Festive advertising gets programmatic makeover; CTV & OTT at the forefront

As India enters its high-decibel festive season, one trend is becoming increasingly clear- programmatic advertising has moved from being a tactical add-on to becoming the centerpiece of brand strategies. From FMCG majors and e-commerce giants to luxury players and even consumer durables, marketers are leaning heavily on data-driven media buying to cut through the festive clutter. 

This momentum is reflected in the dentsu–e4m report, which showed programmatic buying contributed an estimated 42% (₹20,686 crore) to India’s digital media industry by the end of 2024 - a 21% jump over 2023. With the segment projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.24% to touch 44% (₹30,405 crore) by 2026, the shift is unmistakable. 

The report pointed to digitally savvy consumers increasingly seeking premium content on OTT and CTV platforms, now considered more credible than traditional social media. 

For brands, this means the festive playbook is tilting decisively toward programmatic and AI-driven, audience-first approaches that ensure sharper targeting, better measurement, and reduced wastage - critical levers when every marketer is vying for the same consumer attention.

Industry experts agree that programmatic is no longer a side act but a core driver of festive campaigns. 

Also read: Why programmatic tops marketers’ festive to-do list

For Ranjan Mishra, Senior Director – Client Services at The Trade Desk, the growth trajectory has been nothing short of exponential. While exact percentages are hard to pin down, he noted that programmatic has “definitely doubled compared to last year,” given how quickly the base is expanding. 

More importantly, Mishra emphasized the structural shift programmatic has enabled. “Earlier, campaigns were siloed - mobile, audio, video, DOOH, social, creators, all managed separately. Now, programmatic allows you to unify these channels through data-driven bidding. The system ensures that you’re paying the right price for the right audience, rather than a flat CPM across every touchpoint.”

Himanshu Nagrecha, Business Head – DigiAce, observed that nearly all media buying today carries some element of programmatic. Outside the big media houses, however, brands typically earmark 15–20% of their budgets specifically for programmatic, and overall spends already account for 38–40%. “By the end of this year, we expect that figure to climb to at least 42%,” he said.

The trend cuts across categories. In consumer durables, for example, festive buying is increasingly digital-led. Girish Hingorani, Vice President – Marketing (Cooling & Purification Appliances) & Corporate Communications at Blue Star, said, “During this time, about half of our digital investments go into programmatic, with the other half focused on performance marketing through e-commerce.”

Luxury brands are approaching it with more nuance. Richa Singh, MD – India and Middle East, Natural Diamond Council, highlighted that NDC applies programmatic selectively, choosing high-impact moments over clutter-heavy environments. “We don’t need recall for NDC itself, we want recall for diamonds,” she said. Last year, for instance, the council roadblocked the women’s cricket final that coincided with Karva Chauth, creating high visibility without competing noise. Singh added that programmatic with the right filters helps maintain consistent presence across touchpoints, but always in the right context and to the right audience.

Across categories, the momentum is unmistakable. Experts pointed out that FMCG remains the largest spender, e-commerce players are driving aggressive bursts around shopping festivals, and automobiles and real estate continue to ramp up festive activity on the back of high consumer sentiment. 

Also read: Brands buying into predictive commerce for that extra spark this festive season

Also read: Festive rush: eComm ad spends set to rise 30%

Campaigns & formats

According to MiQ’s Festive Shopper Insights 2025 Report, advertisers are rolling out campaigns more than 30 days before Diwali, with programmatic video leading the charge alongside shoppable social and rich media creatives, even as rising CPMs make the festive battleground more competitive.

“In India, the festive season typically stretches from early August to mid-November, though it varies depending on the festival. Most brands like to start at least a week before the season begins, so broadly you could say early August to mid-November is the prime window for programmatic campaigns,” added Nagrecha. 

According to him, the festive season sees multiple brands vying for the same audience, making programmatic especially valuable. With its data-driven approach, brands that leverage first-party data and consumer insights can build precise cohorts, ensuring sharper targeting and reduced wastage. In a cluttered season, programmatic helps them connect with the right audience, at the right time, and in the right context.

For consumer durables, festive buying often comes from repeat buyers - home renovators or families upgrading appliances ahead of Diwali. “That’s where digital becomes very important, and programmatic helps us reach these audiences more sharply,” said Hingorani. “Unlike summer, which is more mass-oriented, festive marketing is far more targeted.” 

He added that GST benefits are further boosting demand this year, with higher footfalls already visible in stores.

Meanwhile, CTV has emerged as the fastest-growing programmatic channel, fuelled by premium content and high engagement on connected screens. Its momentum is closely trailed by OTT, while audio and DOOH are also gaining traction in the festive media mix. At the same time, mobile continues to dominate discovery and purchase journeys - Affle’s Festive Pulse 2025 reports that 68% of consumers find festive deals through in-app ads. Social media remains a key driver too, but CTV is rapidly rising as a preferred channel, accounting for a growing share of product discovery during the season.

Echoing this perspective, Mishra stated that CTV is definitely the fastest-growing channel, followed by OTT, which was already on a strong growth trajectory. “Audio and DOOH are also beginning to see meaningful traction. On top of that, retail data is coming to the fore, giving brands more signals to sharpen targeting even further,” he added. 

Some marketers are also taking a more selective approach. “CTV is important but used selectively, while platforms like Google and Meta are always-on for us,” said Singh, adding that social and digital are active throughout the year.

Thus, as India’s festive season peaks, programmatic has moved to the heart of brand strategy: driving sharper targeting, reduced wastage, and greater impact across mobile, OTT, and CTV.