This festive season set new records in terms of ad volumes. A recent festive trend report by BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India said October 2021 registered the highest ad volume so far as compared to 2019 and 2020. According to the report ad volumes in October 2021 were 11 percent higher than 2020 and 23 percent higher when compared to the same period 2019.
October 2021 this year was a golden period for advertisers with the festive season coinciding with the second phase of IPL 2021 between September 19 and October 15. Legacy brands as well as new-age brands parked a sizable chunk of their annual ad budget in television advertising.
The report on ad volumes says Dussehra Week this year witnessed 13 percent growth in ad volumes over the previous 4 weeks and 25 percent over 2019. The number of advertisers and brands during the Dussehra was the highest as compared to previous years; 18 percent more than the previous four weeks.
This festive season was the first big advertising opportunity for brands after the second wave of the ongoing pandemic hit the country resulting in a slowing down of business and low consumer sentiments.
No wonder the festive season saw new advertisers in abundance. As per the BARC report, out of the 2851 total advertisers on board in October 2021, 22 percent were new advertisers and out of the 4624 brands advertised on TV in the period, 1065 were new ones.
In terms of sectors, retail, durables, BFSI, textile, and personal accessories, registered the highest growth over 2020.
The top 10 advertisers this festive season were Hindustan Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Godrej Group, Procter and Gamble, Cadburys India Ltd, Amazon Online India Private Limited, ITC Ltd, Coca-Cola Ltd, Colgate Palmolive India Ltd, and Tata (G).
The top 10 brands advertised in the period according to the report were Horlicks, Amazon.in, Dettol toilet soaps, Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean, Clinic Plus Shampoo, Lizol, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Lalithaa jewellery, Surf Excel Easy Wash and Boost.
An analysis of the trends in 2021 October showed that while the top 10 advertisers remained steady, the next 40 grew by 17 percent over October 2020. The rest of the advertisers witnessed 26 percent growth.
Language channels saw the maximum traction, said the report. Ad Volumes for the Bhojpuri language during the festive period were at an all-time high in 2021, recording a growth of 111 percent compared to the same period in October 2019. Apart from Bhojpuri, Punjabi viewership has also recorded a 52 percent growth over October 2019, while the growth percentage for Telugu and Marathi languages was 33 percent and 35 percent respectively.
