Media buying has entered a new era. Audience no longer sits passively in front of televisions at fixed times—they decide what to watch, when to watch, and on which device. From streaming platforms to endless social feeds, media consumption has transformed into an on-demand, cross-screen experience.
Where TV schedules once dictated reach, today it is the audience that holds control. Viewers move fluidly between smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs, making cross-screen planning essential. For brands, this shift means media buying must adapt—moving away from isolated campaigns and toward integrated strategies that reflect real viewing behaviour.
To understand where media buying is headed, it’s important to look back at how buying itself evolved—from traditional negotiations to today’s digital, programmatic, and OTT-driven strategies.
The Evolution of Media Buying
Advertising has travelled an extraordinary path—from broad mass media to highly precise, data-driven platforms. Each stage added new opportunities. The true advantage, however, comes when these platforms work together in a unified strategy.
- Early Media Buying: Before the internet, media buying relied heavily on negotiations with television networks, radio stations, and publishers. Advertisers purchased annual “upfront” slots with limited flexibility. Campaigns were broad, expensive, and difficult to measure, but they created brand dominance in mass markets.
Case Study: Storyboard18 highlights the iconic Amul Girl campaign, launched in 1966 with the “Utterly Butterly Delicious” tagline. Starting with witty hoardings and print ads that responded to news within days, the campaign later extended across television and radio—making Amul a household name. Notably, the campaign featured in the Bollywood film Manthan in 1976, and Amul continued to advertise on radio throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Over fifty years, the Amul Girl became a cultural fixture and earned a Guinness World Record for longest-running campaign—anchoring trust, recall, and multichannel presence.
- The Digital Shift: The late 1990s and 2000s marked the internet boom. Banner ads, search-driven marketing, and early social platforms replaced broad buys with intent-led placements. Media buying shifted toward clicks, conversions, and ROI—offering advertisers sharper targeting and measurable performance at scale.
Case Study: Published by TechCrunch, Google’s 2005 research revealed how search engines were reshaping purchase behaviour. In telecom, 64% of users began research with search engines, while portals attracted less than 2%. Over 70% preferred Google over competitors like Yahoo and MSN. In beauty, searches rivaled TV and print as purchase influencers (43%). This data validated the AdWords model, proving that campaigns tied to intent could outperform mass impressions. By anchoring budgets to clicks and relevance, Google catalyzed the digital shift in media buying.
- Programmatic Buying & Automation: By the 2010s, programmatic media buying transformed the industry. Real-time bidding across DSPs enabled dynamic, data-led ad placement—reducing waste, improving precision, and allowing tailored messaging to the right audiences, all while automating campaign scaling and optimization.
Case Study: Published by Medium, The Economist launched a programmatic campaign in 2015 to boost subscriptions. Using CRM and website engagement data, seven audience segments were built, with 60+ dynamic creatives matched in real time to publisher content. Ads like “Why has the Mediterranean turned into the Dead Sea?” contextualized stories to readers’ interests. The £1.2M spend drove 650,000 new prospects, 3.6M actions, and a 10:1 ROI, proving programmatic’s precision and global scalability.
From manual deals to programmatic platforms, each stage of media buying has pushed campaigns toward precision and accountability. The next leap came with OTT—where entertainment converged with data-driven advertising, making it the centerpiece of modern media planning.
OTT Advertising – The Game Changer in Media Buying
OTT has redefined how audiences consume content and how brands connect with them. With skyrocketing viewership, granular targeting, and measurable outcomes, it bridges the best of traditional reach and digital precision. For advertisers, OTT is no longer a side channel—it is the new centerpiece of media planning.
- Connects with tools you already use: AI integrates seamlessly with CRMs, ERPs, project management, and cloud applications. It delivers intelligent automation and insights without disrupting or replacing your existing technology stack. This ensures smooth, uninterrupted workflows.
- Explosive Growth in Streaming Viewership: Millions of viewers now spend hours daily on OTT platforms, consuming everything from movies to sports. This surge offers unmatched ad visibility, enabling brands to reach audiences during peak engagement. Unlike TV, OTT’s on-demand nature makes viewer attention more valuable to advertisers.
