Mumbai: Television continues to demonstrate its power as a key driver of brand equity in India, particularly among the affluent NCCS A segment, according to multiple studies and industry insights. Kantar estimates that urban households in the NCCS A category have nearly doubled over the past five years, rising from 24 million in 2019 to 46 million in 2024, highlighting a growing audience segment for brands to leverage.
Despite this growth, large FMCG brands are witnessing a decline in penetration and volume share among affluent households. Kantar analysis shows that 20% of major FMCG brands have seen a drop in household penetration, while 30% reported reduced volume share. Furthermore, 86% of brands that declined in equity scores among NCCS A also saw a decline in volume share, underlining the critical link between brand equity and sustainable performance.
A meta-analysis of Kantar Cross Media Campaign Evaluation studies reiterates TV’s indispensable role in building brand equity for FMCG brands. BARC data for FY25 highlights that affluent urban homes continue to watch TV extensively, contributing nearly 34% to overall viewership.
Ebu Isaac, VP – Media & Analytics, Kantar South Asia, stated, “Even in today’s fragmented Indian media landscape, TV continues to play an undisputed role in maximizing reach and impact across demographics for large FMCG brands. FMCG marketers should think TV + Digital and find the right balance for their brand as there is no universal optimal ratio.”
A spokesperson for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. added, “Consistent research undertaken across the industry clearly reaffirms the enduring power and reach of television as a medium for shaping the consumer choice and enabling sustainable brand building. As affluent households increase, television continues to remain an unmatched platform to drive brand health and deliver measurable scale and attention. At ‘Z’, we remain committed to enhancing the value proposition for our partners by offering a holistic and robust mix of platforms to drive brand saliency.”
Studies including the ‘Digital Loves TV’ report by Comcast & MediaScience indicate that combining TV and digital creates a robust multiplier effect, doubling brand recall and lifting purchase intent by +15% when advertisements are run across both platforms. Neuro-analysis studies further confirm that linear TV ad impressions generate over 2.2x higher attention than social platforms and outperform mobile social and UGC video platforms across attention, comprehension, and purchase intent metrics.
These insights collectively reinforce TV’s role as an evergreen, reliable medium for driving brand engagement, equity, and long-term consumer connection in India’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
