Summer heatwave fuels double-digit ad spend rise for cooling giants

New Delhi: The summer heat is at our doorstep. As temperatures soar, the intense heatwave is not only transforming the environment but also igniting fierce marketing battles among cooling brands. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) in full swing, the competition is becoming even more intriguing.

While cooling brands have always leveraged high-impact platforms like IPL, this year, marketing plans are bigger, and strategies are sharper. Some of India’s leading cooling brands are expecting double-digit growth in their advertising spends this summer.

Brands such as Bluestar and Voltas have identified new focus areas that will attract significant marketing investments. Kenstar, too, has refined its engagement strategies across various advertising platforms. Meanwhile, Luminous is pursuing a meticulous marketing plan amid evolving market dynamics.

Media spends rise

Providing insights into their media strategy, Bluestar’s Vice-President of Marketing, Girish Hingorani, revealed a 25% increase in advertising spend this year compared to the previous summer season.

Bluestar plans to allocate a total of Rs 65 crore to advertising, with Rs 50 crore dedicated to summer campaigns—Rs 10 crore more than last year. The remaining Rs 15 crore is reserved for the festive season.

Similarly, Tata Group-owned Voltas is approaching this season aggressively, recording "strong double-digit growth" in ad spends. However, this year’s budget is focused on maintaining brand salience among high-intent audiences.

Discussing this strategic shift, Pragya Bijalwan, Head of Marketing & Communications at Voltas, said, “Investing in the right media mix is crucial. During peak season, while mass media visibility is essential, it’s equally important to stay top-of-mind among the relevant audience.”

“We have redirected our spending towards high-intent audiences while ensuring strong visibility on key platforms, including television,” Bijalwan told BestMediaInfo.com.

In the air cooler segment, Kenstar is also making a strategic shift. With double-digit growth in ad spends, Kenstar will be “investing aggressively in brand building, partner programs, and digital innovations,” according to Sunil Jain, CEO of Kenstar.

Luminous, a subsidiary of France-based Schneider Electric, is prioritising strategic placements over spreading its budget across multiple platforms. Neelima Burra, Chief Strategy Transformation and Marketing Officer at Luminous Power Technologies, emphasised that the brand is focusing on the theme of solarization, an area where it is strengthening its presence.

Symphony, a key player in the cooling market, is poised to be the category’s biggest media spender. Anuj Arora, Chief Marketing Officer at Symphony, stated, “Symphony leads the market, and this year as well, we will be the largest media spender in the category. We execute 360-degree campaigns, ensuring visibility across multiple touchpoints in India.”

The IPL factor

IPL remains a prime advertising property for cooling brands, given its timing aligns perfectly with the peak summer season.

Bluestar has cricket star Virat Kohli, captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, endorsing its products. The brand has also increased its IPL advertising budget by 25–30%.

Explaining this investment, Hingorani stated, “IPL is a high-impact platform that has consistently been part of our strategy. Alongside IPL, we leverage video formats on platforms like YouTube and Meta to boost visibility and engagement among targeted cohorts.”

Bluestar’s marketing VP also noted that the rise in their IPL budget is directly linked to JioStar’s increased ad rates.

Meanwhile, Voltas, backed by its parent company’s IPL title sponsorship, is focusing on high-frequency Free Commercial Time (FCT) ads during key matches, along with platform-level partnerships on various cricketing platforms.

Kenstar is leveraging IPL for topical moments, creating engaging content woven around the tournament. “Cricket enjoys a massive following in India, making it the perfect platform for audience engagement. While we are still considering a direct IPL association with JioStar like last year, we will certainly use IPL’s topical moments for social media engagement,” Jain stated.

Luminous has partnered with Rajasthan Royals. Speaking on this collaboration, Burra said, “This partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship, integrating Luminous’s renewable energy solutions into authentic cricket storytelling. Through behind-the-scenes footage, player spotlights, and influencer collaborations, we will maintain a consistent brand presence within the Royals' expansive digital ecosystem.”

She added, “During this IPL, we will showcase a compelling narrative on the solarization of select player homes, distributing content through the Royals' high-engagement digital channels.”

CTV investments on the rise

With over 60 million connected TV (CTV) households in India, the platform is gaining rapid traction, prompting cooling brands to allocate a substantial portion of their budget to CTV advertising.

Voltas is making a significant push into CTV advertising this year. Highlighting the shift, Bijalwan said, “Our TV advertising strategy has moved towards premium properties, particularly within the HD segment. A larger share of our budget is now dedicated to HD television, along with an increased presence on news channels.”

Bluestar, however, is taking a more cautious approach, combining CTV with traditional TV advertising. Hingorani explained, “For us, CTV, particularly during IPL, acts as an extension of large-format television rather than a precise targeting tool. Therefore, we categorise CTV spending within our overall TV budget, rather than digital.”

Kenstar, on the other hand, integrates CTV into its digital spend. “Summer is a crucial season for cooling products, and we allocate nearly 60% of our annual ad spend during this period. We focus on high-impact campaigns, digital-first strategies, and retail activations for maximum engagement,” Jain said.

Symphony is also aligning its digital budgets with new mediums like CTV, with a targeted approach using NCCS (New Consumer Classification System).

New marketing approaches: Influencer tie-ups and OOH

This year, both Voltas and Bluestar are experimenting with influencer marketing.

Bluestar is focusing on tech influencers who specialise in reviewing home appliances. Hingorani said, “We are collaborating with 30-40 influencers at a hyper-local level, particularly in North India. These influencers will provide in-depth technology reviews, highlighting essential AC features and purchase considerations.”

Meanwhile, Voltas is partnering with well-known and celebrity influencers to amplify brand advocacy. “We are bringing in the right set of people to talk about the brand,” Bijalwan said.

In a first, Voltas is also making significant investments in Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, an area it had not previously explored.

E-Retail strategies

E-commerce continues to command a significant share of cooling brands’ marketing budgets.

Kenstar has allocated 30% of its budget to e-commerce, while Bluestar has earmarked 20% for e-commerce and quick commerce.

Voltas, which already holds a strong market position on e-commerce platforms, aims to capitalise on this advantage by focusing on discoverability and conversion-driven strategies.