Programmatic
at a Crossroads

Recognises a campaign that effectively built brand awareness at scale — judged on reach, recall, and the role programmatic played in the media strategy.

For campaigns where programmatic was the primary driver of measurable performance outcomes — leads, conversions, or direct revenue.

Recognises outstanding use of programmatic video across pre-roll, mid-roll, outstream, or connected formats.

For campaigns that leveraged programmatic to deliver standout results on mobile — in-app, mobile web, or cross-device.

Recognises a brand that used retail media networks — Flipkart, Swiggy, Zepto, or others — to reach high-intent audiences with measurable commerce outcomes.

For campaigns using programmatic to buy and optimise digital out-of-home — judged on creative relevance, targeting, and integration with the broader media plan.

Recognises effective use of programmatic audio across streaming, podcast, or digital radio.

For native campaigns delivered programmatically demonstrating strong content-audience fit and performance metrics.

Recognises a campaign delivering a unified brand experience across three or more channels with evidence of cross-channel measurement.

For brands combining retail media data or inventory with open-web programmatic to create a commerce-driven campaign strategy.

Recognises campaigns bridging the physical and digital using programmatic DOOH alongside digital channels to create a connected consumer experience.

For brands or agencies demonstrating a sophisticated first-party data strategy — from collection and enrichment to activation in programmatic campaigns.

Recognises an organisation using AI for bidding, targeting, creative optimisation, or audience modelling in a way that demonstrably improved campaign performance.

For campaigns where precise audience definition and segmentation was the key differentiator — judged on sophistication and outcomes delivered.

Recognises effective use of contextual intelligence to reach audiences without behavioural data — judged on how well context was matched to message.

For campaigns demonstrating strong performance within privacy constraints — including cookieless environments and consent-based frameworks.

Recognises creative work pushing the boundaries of what programmatic can deliver — through dynamic creative, personalisation at scale, or format innovation.

For brands using commerce signals — purchase data, browsing behaviour, or transaction history — to power more precise programmatic campaigns.

Recognises brands or products using programmatic as a primary launch channel — judged on strategy, execution, and awareness or sales outcomes achieved.

Best digital advertising campaign by a Banking, Financial Services, or Insurance brand — recognising effective audience targeting within regulated industry constraints.

Best campaign by an FMCG or consumer goods brand — judged on how data-driven media drove brand preference, trial, or purchase intent at scale.

Best campaign by an automotive brand — recognising smart use of audience data across the long consideration and purchase journey.

Best campaign by an e-commerce or direct-to-consumer brand — judged on how digital media drove measurable acquisition, retention, or revenue outcomes.

Best campaign by a healthcare or pharma brand — recognising responsible, effective audience targeting within the sensitivities and regulations of the sector.

Best campaign by a real estate brand — judged on how digital media reached high-intent property buyers and generated qualified leads.

Best campaign by an education or EdTech brand — recognising effective digital media to drive enrolments, sign-ups, or brand preference.

Best campaign by a travel or hospitality brand — judged on how digital media reached intent-led audiences and drove bookings or brand consideration.

Best campaign by a telecom or consumer technology brand — recognising effective digital media for subscriber acquisition, product launches, or brand differentiation.

Best campaign by a retail or quick commerce brand — judged on how digital media drove footfall, app installs, online orders, or customer acquisition.

Best campaign by a food or beverage brand — recognising how digital media built appetite appeal, drove trial, or sustained brand salience.

Best campaign by a gaming, OTT, or entertainment brand — judged on how digital media drove downloads, subscriptions, viewership, or event attendance.

Best campaign by a fintech or new-age financial services brand — recognising how digital media drove user acquisition, activation, or trust-building.

Best campaign by a sports, fitness, or wellness brand — recognising how digital media built community, drove sign-ups, or sustained engagement.

Best campaign by a government body or public sector undertaking — recognising how digital media drove citizen awareness, behaviour change, or scheme adoption at scale.

Best campaign by a luxury or lifestyle brand — recognising how digital media reached high-affinity, aspirational audiences while preserving brand equity and driving consideration or purchase intent.

