MAM
The psychology behind the making of TV ads vs digital
MUMBAI: There was a time not so long ago when TV was the main medium to consume content. All that one had to do was create a TV commercial and voila! It was watched by millions. But recently, more and more youth and millenials are gravitating toward platforms like from Facebook to YouTube to Twitter to Whatsapp to Tiktok to Instagram to OTT, to consume video. How are brands engaging with them? What format of video ads are they creating to communicate their brand message? And have TV commercials evolved in their journey from TV to OTT and digital?
However, according to some industry experts, there is just a shift in the trend and format of advertising. In earlier days TVCs were the only content that was created but today it is much beyond that. Today it is more about creating ads for different platforms and of different durations rather than creating one single commercial. Experts also believe that the slump in the economy has resulted in the decline of creating long format advertisements.
Says Jigsaw Pictures founder and creative producer Rajnish Lall: “I think there is a bit of similarity in creating both a TV and digital commercial. The difference is not about reach. Both are catering to a product or a brand and are done keeping in mind the brand proposition. People usually make a brand film which is 59 seconds so that it could also be put on Instagram. Content that we make is usually three and five minutes, depending upon client requirements. Television costs a lot more. And to run on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram or any other digital platform it’s much more reasonable and people go for the longer version of it. Having said that, both the platforms are representing a brand and have more seriousness about it. When it comes to making a TVC the client is more precise about the output. The production quality cannot be down it has to be good, very good or great. However, in digital, people could make content in all sorts of budgets.”
According to Havas Media Group CEO India and South East Asia Anita Nayyar, TVCs shot for television are normally for 30 seconds to 60 seconds and when they want to make an edit to run on television 60 sec is pretty long. Generally, ads are shot for 60 seconds so that it could run on cinema. When they run the campaign for other platforms they have the adaptation of 30 seconds to 20 seconds to 10 seconds depending upon the storyline.
She adds: “There are two ways of putting a commercial on YouTube where you can do a long edit of a commercial that runs for one or half a minute but whereas when you look at advertising on digital media the ads are pretty short because according to reports the average attention span is three to five seconds. The creativity and the thinking in digital are done on that basis.”
"Unlike a TVC which is based on a traditional story arc – beginning middle and end; the making of digital ads involves adapting to the media platform format and context,” points out Madison Media Sigma CEO Vanita Keswani. “The digital video creatives span from five to six seconds short format videos as well as long format 60-120 seconds storytelling ones. Tech innovative creatives on digital have a two-way communication with consumers" She adds.
The advertising costs related to producing content for TV is expensive as compared to digital format. In fact, as per the reports of Magna, the research arm of IPG Mediabrands, digital ad spending in 2017 reached $209 billion worldwide that is 41 per cent of the overall market. While television brought in $178 billion which tots up to 35 percent of the total market.
If one were to estimate about 9 per cent of that going towards buying space and inventory on the different media platforms, that leaves us with digital ad production totting up to around $20 billion worldwide, whereas TV commercials production spend would be around $17 billion. The figures would be much lower for India, though as spends on creative and TV are much lower here compared to more developed markets in Europe, the US and Latin America.
Says an ad industry veteran: “A large part of the production budget is kept aside for paying celebrities as endorsers (even as high as 25 per cent sometimes) as lazy creative’s from advertising agencies and not savvy enough marketing executives look for short cuts to create their communication. My estimate is that almost 30 per cent of TVCs are relying on celebrity endorsements. What this means is that the quantum of TVCs being made by a brand is falling each year or if they want to produce the same number, they have to slash the production side of the budget,” says an industry expert. And this is being felt even more in these tough economic times where brands have slashed their spending. There is a huge squeeze on TV commercial makers.”
Lall echoes this. “Before the digital era, they used to make two to three films in that budget. Now what is happening, the budget hasn’t gone up because economically we are a little down as a country so things are not taking off. The client has limited money, his expectation is not to make two or three films but to make eight films. So, the money you invested in making a television ad has gone low.”
He also points out to another problem. According to him, advertisers are anyway even today more inclined towards putting aside higher budgets for making TV and cinema spots as compared to digital, though he would like this to change.“Normally you will not see a good quality digital film because of the lower budgets. Digital spots can be shot on any kind of camera, it could be on their phones as well. So basically it can be done at a very basic budget. So the output is not great. However, very established brands don’t mess around it because they are conscious and particular about every piece of communication they are providing to the brand. It should match the brand's personality, image and aura in the market and in the mind of the consumer also which the upcoming brands are not paying much attention to.”
