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OACT2021: Understanding the world of OTT and CTV Advertising
Mumbai: The first session on day one of the OTT Advertising & Connected TV Summit 2021 saw Kurate Digital Consulting founder partner Uday Sodhi nudging the panel led by Madison VP-Digital products/performance Chintan Soni, ALTBalaji SVP – revenue and marketing Divya Dixit, Affle – co-founder, head- Agency Relation, chief of staff Madan Sanglikar, and MX Player and MX Takatak SVP head of revenue Viraj Jit Singh to share their understanding of the world of OTT & CTV advertising.
The two-day event being organised by Indiantelevision.com is co-powered by mediasmart, an Affle company and summit partner – The Q.
As the panellists addressed the fundamental question around synergies and distinctions between OTT and CTV on the buying and selling side of the business, the overarching insight that emerged was that the imminent CTV revolution is being powered by two engines – the OTT platforms and OEMs which bring together the software or the content and advertising solutions and the hardware or the affordability and technology, respectively, along with their individual contribution to the ad inventories.
Currently, there are about 500 million OTT users (including YouTube) in India. OTT platforms have played a crucial role in driving the content ecosystem with unique narratives. The pandemic further accelerated the rate, scale and quality of the content being delivered, as well as the mainstreaming of the medium. This has led to viewers looking for an enhanced experience of OTT offerings on smart TVs, most of which are more affordable than smartphones today.
According to Madison’s Q2 report, smart TV shipment grew by almost 65 per cent, claiming an 80 per cent share of the total TV shipments; their massive adoption being fuelled by starting price points as low as Rs 15,000.
Although the panel unanimously believed that both OTT and CTV will coexist in the future, some changes are inevitable. Divya Dixit observed that going forward “two parallel narratives of individualistic and inclusive viewing will emerge in the OTT space, with the growth in the latter driving certain genres of content.” In the context of evolving commerce, she stated, “As OTT platforms and OEMs grow their partnerships, they will evolve new business models, perhaps working on revenue sharing for content or on active marketing push, together.”
Sharing his understanding of viewership trends Viraj Jit Singh of MX Player and MX TakaTak said, “The last five years have seen a huge transition in user behaviour and experiences as they moved from linear to on-demand viewing, but what we are seeing now is a shift back to TV as the screen for consumption of OTT content due to the large screen experience it offers. So platforms like us are working on tech as well as programming to ensure that we have enough to offer a CTV consumer in the near future.”
From an advertising perspective, Singh shared that there’s significant demand for CTV, however, despite the reverse migration, he hasn’t come across any advertiser asking for separate measurement for CTV and OTT campaign impact yet. “We are still in the early days of CTV advertising and monetisation, though the expectation is that it will pick up from where mobile is today. The two platforms are different in terms of user behaviour such as time spent, length of viewing sessions, daypart and more importantly reach, with CTV targeting more than one person at any given time. Hence CTV advertising rates are higher, and also because marketers have a perception of the CTV audience being more premium than their mobile counterparts,” he said.
According to Madison’s Chintan Soni, CTV advertising is nearly 2-2.5 times more expensive than purely mobile-based advertising, however as the pool size grows, efficiencies will be better.
There are 20-22 million MAU on CTV, and the segment is growing faster than HD which is at 40-44 million as per Madison’s monthly report. Soni believes that by 2024 these figures will be comparable.
Speaking in the context of advertising, and whether CTV will evolve its own ad ecosystem, he added, “Owing to its precision targeting capabilities and the immersive experience of the big screen CTV will be the ‘Next Big Unlock’. There will be a paradigm shift in the video advertising market wherein the KPIs and measurement will have to be changed. We cannot be measuring on regular metrics like CTR and VTR for CTV. A reach-frequency matrix or awareness/consideration score will be more apt for this platform.”
Affle’s Madan Sanglikar asserted that the combining of TV and mobile metrics will lead to much higher levels of measurability. Commenting on the nuances of CTV advertising and what it brings to the table, he said, “While all aspects of digital targeting are available with CTV, the next step is to interact with the user. Almost all studies done so far have indicated that people engage with more than one device at any given time, and this is to the benefit of advertisers. Even though the current ecosystem is dominated by app-first advertising, one of the ways is to re-target the ad to the mobile handset so that the user can engage with it after having viewed it on the big screen where they are less likely to click/swipe it away. This translates into the advantage of a larger approach coupled with an interactive experience.”
For more information: https://indiantelevision.com/events/oact-summit-2021/
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
