For decades, Linear TV advertising was the undisputed champion of brand-building. It offered massive reach, a larger-screen video experience, and superior brand recall, the essential top-funnel goal for consumer consideration. We still vividly remember the powerful impact of appointment viewing, high attention, and shared experiences that made brands unforgettable.
Post-2007, Indian advertisers pivoted sharply toward digital platforms, especially the emerging walled gardens. These ecosystems promised precision targeting, measurable outcomes, diverse formats, and cost efficiency. With internet penetration accelerating, personal screens became the new battleground, and brands rushed to capitalize.
By 2019, this digital convenience fueled the explosive growth of both the Creator Economy and the Brand Economy. SMEs and local businesses joined the fray, leveraging easy-to-use ad tools. While these platforms undeniably deliver enormous reach, the core advertising objective of deep awareness began to fade amidst the noise.
A Crisis of Recall
A recent report by the R K Swamy Centre for Study of Indian Markets exposed a sobering reality in India’s ₹20,000+ crore digital video market:
- 93% of respondents watch videos on mobile phones, averaging over 2 hours daily.
- Despite this engagement, audiences recalled only 1.5 brands on average.
- More than 6,000 brands were remembered by less than 1% of respondents.
- YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram dominate viewing, yet recall remains poor.
- Brand recall peaked among 18–25-year-olds but declined sharply with age.
Only 11 brands crossed the crucial 3% recall threshold, mostly in high-frequency categories like quick commerce, food delivery, e-commerce, and gaming.
Losing Awareness in the Search for Reach
These findings highlight a troubling paradox: despite unmatched reach, high time spent, and low-cost CPMs, thousands of brands are locked in a clash for fleeting attention. Luxury, premium, and mass brands alike are delivered with little differentiation, eroding memorability.
“This is an alarming situation for core categories like FMCG, Auto, BFSI, and Consumer Durables,” warns Arun Raghav. “These industries spend crores on walled garden platforms but are losing awareness in the search for reach. The attention economy of the personal screen is not translating into lasting memory.”
The Solution: Connected TV
To overcome this erosion, Connected TV (CTV) is emerging as the most effective medium. Multiple studies validate CTV’s superior impact on brand recall and ad effectiveness. Why?
- Lean-back, high-attention viewing, where audiences consume content in a relaxed, focused state.
- Large-screen environments that mirror the memorability of traditional TV.
- High-quality creative delivery in premium storytelling contexts.
- Digital precision with advanced targeting and measurable outcomes.
CTV combines the brand-building power of linear TV with the efficiency of digital, offering advertisers scale with substance. It restores awareness, ensures relevance, and delivers impact where it matters most.
Advertisers must recognize that reach without recall is wasted spend. CTV provides the balance of scale, awareness, and measurable outcomes that modern brands need to thrive in a cluttered digital ecosystem
