Outlook Business Desk
Seven in ten Indian users are now skipping, muting, or ignoring online ads, revealing growing digital fatigue, according to a new India-focused research cited by Mint.
India now ranks third globally for digital ad fatigue—after the US and Australia—as users increasingly ignore or skip ads, reveals a new report titled ‘The Untapped Opportunity of Omnichannel’ by The Trade Desk, a platform to buy ads.
The problem isn’t how many ads people see—but how little they connect with them. Repetitive and irrelevant messaging is making users mentally switch off, no matter how often the brands show up, in various channels, the report noted.
Though Indians spend nearly nine hours across five-plus platforms—like OTT, connected TV, mobile, and gaming—most ad campaigns use fewer than three, often repeating the same creatives or mistiming them, the report added.
“This isn’t an issue of media saturation—it’s a planning gap,” said Tejinder Gill, Managing Director of The Trade Desk India, to Mint ahead of the report’s release. “Many marketers still run multichannel campaigns in isolation. Omnichannel strategy isn’t just about being present across platforms—it’s about smart sequencing, timing, and meaningful connection.”
Unlike traditional multichannel ads that waste spend through overlap and gaps, omnichannel campaigns—where messaging is synced across platforms—are 2.2 times less tiring, 1.5 times more persuasive, and boost return on investment (ROI) by 77 percent. Nearly 70 percent of Indian consumers say consistent messaging across channels makes brands more memorable and trustworthy.
The study also introduces a framework called “Mindsets, Moments, and Media” that helps brands design campaigns around how consumers move through their day. For instance, a morning podcast taps into a ‘focus’ mindset, while evening OTT content suits a ‘relax and explore’ mindset—making ads more timely and relevant.
An alco-bev brand used omnichannel ads to target nightlife-goers based on location and behaviour. The campaign hit over two million store visits. People who saw ads across three platforms converted 57% faster than those who saw just one, the report noted.
Despite high engagement, digital audio remains underused. About 75% of Gen Z folks streams music, and podcast listening is growing among millennials. Yet, marketers have underinvested in the channels. Audio holds attention well—86% listen with focus, and 66% recall ads—making it a strong but overlooked ad format.
The biggest hurdle is that creative, media, and data teams often work in silos, said Gill. But brands don’t need a complete strategy overhaul to fix this. Starting small—like syncing just two platforms for a pilot—can make a difference. The key is shifting from fragmented, channel-led planning to an audience-first approach.