More ads, less recall: Are brands making real connections with consumers?

There was a time when a single ad line could live rent-free in your head for years, “Hamara Bajaj,” “Daag acche hain,” “Har ghar kuch kehta hai,” and many more. Today, consumers are exposed to hundreds of ads before breakfast, with few leaving a lasting impression. It's not that advertising has lost its effectiveness, but the sheer volume of content makes it harder for messages to truly stand out.

As brands pursue impressions, clicks, and shares, the challenge is no longer just about reach – it's about creating meaningful connections. The question is: are brands building long-term value or focusing solely on visibility?

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“In today’s hyper-saturated media landscape, the sheer volume of advertising has created a paradox, where brands are speaking louder, but consumers are listening less,” says Amita Madhvani, Co-Founder & CEO of Equinox Films, Ram Madhvani Films and Equinox Virtual. “The real challenge is no longer just reach; it’s resonance.”

That word 'resonance' is exactly what’s missing from much of modern advertising. Attention spans are shrinking, timelines are crowded, and the average consumer’s patience has dropped to single-digit seconds. According to Snapchat’s “Attention Advantage” study with WPP Media and Lumen Research, a mere 5% increase in attention can lead to up to 2x gains in brand perception, and yet, most marketers still measure success in views and impressions.

Prathap Suthan, Chief Creative Officer & Managing Partner at Bang In The Middle (a new age communication company), doesn’t mince words. “Well thought-through, relevant, and engaging communication will always connect,” he says. “Mindless drivel that both clients and agencies push out just to tick boxes will not serve anyone. Most of all, these daily BAU exercises keep money flowing into the pockets of social media companies and media agencies. Nothing else.”

He adds, almost ruefully, that everyone in the system knows this, and yet the “machine keeps churning.” “Brands commission content calendars that could run themselves,” Suthan says. “Agencies oblige because billings matter more than bravery.”

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So, what’s the antidote? Amita Madhvani believes it starts with stripping communication down to its emotional core. “Advertising was never meant to be a numbers game; it was always about emotion, connection, and recall,” she says. “The obsession with metrics such as views and clicks has made brands transactional, when in fact, they need to be relational. For us at Equinox Films, every piece of communication begins with a simple question: ‘Will this move the audience emotionally or intellectually?’ Because if it doesn’t, it’s just noise.”

The consensus is clear, the audience isn’t the problem, the output is. Neville Shah, Chief Creative Officer at FCB Kinnect, puts it crisply: “We’re chasing seconds over sentiment, reach over relevance, and confusing views for value. We think people aren’t paying attention. Untrue. They’re just choosing what to pay attention to. When we say something honest, fresh, or beautifully made, audiences still notice.”

What’s needed now, Shah says, is a creative reset. “Reach is only an outcome, not an idea. The work still needs to mean something. You build recall when you build relevance, and that comes from insight, craft, and courage. We need to stop chasing formats and start chasing feelings again. Algorithms can find people. Only ideas can move them.”

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Suthan agrees, arguing that both marketers and agencies must return to basics. “Start with what your brand truly means and where it genuinely differs,” he says. “Build from real insights, not borrowed ones. Understand how people actually behave, not how we wish they would. For heaven’s sake, tell the truth. Stop chasing trends and start understanding people. Agencies need to become anthropologists again, not just data processors.”

That honesty - of thought, of message, of emotion, may be the only currency that endures. “Audiences today are incredibly perceptive,” Madhvani reminds. “They reward authenticity and reject artifice. The brands that understand this shift and choose meaning over mere visibility will be the ones that truly endure.”

And perhaps that’s where the answer lies. The modern brand battle isn’t just for eyeballs, it’s for empathy. A click is a reflex, as Shah says, but a recall is a relationship. For advertising to reclaim its purpose, it must go back to what it always was at its best, a mirror to human truth, not a machine for momentary numbers.