What TV does well
TV reaches a lot of people at once, including those who are not online all day. According to the FICCI-EY report, about 745 million people watch TV in a week. A well-made ad on a respected channel can also lend your brand trust in a way that a small online ad finds hard to.
TV works best when you want to launch something, build a name quickly or reach families together. It needs money, because a single showing rarely sticks. You need enough repeats to be remembered.
See our guide to TV advertising cost in India for how slots are bought and what Doordarshan's published rate card looks like, and our TV advertising service.
What digital does well
Digital lets you choose who sees your ad, and count what they do next. You can start with a small budget, see which ad brings enquiries and move money to it within days.
That control is why digital took nearly two thirds of India's advertising money in 2025. Digital advertising grew 26% to about ₹947 billion, while linear TV advertising fell 10%, according to the same FICCI-EY report.
Our digital services cover the channels, and our guide to digital marketing cost in India shows how the bill is built.
The gap between them is closing
Connected TV, which means TVs that stream over the internet, is about 40 million sets in the FICCI-EY report, up from 30 million the year before. Ads there can be bought more like digital: by audience, with counts of who saw them.
So the old line between TV and digital is blurring. The real question is less "which medium" and more "which job does this rupee need to do".
How to choose: three questions
This is our own thinking, not a market rule.
- Do you need everyone to know your name, or the right people to act? Names point to TV, action to digital.
- Can you afford enough repeats on TV? If not, a thin TV campaign wastes money. Digital can start smaller.
- Can you measure the result? If you must prove every rupee, digital makes that easier.
If you choose TV, plan how you will judge it before the first spot airs, for example with a search or enquiry lift you can compare.
A made-up example
Say a regional snack brand wants to be known across two states, and also wants sales through its online store. TV could build the name over a few weeks. Digital could then catch people who search for the brand and send them to the store. The two together do a job neither does alone. The example is made up. Your own goal and budget will give a different mix.
How each one is measured
TV is judged by ratings, which estimate how many people watched, and by surveys or lifts in search and sales after the ads run. These come with a delay. You often learn what worked weeks later.
Digital is judged by clicks, enquiries and sales, and the numbers arrive within hours. That speed is useful, but it can mislead. A click is not a customer. Always tie digital numbers back to your own sales record.
If you run both, watch one shared number, such as enquiries a week, so neither team can claim credit for what the other did.
Common mistakes
- Choosing TV for a small, local product that needs enquiries, not fame.
- Choosing digital alone for a launch that needs wide trust fast.
- Running TV with no way to see its effect on search or sales.
- Using different messages on TV and online, so people see two brands.
- Judging TV by clicks, or digital by awareness alone.
For the wider market picture, see our India marketing numbers.
