MAM
Tracking the working woman
While the Indian housewife has been assiduously tracked and her media habits traced by eager advertisers, the Indian working woman has been dodging definition. A recent study by Kartik Iyer, President- Initiative and Madhavi Goswami- Intellect Research & Technologies, Lintas Media Services, however shows that the woman in office exhibits media habits that are closer to her male counterparts than to her homemaker sisters.
 Media consumption patterns of working women are closer to those of men rather than those of non working women |
The number of working women exposed to press is 104 per cent more than non-working women is one of the significant findings of the study. Working women also consume 49 per cent more cinema than non-working women and four times more Internet than non-working women, the study says.
 Televison viewing patterns of working men and women are similar, those of non working women are different |
Interestingly though, the television and radio habits are not very different for both working as well as non-working women but working women are much higher on Press, Cinema and Internet. The study, based on figures thrown up by the Indian Readership Survey and analysed using the ESPRIT consumer segmentation and mapping tool of Intellect, reveals that the media reach for working women mirrors that of their male counterpart. Except for cinema, the media habits of both these demographics are quite similar. The study tracked target group SEC AB, 10L+ HHs, Females Age 20-40 yrs as a base, using
Even in terms of day part viewership, the pattern of working women conforms to that of working men while non-working women show a difference in the viewership. For working men and women, the peak is in the prime time band while non-working women peak both during the afternoon time band as well as the prime time band.
 Except for cinema viewing, media use patterns of working men and women tally |
The time spent in a day on watching television again coincides for working men as well as working women. Working women spend less time watching television than non- working women do. This pattern of being ‘like working men’ is apparent across other parameters of media consumption too such as language of media consumption, genre preferences, etc, the study shows.
The analysis garnered has been used to determine the involvement of women in decision making (particularly the role of working women), and the current gender skew in advertising for various categories. The TAM TV Adex database has been probed to understand the existing gender skew in advertising spends. Correspondence analysis was done to examine the skews in ad duration across various categories with respect to different genres of channels and hence target groups.
 The average amount of time spent in television viewing is nearly the same for all three, however |
The study analysed ad durations of various categories vis-?-vis the channels that they are advertised on, thus reflecting the target audience being advertised to and found that TV spends are being targeted at both the male and female audience but the skew is more towards males. Household durables such as televisions, refrigerators, cars/ jeeps etc are being advertised to both genders but they have a skew towards the males. The study concludes that media planners need to include women as a part of the audience that needs to be advertised to incase of major household durables can not only impact the decision making process for the consumer, but also optimise the spends for the advertiser
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
