Advertisers continue to bank on TV; Ad volumes up 39% in Jan-Apr: BARC data

Advertising volumes on TV continue to scale new peaks. Total Ad Volumes increased by 39% for the January to April 2021 period as compared to 2020. This growth is also the highest when compared to the same period in the previous years.

 Ad Volumes (Mn secs); Jan to April for respective years

*Excludes: ASSOCIATIONS/SOCIAL/CULTURAL ORG; SOCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS-NGOS & FILLER

FY 2021-22 starts on a positive note with higher Ad Volumes compared to the previous four years. Total Ad Volumes increased by 2x in April 2021 vis-s-vis April 2020 and is the highest compared to the same period in the previous years.

Ad Volumes (Mn secs); In April for respective years

*Excludes: ASSOCIATIONS/SOCIAL/CULTURAL ORG; SOCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS-NGOS & FILLER

Ad Volumes for the Top 3 sectors have witnessed an increase in April 2021 as compared to 2019 and 2020. While Ad Volumes for Durables are stable at 2019 levels, Ad Volumes for FMCG in April 2021 grew by 166% and 42% compared to 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Digital-native brands continue to contribute significantly towards the growth of TV Ad Volumes, particularly those from the E-Commerce category.

As a positive sentiment in the construction sector, Ad Volumes for the ‘Building Equipments’ category posted a steep 200% growth in April 2021 over April 2020.

Ad Volumes (Mn secs)

*Excludes: ASSOCIATIONS/SOCIAL/CULTURAL ORG; SOCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS-NGOS & FILLER

Ad Volumes for Durables for March and April 2021 combined, have increased exponentially (4x) from 2020 and are 3% higher than 2019. 39 new Advertisers in the Durables Sector advertised in April 2021, which were not active in the last two years during the same period. Moreover, there were 58 new brands that began advertising in April 2021.

Aaditya Pathak, Head – Client Partnership & Revenue Function, BARC India, commented, “Television continues to be resilient even during the most difficult times and data from January to April 2021 reinstates this sentiment. Advertisers continue to rely on television to reach out to the right audience despite the COVID-19 limitations and lockdowns in various parts of the country. We are also witnessing many new advertisers turning to TV in this quarter adding to the positive sentiment for the medium.”

BARC India updated its TV Universe Estimates, with the release of UEs-2020 on April 16, 2021, which shows that TV now reaches 892 million individuals across 210 million households. The size of the universe underscores the fact that television remains the most effective medium to reach mass audiences in India.

Ad Volumes data across all of 2020 and the first four months of this year also show that TV continues to remain the platform of choice for advertisers, who are consistently using the medium, be it in normal or pandemic times.