India’s advertising momentum remains strong despite category disruptions: Priti Murthy

At the launch of This Year Next Year (TYNY), Priti Murthy, President – Client Solutions, South Asia, WPP Media, outlined why India’s advertising momentum remains strong despite category disruptions, why the real battle is against siloed thinking, and why content and commerce—not channels—will define the next phase of growth.

In an exclusive interaction with e4m, Murthy describes the current environment as a “happy economy” driven by positive business sentiment, government-led spending and B2B brands expanding into B2C. Murthy emphasised that the real shift is structural — away from the outdated divide between traditional and digital — toward integrated, content- and commerce-led ecosystems where brand and performance work together. 

Excerpts: 

What are your key takeaways from this year’s TYNY report?

For me, the biggest takeaway is that this is a happy economy. It’s an economy that is spending and is close to double-digit growth. If gaming as a category had not shut down, we would have comfortably crossed double-digit growth.

There is positive sentiment across sectors. Government investments are unlocking spending in multiple industries. I’m seeing B2B clients come to us saying, “Help us scale into B2C,” or “Help us expand our reach.” That shift itself signals confidence.

The other major takeaway is the blending of commerce, retail, modern trade and content. The definitions have changed. We need to stop calling it traditional and digital. That distinction is gone. What matters now is whether communication is content-driven and commerce-enabled. Consumers are not thinking on platforms—they are consuming content seamlessly across them.

According to the report, India’s advertising expenditure grew by 9.2% in 2025 and is projected to rise 9.7% in the current year. What factors are contributing to this relatively muted pace of growth?

I don’t see the 9.7% projection as muted growth at all. Considering gaming (real money gaming brands) as a category dropped out from the advertising due to regulatory reasons, this is a strong growth. If gaming had continued, we would have crossed 10% or more growth this year.

There are categories where we are yet to see full acceleration—pharma, for instance. It’s more about regulatory frameworks than lack of intent. You’re seeing new sub-categories emerge, like weight-loss drugs entering advertising cautiously. They can’t go aggressive overnight, but momentum is building.

Meanwhile, auto, BFSI, fintech, retail and e-commerce continue to grow. So, 9.7% in this context is a very healthy number.

What are the biggest challenges media agency leaders face today?

The biggest challenge is transforming brand conversations. We need to move away from siloed thinking—TV first, then digital, then commerce. Media journeys need to be designed around content and commerce ecosystems.

Another major challenge is the separation of brand marketing and performance marketing. This split is hurting the consumer narrative and, frankly, ROI. When brand credibility, long-term equity and short-term sales are integrated, the outcomes are stronger. We have the models and analytics to prove it.

Some clients are already on that journey. Others are learning with us. It’s a shared transformation.

What will be the single biggest shift in media this year?

The biggest shift is acceptance that digital is now traditional. At nearly 68–70% share, digital is no longer “new.” It’s fundamental. The real shift is toward blended media thinking rather than channel silos. Consumers don’t differentiate between platforms; they follow content. Our planning frameworks must reflect that.

As Retail Media and CTV grow, how are you handling measurement challenges?

Measurement today is far more robust than before. We use platforms like WPP Open and proprietary tools to tailor measurement frameworks around immediate sales response, long-term brand health and overall ROI. Measurement is no longer just media metrics—it’s about linking media performance to business outcomes.

In retail media, the challenge is fragmentation. Every ecosystem—Amazon, Meta, Flipkart—operates within its own data environment. Our job is to unify those through CDPs, ensure privacy compliance and build a central measurement engine.

Large organisations have already invested in data infrastructure. The next shift will happen when mid-sized brands also formalise their data systems.

CTV spends remain concentrated in sports and entertainment. Why?

Because content drives scale and impact. Sports and entertainment deliver rich sufficiency and emotional engagement. But CTV is evolving beyond that.

With connected TV, you now have pin-code level targeting and measurable outcomes. It complements linear TV and digital. The opportunity lies in building a complementary narrative rather than positioning mediums in competition.

How has TV planning evolved over the years, and how can TV grow its AdEx share?

TV remains a large and growing base. We are seeing around 4% growth in TV advertising in 2025.

The real evolution in Television is regionalisation. Vernacular markets—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bhojpuri—are expanding meaningfully across both TV and print.

TV’s strength lies in reach and regional connection. Connected TV enhances targeting and measurement. As long as TV continues to position itself as complementary within the broader ecosystem, it will retain relevance.

How are South Asian markets evolving compared to India?

Sri Lanka is a strong digital-first market, though smaller in scale. The ecosystem is agile, but market size limits impact.

Bangladesh has faced political and economic turbulence, affecting stability. Nepal remains a smaller-scale market.

India, by contrast, has scale, policy momentum and investment depth. That combination gives it structural advantage.

What excites you most about the next phase of media?

The shift from media planning to content journey mapping. Gen Alpha and younger cohorts will not respond to advertising in the traditional sense. They will respond to content that inspires purchase decisions. If we can map consumer journeys through content ecosystems, that’s where the future lies.

India is a growing market. And as WPP Media, we are positioned to drive both scale and agility—big enough to create ecosystem shifts, nimble enough to customize solutions for individual clients.

That duality excites me the most.