At the recent Pitch CMO Summit, Ajit Varghese, Head of Network Advertising Sales at Disney Star, delivered a powerful argument for the supremacy of Professionally Generated Content (PGC) in accelerating brand growth. His presentation clearly outlined how and why PGC transfers disproportionate advertising attention and delivers unparalleled return on ad spend (ROAS) relative to user-generated content (UGC) video platforms.
Ajit emphasized that the deep connection that dedicated & exclusive PGC publishers possess with consumers has been built on the backbone of a rigorous insights process involving direct consumer contact, social listening & daily viewership data analytics. This understanding of consumer aspirations and cultural nuances creates riveting storytelling that is hugely beneficial for brands. The appeal of this high quality and diverse PGC across Linear TV and OTT platforms draws an exclusive audience of 400 million plus people every month over India’s largest UGC video platform.
According to Ajit Varghese, ads placed within high-quality PGC garner substantially higher attention and stronger emotional responses from viewers who choose to make time to watch it as opposed to killing time on UGC. The top-rated Linear television content often attracts 3+ co-viewers which elevates audience attention by as much as 60%-140% and drives an emotional response that is twice as strong as compared to solo viewing. Shared experiences and conversations about advertising leads to one out of four people seeking the brand online.
Ajit highlighted the difference in the value and quality of ad impressions associated with PGC which gets best exemplified in the massive impact delivered by Bigg Boss in Southern India and Cricket nationally. These tentpoles have consistently demonstrated a lift of 30%-50% in metrics like awareness, consideration & purchase intent for established brands and catapult online searches and app downloads by 200-300% for newer brands. Aggressive growth in investment behind high-quality Entertainment PGC on Linear TV has been a vital force lifting the outperformers across FMCG facing a stiff consumption growth challenge. PGC has been on a continuous path of raising the bar for its client brands through offering relevant addressability across linear & streaming platforms, clutter breaking & engaging ad formats and leveraging its influential characters across video & social platforms.
In conclusion, Ajit Varghese called out that when it comes to building brands & businesses there is simply no match for PGC. The ability of leading PGC platforms such as Disney Star to stay on top of consumer’s lives and minds will continue to achieve long-lasting mental availability for brands and lift them towards a higher growth trajectory. PGC will continue to retain its status as the primary and most effective destination for driving long-term brand growth and delivering superior ROAS.