on tracking page ads during IPL matches average 4.2%, compared to 2.8% for social media IPL ads and 1.9% for standard e-commerce placements, according to Menon.

High stakes, higher rates

With demand surging, it's no surprise that media buyers are seeing steep rises in the cost of entry.

According to industry estimates, tracking page ads during IPL command premium CPMs between Rs 350–500, which is nearly double their off-season rates. This places them significantly above standard e-commerce display ads, which fall in the range of Rs 150–200.

The figures shared by industry experts clearly indicate a 10–15% increase in cost to place ads on the delivery tracking page over previous seasons.

Justifying the increase, Sharma mentioned that these ads offer high-intent placements, potentially delivering strong ROI due to their proximity to the purchase decision.

Chiming in, Roy said, “Ad rates on these platforms have surged this IPL — and for good reason. You're not just paying for a fleeting banner; you're buying multiple brand exposures per order, often within a matter of minutes.” She also shared that some brands have witnessed 2–3x more visibility per user compared to standard display buys.

Addressing the premium, Huella’s Roy said, “While it’s certainly more premium than off-season rates, the performance justifies it — especially when you're showing up right in the middle of a consumer’s decision-making moment.”

Brand playbook: Front runners or fence-sitters?

With advertisers reporting 15–20% higher conversion rates than other digital ad avenues, the delivery tracking page might just become the new apple of the eye in retail media. But is it the case?

Throwing light on the brand’s conscience, Mayank Shah, Vice-President, Parle Products, stated that in today’s time, it makes immense sense for brands to be present on quick commerce platforms.

“If you look at the retail landscape today, quick commerce is hands down the fastest-growing channel. Quick commerce is where the purchase decision is often made in real time.

That’s the last-mile moment — when the consumer is deciding what to buy, and any brand not in that consideration set risks losing out entirely. It’s no longer enough for brands to just be present there; they need to actively engage consumers in that space,” Shah told BestMediaInfo.com.

Parle spends roughly 8–10% of its total advertising budget on quick commerce platforms, Shah shared.

Shah pointed out that while it is important to maintain salience on the platform, brands generally aim at being present at the “right moment, just before they make the purchase decision.”

He added, “If you ask me to judge delivery tracking pages purely on performance metrics like ROAS (Return on Advertising Spend), it may not be the most effective format — simply because the act of purchase has already happened by the time the ad shows up.”

While biscuits can still be considered an impulse buy, spices do not really fall in that category.

Akash Agrawalla, Co-founder, Zoff Foods, commented, “Most of the premium ad spots — like the order confirmation or delivery tracking pages — are better suited for impulse-buy products. Spices, however, aren’t typically impulsive purchases.

So, we usually prefer placing our ads in the category section or in 'related products' sections where there's contextual relevance, like when someone is buying ingredients that pair well with spices.”

Agrawalla shared that while these ad placements may drive conversions for high-impulse categories, products like spices may not churn strong returns. “We generally avoid ad placements on the order or delivery tracking pages. It’s not that we don’t consider them at all, but with limited budgets, quick commerce becomes more about optimising for impressions and ROI,” Agrawalla said.

According to industry estimates, there has been a 70% year-on-year increase in brands advertising on quick commerce tracking pages, Menon said. FMCG brands dominate the inventory with roughly 45% share allocated to them. FMCG is followed by beverage, delivery services, entertainment/streaming platforms, and electronics and mobile accessories.

As IPL fuels a new kind of digital frenzy, it’s clear: the race isn’t just to the finish line — it’s to the last mile.