India’s first-ever CTV exclusive event – Connected TV Asia Symposium 2022 ends on a high note
CTV- an acronym that has taken the advertising world by storm over the last couple of years. And yet, only a small part of the industry fully understands the technology that seems to have transformed the oldest screens in our homes.
Similar to other trends that have come up in the digital advertising space, the pandemic of course played a huge role in bringing CTV to the limelight. CTV aka Connected TV witnessed exponential growth as consumers flocked to their TV screens once again, to find entertainment while being cooped up in their homes.
With the proliferation of digital, many had started to regard TV as obsolete (we surely didn’t). However, CTV changed the game as it combined the widespread reach of linear TV and the targeting capabilities of digital.
Our esteemed speaker seconds that thought as she shares
Divya Karani, CEO- Media South Asia, denstu
CTV is the magical intersection, between the indisputable power of TV, and the addressable interactivity of digital! At dentsu international India, we stepped into this emerging space last year and continue to closely measure the adoption trajectory via our single source consumer track.”
Evidently, advertising professionals were warming up to the idea of exploring CTV, but there existed an unexplainable gap within the industry- a gap that could only be filled by bringing all key stakeholders under one roof and instigating meaningful and deeper discussions exclusively on all things CTV. We at Agency Reporter identified this gap and aimed to bridge it by hosting a one-of-its-kind event that would make the industry sit up and take notice of all that this space has to offer. And that’s how the idea of hosting India’s first full-day agenda on CTV advertising was born- Connected TV Asia Symposium 2022.
As we embarked on this journey, we were grateful to have the support of several organizations that have made a mark for themselves in the adtech space owing to their excellent offerings. Connected TV Asia Symposium 2022 was presented by MiQ, powered by PubMatic, in association with Integral Ad Science and Lemma, and supported by Mediasmart & Vidgyor.
Close to three months of research, hard work, and persistence lead us to the city of Mumbai on D-Day i.e. 16th of September. An Orange alert in the city and cumbersome traffic was unable to dampen the spirit of our speakers and audience as we witnessed a houseful first edition of the Connected TV Asia Symposium.
Our aim with the symposium was not to merely focus on big numbers but to focus on onboarding experts who know this ecosystem in and out. After all, it isn’t an easy feat to have a packed agenda that covers all aspects of CTV advertising and keeps the audience engaged throughout. So when 29 top-of-the-class CTV experts joined us at the venue in order to make this event the most sought-after one in the CTV space, we knew we were on the right track.
Have a look at what some of our speakers had to say:
Srinivas Rao, Head- Trading, Wavemaker India
When I was invited to be part of a panel which was on a topic around CTV and part of a day-long Symposium, I had my doubts if it’s going to be possible to hold the audience for the entire day only on discussions/presentations on CTV. But, my doubts were cleared within the first hour when the first panel discussion went much beyond the stipulated time. While I know CTV is currently the most buzzing and relevant topic, the sheer width of topics that were covered over the entire day was amazing. Kudos to Agency Reporter to take this initiative and bring together relevant industry stakeholders to discuss this topic at length. I had a great experience attending the event, sharing my thoughts and learning from my industry colleagues.”
Nikhil Kumar – Vice President, IN & SEA – mediasmart
“It was extremely encouraging to see so many leaders and stakeholders from across the spectrum- brands, agencies, tech partners, data & measurement, being extremely bullish about the current and future role of CTV as a medium for delivering impact for brands. The key takeaway for me was the fact that multiple studies have shown CTV consumption today goes beyond inhibitions of individual consumption of mobile screens & probably also brings back the co-viewing phenomenon of family time (like broadcast media) though with very measurable metrics of targeting & delivery. CTV is here to stay & grow and platforms like Connected TV Asia Symposium will play the catalyst for its education across communities.”
Prabhvir Sahmey, Senior Director- INSEA, Samsung Ads
Connected TV Asia Symposium has been able to bring the right stakeholders across the ecosystem and drive an honest conversation on the meaning, use, and impact of CTV on our industry. The most engaging & curated event after a very long time.”
Aatika Ansari, Head of Media-Digital, Pernod Ricard India
Agency Reporter did an excellent job of keeping a simple, straightforward format for the Symposium. It was interesting to see a range of reactions from marketers, agencies, and publishers to this new media on the block. Looking forward to getting the basics of brand safety, tracking, and measurement right as we go deeper into immersive experiences.”
Krishnarao Buddha – Sr. Category Head – Parle Products Pvt. Ltd
“I am delighted to be a part of the Connected TV Asia Symposium 2022. It is commendable that Agency Reporter chose such a futuristic topic. It was a wonderful learning session for me to hear all the lovely insights from fellow panelists. In my opinion, the launch of the 5G services will further propel CTV penetration and we can expect to reach 40 million CTV households sooner than 2025. As a part of the industry, the onus is jointly upon us to come out with a universal metric to measure the CTV ad effectiveness. Controlled CTV advertising could be explored for a month, in say, a market like Mumbai, without any intervention of any other media like TV, Print, Radio, Digital or OOH. The zero media presence could be extended in Mumbai for further 2 months. The brands sales delta can thus be easily measured in Mumbai comparing pre-activity average sales versus during and post-activity sales. I am quite excited.”
