MAM
Ads get their receipts as TV and digital finally speak the same language
MUMBAI: When marketing finally stops guessing and starts proving, the numbers begin to talk back. Worldpanel India, part of Kantar, has partnered with SYNCMedia to launch India’s first deterministic, single-source, cross-platform attribution framework designed to answer the question advertisers care about most: what actually drives action.
For years, cross-platform measurement has relied on probabilities and modelling assumptions. This new framework marks a clean break from that past. Built on deterministic, people-level data, it offers unified measurement across Linear TV, Digital video and OTT platforms linking ad exposure directly to real online outcomes such as search, website visits, e-commerce and quick-commerce behaviour.
Early campaign analysis across categories including automobiles, insurance, banking, handsets, consumer durables, online apps and FMCG reveals a clear hierarchy in performance. Audiences exposed only to Linear TV delivered 15 to 25 per cent higher online search conversions than those reached solely through user-generated content platforms. More strikingly, cross-screen audiences exposed to both Linear TV and Digital video recorded over 50 per cent higher conversions on average compared to solus UGC exposure.
The data also reinforces TV’s enduring role as the reach engine. Linear TV continues to deliver 50 to 100 per cent more audiences than the largest UGC platform, along with three to four times higher exclusive reach. Digital video, however, plays a sharper role further down the funnel: solus Digital exposure drove 30 to 50 per cent higher website-visit conversions than solus Linear TV. The strongest results, consistently, came from a combined TV plus Digital approach.
For brands, the shift from assumption-led planning to evidence-backed decision-making could be significant. Policybazaar head of brand marketing Samir Sethi said the ability to map cross-screen attribution directly to business outcomes strengthens how effectiveness is evaluated across video platforms, enabling more integrated and data-led media allocation.
Worldpanel by Numerator managing director for South Asia K Ramakrishnan described the framework as a game changer for brands seeking a unified view of how media influences business metrics. He added that the single-source panel will expand in size and coverage during 2026, helping FMCG marketers finally validate long-debated claims around the short-term sales impact of video advertising.
SYNCMedia founder and CEO Anubhav Sharma said the industry has long aspired to people-level accountability across screens, but has struggled to achieve it at scale. By combining real exposure capture with real behaviour, he said, brands can move past channel rivalries and focus squarely on growth drivers.
The panel currently comprises smartphone users across India’s top six metros. Participants install SYNCMedia’s SYNC Pulse app, which uses Automatic Content Recognition to detect ad exposure across screens, while computer vision and mobile fingerprinting track real behaviour across web, e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms. The result is granular, cohort-wise attribution by exposure source turning media planning from educated guesswork into measurable cause and effect.
Brands
Aviva India appoints Harshit Agrawal as head of marketing
Former Clix Capital marketing head to steer brand strategy and growth
MUMBAI: Aviva India has appointed Harshit Agrawal as head of marketing, bringing on board a seasoned marketer with more than 15 years of experience across financial services, digital agencies and brand strategy.
Agrawal joins the life insurance company after a nearly five-year stint at Clix Capital, where he served as head of marketing. In that role, he led the company’s brand repositioning as an MSME-focused NBFC and oversaw a wide marketing mandate spanning brand strategy, PR, omni-channel platforms, social media, SEO and high-performance media.
During his tenure, Clix Capital saw a strong digital push, including a 200 per cent rise in annual website traffic and a significant reduction in customer acquisition costs. He also played a key role in the firm’s digital transformation initiatives, helping design digital journeys for its personal loan business.
Before Clix Capital, Agrawal was head of marketing at Muthoot Fincorp, where he managed integrated marketing campaigns across the Muthoot Pappachan Group’s financial and non-financial businesses. His work ranged from rolling out a nationwide CRM platform to managing ATL and BTL campaigns, brand ambassador-led advertising and large-scale sponsorships, including those linked to the IPL.
Earlier in his career, Agrawal worked with digital agencies including BC Web Wise and Dentsu Webchutney, where he handled digital strategy and online marketing campaigns for brands such as Hero MotoCorp, SanDisk and Bharti Airtel.
Alongside his corporate career, he also co-founded SRB Automotive, where he has been involved in running one of Central India’s long-standing fuel stations, focusing on customer data analytics and service excellence.
Commenting on the appointment, Aviva India MD and CEO Asit Rath said, “At Aviva, we are on a journey of transformation, building a progressive, customer-first brand that moves beyond conventional marketing. Harshit’s contribution will be instrumental in elevating our marketing capabilities and strengthening our position as a future-ready organisation.”
Sharing his thoughts on the new role, Harshit Agrawal said, “Aviva has always stood out as a progressive organisation, constantly evolving with new innovations and a forward-looking strategy. It inspires me to build on this momentum, moving beyond traditional approaches to create campaigns that resonate with customers, elevate the brand, and reflect Aviva’s shift from protection to prevention. I look forward to shaping an impactful marketing narrative that drives trust, engagement and sustainable growth.”
Agrawal holds an executive management programme certification in sales and marketing leadership from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow and is also a certified CFA. At Aviva India, he will lead the company’s marketing strategy and brand initiatives as it looks to deepen customer engagement in an increasingly competitive insurance market.
