TV ad volumes rise 39% in Jan-April; coming months likely to be challenging

Advertising volumes on television between January and April this year surged to 39 per cent, a multi-year high, versus the same period in 2020, the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) said.

The trend is in line with what has been visible since the ‘unlock’ phase began last year, when pent-up demand began pushing up ad volumes on TV.

However, advertising experts said the year-ago period, especially April, was constrained by the nationwide lockdown, and warned that the coming months could be challenging owing to the second Covid-19 wave. BARC said television continued to be resilient even during tough times. “Advertisers continue to rely on television to reach out to the right audience in spite of Covid-19 limitations and lockdowns in various parts of the country,” Aaditya Pathak, head, client partnership and revenue function, BARC India, said.

“We are also witnessing many new advertisers turning to TV in this period, adding to the positive sentiment for the medium,” Pathak added.

Ad volumes for sectors such as fast-moving consumer goods, e-commerce and building equipment witnessed a sharp increase in April 2021 as compared to the same period in 2019 and 2020, the agency said. Ad volumes for durables were stable at 2019 levels, while 39 new durables brands advertised in April 2021. Also, digital-native brands continue to contribute significantly towards the growth of TV ad volumes. And there were 58 new brands that began advertising in April 2021, BARC said.

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