Krishna Menon, Chief Operating Officer, QYOU Media
“The advancing new trends in the M&E sector have steered noticeable changes in the TV viewing content consumption habits of Indian audiences, leading to Connected TV making a strong appearance in India. While the industry is still at a nascent stage, CTV holds tremendous untapped potential and will play a crucial role in helping brands to reach out to new and hard-to-reach audiences, forming deeper connections with them. With smart TV subscriptions growing exponentially in India, advertising on Connected TV is set to become the next big frontier.
A one-of-its-kind, Connected TV Asia Symposium provided a great opportunity to initiate a conversation on the potential strength of CTV as a medium and has further propelled the industry to change its perspective and treat CTV as a promising and potent media vehicle. I think the onus now rests upon us to strategically cater to this exponentially rising consumer growth trend for a progressive future. Kudos to all the panelists for their valuable insights and the team at Agency Reporter for organizing the event!”
Kuldeep Pawar, Chief Marketing Officer, Spice Money
I had a wonderful experience at the event. The event was very well organized on all parameters I must say – venue, right branding, seating, F&B arrangements, and networking. I would also like to thank the audience who made it to the event on a heavy rainy day morning.”
Niti Kumar, Chief Operations Officer, Starcom
CTV is the newest platform on the block. For agencies and advertisers it gives us the advantages of digital targeting and the reach potential of TV. The Connected TV Symposium by Agency Reporter drove some much needed conversations around measurement, the future of the medium. I was thrilled to be a part of these conversations and help toward the evolution of the CTV platform! Cheers to Rahul and his team for a wonderful event.”
Varun Mohan, Head of Growth & Revenue, India & SAARC, MiQ
It was great being a part of Connected TV Asia Symposium and having engaging discussions with brands and industry leaders on the growth of CTV in India. It’s encouraging to see that marketers understand the value of CTV, and am confident that our programmatically-enabled CTV solutions, coupled with our strategic partnership with Samsung Ads would continue to push the media industry forward, and help Indian brands catapult into the CTV space.”
Sumeet Bhojani, Head of Marketing Communications, Godrej Interio (a business of Godrej & Boyce)
Overall, the event was well organised and interesting to attend. The format had a mix of presentations, fireside chats and panel discussions that kept the insights rolling through the day.
The space of CTV has captured the interest of the whole ecosystem, be it marketers, agencies, or publishers. While the medium continues to evolve in our country, I believe a few key ingredients for success are crucial for it to become core to all media campaigns going forward. First, the right kind of programmatic solutions that offer multiple targeting options and combine with other platforms to augment the overall goals of an omnichannel campaign. For instance, contextual targeting could be a game changer for CTV advertising growth in India. Second, innovative ad formats that go beyond the standard pre/mid-rolls and are engaging for the viewers while also creating a high impact for the brand. Third, the availability of uniform measurement techniques and standardized reporting metrics across platforms. And finally, robust third-party verification and fraud prevention controls need to be firmly in place before marketers feel confident of allocating large investments toward this platform.”
Merlin Coutinho – Head Marketing – Lemma
The event was a forum of new thinking emphasizing the current situation, new challenges and real-world applications of CTV. Thoughtfully curated sessions, with an impressive line-up of panellists, certainly shed some light on business and media strategies enabled via technology and the transformation of CTV as the industry looks to scale in several areas, including reach and engagement offered to brands. The event captured the future of CTV, with an outpouring of new thinking & best practices with global relevance expressed by the guests. Rahul Puri and the team did an excellent job in bringing the CTV industry under one roof, with interesting topics, insights, and the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with potential clients, friends, and industry peers.”
Dolly Jha, Managing Director, Nielsen Media India
Loveleen Gajria, Head- Media, Digital, CRM, Abbott Nutrition
Shailja Saraswati Varghese, Chief Content Officer-Omnicom Media Group
Saurabh Khattar, India Lead- Strategic Partnerships, Integral Ad Science
Saurabh Khattar further shared his insights on the future of CTV, “Connected TV (CTV) has become an even more compelling platform for marketers as brands shift their marketing strategies to a more efficient, data-driven approach to reach audiences. Consumer behaviour has made it evident that they want better on-demand entertainment services with relevant ads. As consumers pull back on monthly subscriptions, ad-supported services will continue to increase in viewership, providing even more supply for advertisers. Here lies the opportunity for marketers to reorient their strategies and budgets to align with this massive consumer shift. Measurement and verification of CTV spending will play a key role in creating confidence among marketers to continue spending with confidence.”
As grateful as we are to garner the love and support of our speakers and audience for the first edition, we simply cannot stop here. Like many of the speakers stated at the event, this is just the beginning, and we at Agency Reporter firmly believe that we still have a lot more to learn and explore in this exciting new space. One event just would not cut it for an industry that is transforming at lightning speed. We aim to end this year triumphantly with another edition of Connected TV Asia Symposium for our Delhi NCR folks.
In case you need more reasons to attend, stay tuned as we begin to share snippets of all the extraordinary conversations that took place at the first edition.