In a piece of good news for the television industry amid these pandemic times, ad volumes for the FMCG sector in April witnessed a record growth, said Broadcast Audiences Research Council (BARC). 

According to BARC data released on Thursday, ad volumes for FMCG grew by 166 per cent and 42 per cent compared to 2020 and 2019 respectively. In April 2021, ad volumes for the building equipment category also witnessed a steep 200 per cent growth over April 2020. 

Ad volumes for durables on Ugadi/Gudi Padwal Festival were at an all-time high in 2021, and 39 new advertisers debuted in the durables sector in April 2021. Some of the top brands that advertised in the durables sector include Symphony Air Coolers, Bajaj Ceiling Fans, Bajaj Air Coolers, LG Linear Cooling, and Liebherr refrigerators. 

Despite the looming threat of Covid-19 in the country, TV ad volumes for January to April 2021 were at an all-time high when compared to previous years. The television monitoring agency revealed that the first four months of 2021 started on a very positive note with more ads on air as compared to the last four years. 

Total ad volume increased by 39 per cent for the January to April 2021 period as against 2020, which also happens to be the all-time highest compared to the same period in previous years. 

BARC India client partnership and revenue function head Aaditya Pathak said that the steady growth in ad volumes is an indication of advertisers' belief in television to market their product even in these difficult pandemic times. 

"Television continues to be resilient even during the most difficult times and data from January to April 2021 reinstates this sentiment. Advertisers continue to rely on television to reach out to the right audience in spite of Covid-19 limitations and lockdowns in various parts of the country. We are also witnessing many new advertisers turning to TV in this quarter adding to the positive sentiment for the medium," added Pathak.