News genre leads the way in CTV advertising: Priti Murthy of GroupM Nexus

News Delhi: While CTV's popularity is soaring, it’s the news genre that’s leading the charge and setting the standard in this new media landscape, said Priti Murthy, President at GroupM Nexus India, which she dubs the "engine driving centre of excellence with a lens of full-funnel performance.

Murthy shared with BestMediaInfo.com that news channels were quick to jump on the CTV bandwagon—not just for the financial gain, but to deliver more personalised content to their viewers. 

“They spotted the CTV trend early, adapting swiftly and forging partnerships with tech giants like LG and Samsung,” she said.

She emphasised, “It’s not just about the money. News channels are already well distributed, on free-to-air platforms, and have their share of subscriptions. It’s really about staying ahead with personalised content.”

As the discussion shifted to the rise of CTV and its impact on linear TV, Murthy highlighted how both can coexist. 

She also discussed how traditional broadcasters and distribution companies are evolving their focus areas to stay competitive in this changing landscape.

Even though cord-cutting is on the rise and digital and on-demand media are giving traditional TV a run for its money, it’s unlikely that linear TV will be heading to the retirement home anytime soon.

As per Murthy, linear TV is nowhere near extinction; it continues to hold a significant place in the media landscape with its own advantages. 

“When we say that TV is dead, we’re only referring to a small fraction of the Indian population who can afford multiple connected devices. The majority of India is still reliant on linear TV. If TV were truly on its way out, we'd see it happening in other markets, like the US, by now, but it hasn’t. Everything coexists.”

Even today, connected TV and linear TV are often part of the same ecosystem. New players may emerge, but they all interact within this space. It's a distribution game, she said.  

Having said that, “the share of linear TV in the ecosystem will be different, but both CTV and linear TV will continue to co-exist. For example, with the advent of YouTube, people didn’t stop watching TV,” commented Murthy.  

According to a GroupM TYNY report, Adex in TV is estimated to grow by 7% to Rs 45,226 crore in 2024. The same report also states that the size of adex on digital extensions of TV will be Rs 5,750 crore in 2024.

To remain relevant, Murthy said, “Broadcasters and distribution companies are also evolving. For instance, Tata Play and Airtel now offer targeting options, showing that linear TV is adapting. A lot is happening in the market, but it’s not getting enough attention. Companies are testing and learning to refine their approaches before fully sharing them.” 

Are the early birds of CTV advertising reaping the rewards more than the late entrants to the party?

Murthy believes that while those who started early were able to fine-tune their strategies and invest confidently, newcomers can benefit from the extensive measurement, proof, and case studies available today, making it easier for them to navigate and optimise their approach.

She said, “With the kind of audience insights one gets on CTV, it helps in targeting better.”

“For example, while we once thought premium audiences would flock to YouTube, we’re now seeing that many premium viewers are actually tuning into connected TV (CTV) households. Even there, initially, CTV targeting focused on NCCS A and B, but now NCCS C is also making its way into the CTV landscape, albeit on a smaller scale,” she added.

New ISEC testing the waters 

In February 2024, the Market Research Society of India (MRSI) rolled out its shiny new socio-economic classification system, “ISEC.” 

Unlike its predecessor, NCCS, which looked at the chief earner’s education and a few household items, ISEC steps up the game by considering the chief earner’s occupation and the education levels of both the highest educated male and female adults in the household. 

Murthy weighed in on how this new system is catching on with Indian marketers: “Before diving in, we need to test and learn. Remember how NCCS was rolled out? There was a lot of experimentation before it became a fixture. When we transitioned from the old SEC to NCCS, we ran both in parallel for a while. Now, we have some forward-thinking clients already in discussions with us about ISEC. It’s all about embracing the change with a bit of trial and error.”