In online advertising, we have seen how programmatic and real-time-bidding ( RTB ) have changed the complexion of media buying. Earlier buying was manual and took time. These days it is through software for online display, social media ads, mobile and video campaigns.

This trend is now extended to broadcasting.TAM and now extended to broadcasting. TAM and now BARC do audience measurement to guide advertisers about the viewing preferences of the audience. In TV the viewers change channels and leave a trail. This is the basis to decide the audience preferences. It ultimately decides the relevant content.

Advertisers these days tend to leverage big data. advertisers are sourcing data from other sources apart from audience measurement data . The reason for this is the widening of the data points available, over and above TV. There are multiple devices which engage the audience. It is better to derive insights from various data sources to understand media tastes and consumption preferences.

A number of media tech and data analytics companies have emerged in India to provide big data. Information is sourced from various consumer touch points.

Media companies offer OTT services, which  provide billions of data points which are used to their advantage.

Big data also helps to acquire new customers. Content can be customised and personalised to a specific target group. Today, there is generic catering. Big data enables broadcasters to provide content promotions and advertising specifically designed. Big data complements audience measurement system.

A disadvantage here is the deflection of the marketing, programming and sales teams in the face of too much data. It is necessary to generate a standardised output that provides actionable insights.