Beyond the 20 Second Ad Window – Crafting Meaningful Brand Moments in the Attention Economy

Set against the golden shores of Goa, Goafest 2025 unfolded at the luxurious Taj Cidade de Goa where the ocean breeze met a tidal wave of ideas. As India’s premier festival for advertisers, marketers, and media professionals, Goafest is more than just a calendar event it’s a celebration of bold creativity, disruptive thinking, and the finest work from across India and South Asia. Hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) in collaboration with The Advertising Club, the three-day extravaganza delivered everything from inspirational keynotes and sharp-witted panels to glittering award nights and unmatched networking magic.

The Big Idea: More Than Just 20 Seconds

In a world obsessed with speed and instant gratification, is 20 seconds really all we have to make an impact? At Goafest 2025, a power-packed panel of marketing leaders tackled the pressing challenge of breaking through the clutter in the attention economy. From short-form snappiness to immersive long-form storytelling, this discussion explored how brands can create meaningful moments not just messages.

Speakers:

Kanika Anand, GM, Media, Airtel

Rashmi Sehgal, Chief Digital & Transformation Officer, Zenith

Ajay Mehta, Head – Content & Creative Services, GroupM
Moderator: Yash Chopra, Head of Video Ad Sales, Amazon Ads

Kanika Anand (Airtel): Relevance is the New Reach

For Kanika Anand, the challenge isn’t just attention it’s relevance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. With audiences scattered across platforms and formats, she stressed the importance of contextual storytelling and personalization.

Airtel uses both short- and long-form content, viewing them as complementary.

Creativity, music, humor, and storytelling matter more than ever, especially when working within tight windows like 6- or 10-second ads.

While long-form content showed stronger engagement in internal tests, structural challenges sometimes prevent telcos like Airtel from consistently investing in them.

The future? Platform-specific content creation that blends innovation with speed.

Rashmi Sehgal (Zenith): It’s About Context, Not Just Content

Zenith’s Rashmi Sehgal emphasized that where and how content appears is just as crucial as what it says.

“Don’t just focus on asset creation placement matters too.”

In today’s dynamic ad environment, interactive formats and customized content make a real difference, especially in the upper funnel.

For brands in early stages, measurement tools are key to scaling with precison.
Her formula? A balanced mix of formats driven by consumer context and brand stage.

Ajay Mehta (GroupM): One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Ajay Mehta brought a production lens to the table. With content now ranging from one-minute reels to hour-long shows, he urged brands to strategically invest in storytelling based on their goals.

“The platform, the audience, and the message should decide the content format.”
He pointed out that most short-form content is user-generated, and brands must adapt their approach accordingly.
Engagement isn’t about duration it’s about the hook. Whether it’s a one-minute ad or a 15-second clip, consumers stay if they’re intrigued.
As geographical boundaries shrink, digital storytelling has become borderless, expanding creative and strategic possibilities for brands.

Key Takeaways:

Short vs. long isn’t the debate. It’s about when, where, and why each format is used.
Personalization and platform-native creativity are essential to cut through noise.
Measurement, interactivity, and relevance are critical for crafting effective brand experiences.
As the panel concluded, it was clear: the most successful brands aren’t just storytellers they’re moment-makers in a distracted world.

At Goafest 2025, this session proved that in the attention economy, every second counts but meaning will always outshine minutes. The future of advertising lies in understanding how consumers consume, not just what they consume.