Mumbai: The Media Investment Summit 2024 which is being held on 4 April at Novotel, Mumbai is a dynamic platform that aims to bring together minds from the brand, media, advertising, digital & TV fraternity to explore the ever-evolving landscape of content, Adtech, Martech, metaverse and Web 3.0, the evolution of traditional media planning and buying, data and privacy infringement and ROI on advertising.

The day-long affair is to make sure to tantalise the thoughts of those looking for answers to myriad topics under branding, advertising, TV, digital media planning, and buying a roof.

The session will cover a range of topics relevant to the evolving landscape of OTT and Connected TV advertising, providing an opportunity to share valuable insights and experiences on how one can achieve the right balance between the two.

The session was chaired by GroupM Nexus Advance TV director Anooj Shetty which includes panellists - Tata CliQ director - brand marketing Shishir Kataria,   head of media, digital marketing and brand PR (India and Global COE) Marico,

Ankit Desai, Magnite head of demand, India, Chandrahas Shetty, Kantar director- specialist Businesses, insights division Puneet Avasthi, Samsung Ads general manager & sales lead Vikram Chande.

Here are the insights shared by industry experts regarding the overall growth observed in OTT and CTV and how it has impacted our brand and advertising strategies.

Tata CliQ director - brand marketing Shishir Kataria

I believe Connected TV (CTV) is an excellent channel to reach premium audiences. As we've been strategizing for 2025, we've continually questioned how to achieve 100 per cent penetration of CTV, considering that's where our audience is. Consequently, we've been collaborating with media and other partners to allocate more advertising focus and budget towards TV. Another significant aspect, which I've observed since my days at Hotstar, is the ability to customize creative content based on the context. Unlike traditional TV, CTV and OTT platforms allow for the rapid deployment of customized creatives tailored to what consumers are watching. This capability, both from a distribution and creative perspective, is crucial.

Hence, we anticipate a considerable shift in media investment not only from Tata Cliq but also from other premium and luxury brands towards CTV and OTT platforms.

Marico, head of media, digital marketing and brand PR (India and Global COE) Ankit Desai

I believe that when we talk about mass appeal, we're essentially catering to a wide range of consumer profiles, including both premium and mass brands. As mentioned, it's evident that different audiences require different approaches. For instance, during a recent visit to rural Rajasthan, I encountered a woman who wasn't a Connected TV (CTV) consumer but was still accessing content via alternative means. Despite not being affluent, she was resourceful with her budget and took advantage of free data provided with the 5G launch, allowing her to consume content on her phone without needing to pay a cable operator. However, she acknowledged that this situation might change if data prices were to increase. This illustrates that targeting only affluent households is no longer sufficient. While it's a valuable marker, it's not the only one. We need to view TV as just the beginning of a continuum that spans multiple screens, including traditional TV, mobile, and CTV. To effectively reach consumers, we must adapt our strategies across all these screens. Additionally, while it's not ideal to simply transfer TV ads to CTV or OTT platforms without adaptation, this presents a challenge for marketers in refining their communication paths for each platform and screen. It's an evolving landscape with flux and change, both in consumer behaviour and media platforms, but I'm confident we're heading towards a better understanding and adaptation.

Samsung Ads general manager & sales lead Vikram Chande

What's happening now is that the concept of TV has evolved from being just a singular device to becoming a culmination of various mediums through which content is consumed. The nature of TV devices has changed significantly over the past decade, particularly in terms of hardware. Previously, not all TVs were equipped with smart operating systems or provided content recommendations. If you disconnected the cable, you would often encounter several steps to access content. However, as Ankit mentioned, today's smart TVs offer a different experience. Even in remote areas like rural Rajasthan, individuals are now accessing content via streaming platforms, making them consumers of brands regardless of their income level.

Smart TVs have revolutionized audience targeting strategies due to their connectivity to the internet and ability to provide data insights. This allows advertisers to tailor their strategies based on audience demographics and geographical targeting. Additionally, the shift from linear TV advertising to platforms like Connected TV (CTV) has opened up new possibilities. Advertisers can now measure incremental reach effectively, combining data from both traditional linear TV and CTV. Smart TVs can cater to advertisers' needs, whether targeting affluent households or those with varying income levels, by providing valuable audience signals. This comprehensive approach enables advertisers to craft audience-driven strategies supported by creative content, leading to a deeper understanding of campaign deployment and impact measurement.

Magnite head of demand, India, Chandrahas Shetty

We've come a long way from where we were a couple of years back when programmatic was primarily associated with remnant inventory. Now, a significant portion of buying happens through programmatic guarantees, shifting away from the old resistance of buying through IOs to automatic buying on programmatic guarantees. This shift benefits both publishers and advertisers, with publishers achieving complete 100 per cent fill rates and advertisers gaining confidence in purchasing premium, clean inventory. The landscape of programmatic buying has evolved significantly, offering more than just the open auction format of the past. Today, there's a wide range of buying options, including PMP buys, providing advertisers with greater flexibility and control over their campaigns. In India alone, we have over 50 platforms, and globally, the number reaches about 110, offering advertisers the option to access all inventory across OTT and CTV through a single dashboard. With programmatic growth at a staggering rate of 32 per cent according to the recent Magna report, India is gradually catching up, currently accounting for 44 per cent of digital inventory bought programmatically. This trend is driven by the increasing flexibility, control, and efficiency that programmatic buying offers, allowing advertisers to capitalise on the growing inventory available as more users switch to streaming and connected TVs.

Kantar director- specialist Businesses, insights division, Puneet Avasthi

By ownership itself, CTV distinguishes itself as an affluent audience. So, that in itself is a marker of affluence and upward mobility, something that tends to differentiate. But I think there are other elements to the CTV audience versus those who are still in the linear TV space. There are differences. Likely, many people who are adopting CTV are also younger. So, there is a profile element in terms of affluence and youth, and where they are in terms of their life stage. Additionally, some elements differentiate them in terms of how they consume communication or media. Data from PGI indicates that the audience who are cord cutters, and cord-cutters are not necessarily solely on CTV, but they could also be consuming content on their mobile devices or smaller form factors. Both groups are more likely to consume a larger part of the ad. As a result, those who are on linear TV are more likely to switch channels frequently, possibly because the targeting ability of the audience is sharper, leading to messages that are more relevant to their interests. This greater stickiness to the ad results in the message registering better. So, yes, there are those differences. I completely resonate with that.