Meet the people who don't skip ads online
Every time there's a furore around ads interrupting our content experience, I can't help but think of a set of people for whom this is just another day at work. Media planners, marketing consultants and ad strategists have to sit through ads not because they can't afford to go ad-free, but because it's part of the job.
Their work requires constant monitoring of ads across platforms. Exposure becomes essential market research, almost like an audit, some of them tell me. It helps them advise clients, track competitor strategies, and stay on top of where brands are showing up. And over time, this constant exposure shapes how they consume media.
Mumbai-based Geetanjali Bhattacharji, who's spent over three decades in media and marketing, says it often feels like being 'stuck at a party where everyone's trying to sell you something.' Bhattacharji is the founder of Glassbox Ventures, a business and strategy consultancy. 'Sometimes I wonder if I'm reading the news or just a cleverly disguised commercial,' she says. The result? 'It's made me a more cautious and selective media consumer, and maybe a little more cynical too.'
For Aditi M, a digital marketing professional from Mumbai, the impact is different. 'YouTube is my primary music platform, and the newer mid-video unskippable ads have made the experience of listening to a song a lot more annoying,' she says. As part of her job, she still has to watch and analyse those ads for potential client opportunities.
I relate to this, too. I've resisted getting YouTube Premium even though I pay for Spotify. My reasoning: what kind of brands are allocating ad dollars to the world's biggest video-streaming platform tells you a lot about the state of business and the role of digital media in it. And the content of the ads—the plot, the meme references, the casting—reveals how storytelling is evolving and culture is shifting. Besides, ads on Spotify are torture, with their repetitive storylines. No wonder it is widely suspected to be a clever nudge to make people buy the subscription.
Aditi's occupational hazard extends beyond YouTube. Early in her career, she worked on seeding branded content into films—figuring out how to integrate products into scenes without disrupting the narrative. 'You'd spend weeks trying to get a placement just right,' she recalls. By the time the film was released, she'd be so immersed in the mechanics of selling that she no longer wanted to watch it. 'I see every piece of content from a sales perspective now. It's off-putting, but you can't help it.'
What feels like forced ad consumption to some is a source of curiosity for digital media veteran Karthik Nagarajan, even two decades into the business. 'I consider myself a great target for ads,' says Chennai-based Nagarajan, CEO of Hogarth India, a WPP-owned content company. When an ad influences him, he breaks it down to understand why. 'Tapping into your instincts as a consumer gives you an edge as a marketer,' he says. 'Further, I don't just see ads through an audit lens—they're also a form of art,' he adds.
Either way, ad-watchers make you appreciate that not all viewers have the luxury of being annoyed by ads. Some are too busy taking notes.
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