Linear TV & CTV must be integrated into a single measurement framework: Shashi Sinha

India's advertising ecosystem needs an unified measurement system that can accurately capture audiences across both traditional TV and connected TV (CTV) platforms, said Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands India, during the recent fireside chat with Tasmayee Laha Roy, editor at the e4m Confluence.

Sinha spoke about the flaws in the current media measurement systems and stressed that both linear TV and CTV should be integrated into a single measurement framework to give advertisers a clearer picture of their reach.

"The issue lies in the measurement system itself," Sinha explained, addressing the gap between the TV and CTV viewing populations. "India is a mass market, and systems like BARC are designed to measure bulk audiences, not the nuanced segments viewing content on CTV." The current system, reliant on individual home meters and NCCS (National Classification of Socio-Economic Status) definitions, fails to account for newer viewership patterns, especially among premium households and digitally savvy consumers.

Sinha pressed that the lack of a collective measurement is stunting the growth of the industry. "TV and digital platforms often make contradictory claims about their audience size, leading to confusion in the marketplace," he said. "A unified system, driven by advertisers, is crucial to ensuring accurate, comparable data across both mediums." He highlighted that despite India’s technological capabilities, the real barrier is the leadership of the people and their mindsets that resists change. For real growth, advertisers must step up to fund and support these initiatives.

Giving one solution he said that the introduction of a premium panel to track high-value households, would help provide a more clear view of premium audiences. Sinha mentioned that BARC is working on this initiative, with plans to launch a premium panel by March-April 2025. "Once we have this panel in place, adding CTV measurement becomes relatively easy," he noted, referring to the potential to incorporate CTV content into the existing framework once broadcasters agree to participate.

Sinha's critique displayed the sentiment that Indian advertisers are at a crossroads. The industry must move past the division between TV and digital, embracing the growing shift toward streaming and on-demand content. Without unified measurement, advertisers will continue to face difficulties in maximizing their ad spends across platforms. 

In recent reports by Counterpoint Research and EY's Media and Entertainment Report, it shows that over 50% of Indian households now own a smart TV, and the number of CTV viewers continues to climb. However, the lack of a standardized measurement system hampers advertiser's ability to target these audiences effectively. 

Sinha’s call for a unified measurement system, he called upon collaboration across all stakeholders to initiate. Be it advertisers, broadcasters, and measurement bodies, they must come together to create a more transparent and effective advertising ecosystem.