MUMBAI: In a challenging year for India and the world, it was reassuring to see an increase in ad volumes on TV in the second half of 2020. Hindustan Unilever was the biggest advertiser in 2020 with a 30 per cent growth in ad volumes over 2019, followed by the Reckitt Benckiser group, with itsad volumes growing by 37 per cent in 2020 over the previous year. 

“Television continues to be the screen of the household and the most important medium for all the major advertisers to reach their audience pre-pandemic and post lockdown too. Return of originals along with the festive season and live sporting events boosted the ad volumes, taking the overall growth in ad volumes to 34 per cent as compared to H1, 2020 and eventually minimising thereduction in volumes to a marginal -3 per cent for the overall year, as compared to 2019” said BARC Indiapartnership & revenue function head client Aaditya Pathak.

Movies genre saw significant growth in ad volumes as the lockdown was gradually lifted. Hindi GECs witnessed the highest growth in ad volumes with 10 per cent as compared to 2019. Other regional GECs saw a growth of eight per cent as over 2019. News genre in 2020 too had the highest volume, while ad volumes dropped by one per cent.

A heightened consciousness of safeguarding our healthgave a boost to the antiseptics and personal care categories. Ad volumes for Dettol Toilet Soaps and Dettol Antiseptic Liquid went up by 118 per cent and 136 per cent respectively.Horlicks ad volumes also surged by 60 per cent in 2020 as compared to the preceding year. 

In this pandemic necessitated lockdown,and people confined to their homes, digital brands too turned to television to capitalise on the undisputed reach of the medium,given the changing consumer buying habits. 

During the peak lockdown in April and May, the ad volumes for digital brands was the highest with 16 per cent and 13 per cent  respectively as compared to the month of January 2020. The highest ad volumes share for digital brands in 2019 was at nine per cent in the months of March, September and December.