MUMBAI: On the final day of Goafest 2025 there was a session ‘Beyond the 20 Second Ad Window – Crafting Meaningful Brand Moments in the Attention Economy’. It was part a of IGNITE THE EVOLUTION, and was presented by Amazon MX Player. This discussion brought together Kanika Anand, GM, Media, Airtel; Rashmi Sehgal, Chief Digital and Transformation Officer, Zenith; and Ajay Mehta, Head, Content & Creative Services, GroupM. The session was moderated by Yash Chopra, Head of Video Ad Sales at Amazon Ads.
Anand highlighted the critical role of relevance in today’s fragmented media landscape. She pointed out that short and long-form content complement each other, with personalization and context driving impact. Anand emphasised the need for platform-specific asset creation, including music and humour, to capture attention. Sehgal meanwhile stressed that content context and placement are more vital than asset creation alone.
She advocated for interactive formats to build the marketing funnel and stressed customizing content to the viewing context. Rashmi called for a balanced use of short and long formats tailored to the brand journey, with measurement as a key enabler for scaling during early brand phases.
Mehta noted that content duration varies widely, from one minute to several hours, requiring marketers to prioritize investments carefully. He observed that short-form is often user-generated rather than publisher-created. Ajay emphasized that audience and message must guide content strategy. He also noted diminishing geographical barriers, enabling broader ad reach.
Together, the panel underscored the evolving need for brands to move beyond traditional short ads and craft meaningful, contextually relevant brand moments across formats and platforms.
