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Indian brands now demand ROI guarantees on every ad spend, says WPP Media's Priti Murthy
Our read
Festive H2 spend surges in durables and autos while ROI-guarantee demand permanently shifts budgets toward measurable performance channels, squeezing agencies without strong attribution capabilities.
For operators
Rework media briefs to lead with measurable ROI targets and festive-season performance benchmarks, since agencies like WPP Media are now selling accountability over reach.
Watch
WPP/holdco commentary on outcome-based contract adoption rates
The report,
WPP Media's Priti Murthy says Indian brands now demand ROI-guaranteed ad spends amid inflation. FMCG spend stays conservative but continues; festive season is the biggest bet, with strong action expected in durables and automobiles in H2.
Why it matters to operators
The advertiser pivot to ROI accountability makes performance-measurement and attribution capabilities attractive acquisition targets, especially those tied to FMCG, durables, and auto verticals with H2 momentum.
What to watch next
- Q3/festive ad-spend growth data for durables and autos
- FMCG quarterly ad-to-sales ratios signaling budget discipline
- Inflation/CPI prints affecting discretionary category demand
- Retail-media revenue disclosures from platforms and e-commerce players
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Agencies pitch guaranteed-ROI/outcome-based contracts with embedded measurement dashboards
- Media owners expand retail-media and commerce-linked inventory to offer trackable attribution
- Brands reallocate H1 experimental budgets into concentrated festive-season buys
- Investment in MMM (marketing mix modeling) and clean-room attribution tooling rises
- Consumer durables and auto marketers lock premium festive placements early
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
This is standard agency-speak dressed as a trend. 'ROI guarantees' is a perennial advertiser demand that predates inflation by decades; every downturn produces the same 'accountability over brand-building' narrative. A WPP Media exec has a vested interest in framing measurement as the new frontier because performance/measurement services are exactly what agencies now sell to justify fees as media commissions erode. The claim that FMCG stays 'conservative but steady' while festive remains 'the biggest bet' describes the Indian ad calendar in literally every year, offering zero forward signal.
The source
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