Says Nayyar: “If you have a long format TVC they are normally done on a high budget which is done for Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 crore and Rs 5 crore. Whereas, in digital ad creation they usually don’t look for a long life piece of communication. While for television you produce one commercial for a longer period of time and for a digital you make multiple commercials. I don’t think so for digital money spend is as much as spent on creating TV or cinema commercials they are long format. TV spots also get adapted to suit digital. In digital you have to look at short duration, collaborations, what will grab the attention of audiences within the span three to five seconds as they have been provided with the option of skipping ads.”
Keswani’s view is that brands and agency creatives should reduce their dependence on celebrities in TVCs. Says she: “Celebrity mass advertising is not as authentic, relevant and relatable today. The authenticity is being questioned. What works better is turning the spotlight on consumers in TVCs. Ad agency creative’s and brand managers could consider having real and relatable faces in TVCs, which will help the masses connect with the brand and its messaging.”
“What it will also do is free up budgets towards creating a greater number of TVCs or putting in more VFX, animation, or a greater number of locations or better sets or bringing in better directors and videographers so that more impactful ads can be created for both digital and TV,” says the anonymous executive quoted earlier.
MAM
The Best AEO Agencies in the USA for 2026
We ranked the 10 best AEO agencies in the USA for B2B brands in 2026 based on our selected criteria like AI visibility and clients results.
10 Best Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Agencies in the USA for 2026
AI is changing how buyers discover vendors. Nearly half of US B2B buyers now use platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity before visiting a single website. If your brand isn’t showing up in those answers, you’re invisible before the conversation starts. This list covers the 10 best AEO agencies in the USA for 2026, ranked independently with no paid placements.
How We Evaluated the Best AEO Agencies in This List
Here is the list of criteria we looked at while evaluating the top AEO agencies in the list
- AI Visibility: How consistently the agency’s clients appear in AI-generated answers across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
- Client Results: Documented pipeline and revenue outcomes from verified case studies and published client testimonials.
- Technical Depth: The strength of each agency’s AEO methodology, including schema implementation, entity optimization, and LLM content structuring.
- Independent Reviews: Cross-referenced against third-party agency roundups including Discovered Labs and Minuttia’s 2026 rankings.
The 10 Best AEO Agencies in the USA for 2026
1. WebFX
WebFX is a full-service US digital marketing agency with nearly 30 years of history and over 500 employees. Their proprietary MarketingCloudFX technology powers reporting and analytics across AEO, SEO, paid advertising, and web design, making them the most process-stable and enterprise-ready agency on this list for large-scale US brands.
Expertise:
- Answer Engine Optimization
- Search Engine Optimization
- Paid Advertising
- Analytics & Reporting
2. PipeRocket Digital
PipeRocket Digital is a US-focusedB2B SaaS and tech agency that runs AEO, GEO, and SEO as one connected pipeline system. Every program is measured against demos, pipeline, and MRR and not traffic or impressions. They are the only full-spectrum agency on this list serving clients from pre-revenue startups through to enterprise scale.
Expertise:
- AEO & GEO Strategy
- Full-Funnel B2B Content
- Technical SEO
- Pipeline & MRR Attribution
3. First Page Sage
First Page Sage coined the term Generative Engine Optimization in 2024 and remains the most credentialed US agency in the space. Their authority content architecture builds deep thought leadership content engineered to earn citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, tracked back to qualified leads and pipeline and not vanity traffic metrics.
Expertise:
- GEO & AEO Content Strategy
- Thought Leadership SEO
- AI Visibility Reporting
- Lead Generation
4. Single Grain
Single Grain, led by CEO Eric Siu, positions itself as a Search Everywhere Optimization agency, a framing built directly for multi-platform AI visibility. Their stack combines dedicated AEO, LLMO, paid advertising, CRO, and content marketing, making them one of the few US agencies where AEO is fully integrated into a performance marketing program.