- Targeting That Drives Precision: OTT moves beyond sheer reach to deliver layered precision. Campaigns can be segmented by geography, device type, language, or even content genre. This aligns with the diverse habits of Gen Z binge-watchers, regional cinema families, and niche audiences alike. By mapping these varied preferences into actionable targeting, OTT turns broad impressions into meaningful engagements. The result is reduced waste and maximized relevance at scale.
- Brand Storytelling with Performance Metrics: OTT combines cinematic storytelling with measurable outcomes. Brands can deliver immersive narratives while simultaneously tracking completion rates, click-throughs, and regional engagement. This dual advantage ensures that creativity is not just seen—it is quantified. By linking emotional resonance with accountable performance, OTT elevates advertising into a medium where storytelling directly translates into ROI.
Case Study: mCanvas’s press release Swiggy’s partnership with PivotRoots and mCanvas for the “Swiggy Sixes” IPL 2025 campaign. The real-time activation turned every six into a dynamic ad offering up to 66% plus ₹66 off. These ads were delivered instantly across Connected TV, OTT platforms, and mobile devices. The campaign captured attention during high-energy match moments and delivered Swiggy’s highest-ever CTV view-through rates. It also achieved 4× higher mobile CTRs, proving how contextual storytelling merges scale with measurable performance.
While OTT has revolutionized targeting and storytelling, its real impact shows up when we examine how it reshapes overall media buying strategies—from reach and ROI to regional connections.
Impact on Media Buying – Reach, ROI & Regional Growth
The rise of OTT and programmatic platforms has transformed campaign planning, shifting focus from visibility alone to measurable reach, ROI, and regional impact. Brands no longer prioritize only visibility—they demand reach with agility, measurement, and regional resonance.
- Scale Meets Precision: Modern campaigns balance mass reach with precise targeting. Advertisers scale to large audiences while segmenting by age, region, or behaviour. This allows them to maximize exposure without losing personalization.
- ROI Measured Beyond Impressions: Advertisers today look beyond raw impressions. Completion rates, regional splits, and engagement levels matter more. These insights provide a transparent view of ROI, shaping future campaign strategies with accuracy.
- Connecting in Regional Markets: Vernacular ads on OTT platforms allow brands to expand into tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Localized campaigns connect emotionally with audiences, ensuring ads feel relatable while extending overall reach across regions.
Case Study: Published by afaqs!, ZEE5 reshaped OTT access with its Apni Bhasha, Apni Kahaniyan initiative. Offering seven language-specific packs at ₹120, ZEE5 allowed users to choose their preferred language, personalizing both content and interface. This strategy resonated in regional markets like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, contributing to 24% revenue growth in FY24. Non-Hindi content now makes up nearly 50% of viewership, with Tamil and Malayalam leading at 40–45%. The approach redefined engagement in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Amid these shifts, many brands face the challenge of choosing the right mix of channels and ensuring accountability across them. This is where trusted partners bring clarity, strategy, and measurable outcomes.
Why BCC-United?
At BCC-United, we help brands cut through the complexity of today’s fragmented media world. By blending traditional wisdom with modern platforms, we design strategies that go beyond visibility to deliver outcomes and impact.
OTT is often complex, with numerous platforms and slot choices. We bring the expertise to simplify this maze, ensuring the right selections that truly deliver impact. With a platform-neutral, omnichannel approach, we design campaigns around audience behaviour rather than fleeting trends—removing fragmentation, creating a consistent brand presence, and amplifying results across diverse audiences.
Integrated reporting brings both offline and digital performance into one clear view, making every investment transparent and accountable.
With BCC-United as your media partner, your investments drive sustained growth, stronger credibility, and lasting audience relationships. Because in media, as in business, smarter and strategic buying helps you reach wider. Turning that reach into a real advantage is what we do best.
Ready to elevate your media strategy? Connect with us today.