Recognises an independent agency demonstrating outstanding programmatic capability through client outcomes, innovation, and growth of expertise within the team.

For agency trading desks demonstrating best-in-class programmatic buying — judged on transparency, performance delivery, and sophistication of the buying approach.

Recognises the programmatic strategy team within a large agency network that delivered the most impactful work for clients.

For mid-size agencies that punched above their weight in programmatic — delivering sophisticated, results-driven work without large network resources.

Recognises an agency introducing a genuinely new approach, tool, or methodology to programmatic buying in India — demonstrating its impact on client outcomes.

Recognises the demand-side platform delivering the strongest combination of performance, transparency, innovation, and client support in the Indian market.

For the supply-side platform demonstrating the strongest publisher relationships, inventory quality, and innovation in monetisation in the Indian market.

Recognises the data management or customer data platform most effectively helping brands activate first-party data in programmatic campaigns.

For platforms providing the most accurate, actionable measurement and attribution capabilities to help marketers understand what is actually working.

Recognises the retail media network or platform most effectively enabling brands to reach high-intent shoppers with measurable, commerce-backed campaigns.

For the platform most effectively enabling programmatic buying of digital out-of-home — judged on inventory quality, targeting capabilities, and measurement.

Recognises a tool giving brands clear, actionable visibility into the performance of their retail media investments.

For tools bringing digital-style audience measurement to out-of-home — enabling impressions, reach, and frequency metrics.

Recognises a platform using contextual signals to deliver precise targeting without relying on personal data or behavioural tracking.

For tools where AI is the core engine — used for bidding, creative optimisation, audience modelling, or campaign management — with demonstrable impact on outcomes.

Recognises a platform effectively addressing the loss of third-party cookies through alternative identity frameworks or privacy-preserving targeting approaches.

For tools helping buyers reduce waste, improve transparency, and find more direct routes to quality inventory.

Recognises platforms enabling secure, privacy-compliant data collaboration between brands, publishers, or retail media networks.

For tools using data and automation to dynamically optimise ad creative — personalising messaging, format, or visual elements based on audience signals.

Recognises an early-stage or growth-stage adtech company in India demonstrating genuine product innovation in the programmatic space.

Recognises a digital news publisher demonstrating outstanding programmatic monetisation through inventory quality, audience data, and revenue innovation.

For video or OTT publishers most effectively monetising their inventory programmatically — judged on quality of the programmatic offering and audience reach.

Recognises audio publishers and podcast platforms building effective programmatic advertising capabilities enabling brands to reach engaged audio audiences at scale.

For publishers developing innovative audience products or data strategies — enabling advertisers to target more precisely without compromising user privacy.

Recognises a digital marketing or media head at a brand who drove significant programmatic capability, results, or transformation within their organisation in the past year.

For agency leaders demonstrating outstanding programmatic thinking, client results, and contribution to raising the bar for programmatic practice in India.

Recognises a leader within an adtech company who made a meaningful contribution to the Indian programmatic ecosystem through product innovation or industry leadership.

The standout performance campaign of the year — judged on ambition, execution, and measurable business outcomes. Open to all channels and formats.

Recognises outstanding use of paid search to drive measurable business outcomes — judged on strategy, targeting precision, and ROI delivered.

For campaigns driving app installs, in-app actions, or re-engagement at scale — judged on cost efficiency, quality of acquired users, and measurable downstream outcomes.

Recognises paid social campaigns — across Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube, or any platform — delivering standout performance outcomes.

For brands or agencies building an effective affiliate, influencer performance, or partnership marketing programme — judged on incremental revenue and cost per acquisition.

Recognises a brand or agency successfully connecting upper-funnel brand investment to lower-funnel performance outcomes with a clear measurement framework.

For brands or agencies using automated bidding, smart campaigns, or AI-driven optimisation to demonstrably improve performance outcomes.

Recognises the in-house or agency performance marketing team delivering the strongest body of work in the past year — judged on results, innovation, and talent development.