Expertise:
- AEO & LLMO
- Paid Search & Social
- Content Marketing
- Conversion Rate Optimization
5. Omniscient Digital
Omniscient Digital is an Austin-based B2B SaaS-exclusive agency founded by alumni from HubSpot, Shopify, and Workato. Their proprietary Surround Sound SEO methodology builds content ecosystems that establish brand presence across every top resource in a given category. This is the exact citation pattern that trains LLMs to associate a brand with specific buyer problems.
Expertise:
- GEO Strategy
- Editorial Content & AEO
- Surround Sound SEO
- Link Building & Digital PR
6. RevenueZen
RevenueZen is a Portland-based full-funnel organic growth agency combining GEO content, SEO, and landing page optimization under one retainer. They stand out for publishing their pricing openly, a level of transparency rare in the US AEO market, and offering month-to-month contracts with no long-term commitment required for B2B teams.
Expertise:
- GEO & AEO Content
- Full-Funnel SEO
- Landing Page Optimization
- Pipeline Attribution
7. Siege Media
Siege Media is a San Diego-based content-driven agency that has evolved from linkable assets and manual outreach into a full organic growth agency offering AEO and LLMO. Their core view is that AI models determine trust through web-wide consensus, so they engineer content to earn citations from .edu, .gov, and authoritative publisher domains that LLMs weight most heavily.
Expertise:
- Content-Led SEO & AEO
- LLMO
- Link Building & Digital PR
- Content Design
8. NoGood
NoGood is the most cross-referenced US agency in both Minuttia and Discovered Labs’ 2026 AEO roundups. For each client they form a tailored growth squad from their team of 70+ experts, delivering AEO, SEO, paid, and CRO in one data-driven system with real-time AI citation monitoring across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity.
Expertise:
- AEO Strategy
- AI Citation Monitoring
- Paid Search & Social
- Analytics & Reporting
9. KlientBoost
KlientBoost addresses the conversion gap that AEO alone creates: AI visibility drives attention but only generates pipeline if the landing experience converts it. They combine PPC management, landing page optimization, and CRO in a unified system, and have one of the highest volumes of publicly listed client reviews of any US digital agency.
Expertise:
- PPC Management
- Landing Page Optimization
- Conversion Rate Optimization
- AEO Content
10. SimpleTiger
SimpleTiger has focused exclusively on SaaS since 2006, giving them the longest SaaS-only track record on this list. The CEO and COO consult directly with every client, making this a genuinely high-touch engagement at accessible pricing — rare for a specialized US agency. Their most notable result: a 597% increase in JotForm’s organic traffic in two months.
Expertise:
- SaaS SEO & AEO
- Keyword Research
- On-Page SEO
- Technical SEO
Conclusion
Finding the right AEO agency in 2026 comes down to where you are in your growth journey and what you need AI search to do for your pipeline. Whether you’re a pre-revenue founder or an enterprise scaling across multiple markets, the agencies on this list represent the strongest options available in the US today. Start by auditing your current AI visibility, then match your needs to the agency built for your stage.
FAQs
1. What is an AEO agency?
An AEO agency (Answer Engine Optimization agency) is a specialized digital marketing firm that helps brands structure their content and online presence so AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can surface them as a direct answer to user queries.
Unlike traditional SEO agencies focused on search engine rankings, AEO agencies optimize for retrieval by large language models, using semantic clarity, structured formatting, entity signals, and conversational content architecture to ensure a brand appears in AI-generated responses.
2. What is the difference between AEO and SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on getting your web pages to rank highly on Google and other search engines so users click through to your site. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) goes a step further by structuring that same content so AI platforms can extract and cite it directly in AI-generated answers, without the user needing to click at all.
In practice, AEO and SEO are complementary rather than competing disciplines. AI platforms primarily cite pages that already rank well on Google, which means strong SEO forms the foundation that AEO builds on. Cutting one weakens the other.
3. What are the best AEO agencies in 2026?
Based on AI visibility performance, verified client results, and independent third-party rankings, the strongest AEO agencies in the USA for 2026 include WebFX for enterprise brands needing a proven full-service vendor, PipeRocket Digital for B2B SaaS and tech companies at any growth stage, First Page Sage for thought leadership-driven GEO, Single Grain for integrated multi-channel AI search growth, and Omniscient Digital for editorial-first category authority.
Other notable agencies on this list include RevenueZen, Siege Media, NoGood, KlientBoost, and SimpleTiger, each suited to different budget levels, ARR stages, and growth priorities.
