Live music events woo brands from across sectors

This year's live entertainment music season has kicked off. As the IP (intellectual properties) owners of the various events such as Sunburn and NH7 passionately talk about how their respective events score over others, there is a distinct change emerging in the profile of their sponsors.

2007 was the first year of the country's biggest live electronic dance music festival, Sunburn, and its title sponsor was Smirnoff. In the following years, the festival had a bunch of other sponsors such as Budweiser, Kingfisher and Carlsberg. Thanks to the ban on advertising, live music events have been sought after platforms for most of these alcohol brands to reach out to their target audience.

2013, however, has a different story to tell.

The title sponsor of Sunburn this year is Hero. While Bacardi continues to be the title sponsor of NH7 Weekender, it's associate sponsors are energy drink brand Red Bull and telecom service provider MTS.

Live events are clearly catching the imagination of advertisers across sectors - auto, FMCG and telecom. Sunburn in the last two years has attracted brands such as Lakme, Mini Cooper, Bailley and Bingo.

"Live entertainment is becoming a preferred way for brands across sectors to reach their target audience in the 15-35 demographics," says Vijay Nair, co-founder and director, Only Much Louder, which owns NH7 Weekender.

"However, none of these brands are entering as vanilla sponsors. They want to be part of an activation exercise that would lead to conversations around their brands on Twitter and on Facebook," adds Owen Roncon, Partner, OranJuice Entertainment, a live entertainment company.

Energy drink brand, Red Bull, for instance, has launched Red Bull Tour Bus on the sidelines of NH7 Weekender. The bus converts into a stage where artists to perform . Apart from NH7, the Red Bull Tour Bus also takes artists to smaller cities and towns.

On the other hand, telecom brand, MTS, is currently conducting an online activation programme which also around NH7 Weekender called MTS Discover. "This is an opportunity for new talent that don't get a chance to perform at the festival," adds Nair of OML.

Telecom service providers seem to have taken to music shows in a big way.

Idea Cellular for instance, conducted a 18-city music tour called Idea Rocks earlier this year. "They use these platforms effectively to acquire consumers," says Roncon of Oranjuice.

Will telecom and FMCG majors replace alcohol companies at live entertainment shows? Roncon feels this is just the beginning.