The post-pandemic landscape has rewritten marketing playbooks across industries. While digital platforms witnessed an unprecedented boom during lockdowns, mainline media—television, print, outdoor, radio, and cinema—has made a strong comeback, proving its unmatched role in building brand credibility and mass reach. However, the way brands use mainline media today is very different from the pre-COVID era.

Here’s a deep dive into how mainline media has evolved in a post-pandemic world and what marketers must know to stay ahead.

✅ 1. Hybrid Media Planning Is the New Norm

Gone are the days when brands relied heavily on either mainline or digital media. The new advertising ecosystem is hybrid. Brands now strategically combine mass-reach mainline channels with precision-driven digital platforms to maximize both awareness and impact.

Key shift: Integrated campaigns that blend TV + Print + OOH with social, search, and influencer content.

✅ 2. TV Still Reigns — But with Smarter Buying

Television viewership surged during lockdowns and has sustained strong numbers. However, media planners are now smarter in their approach:

  • Regional TV buys are rising

  • Performance-linked GRP planning

  • Adoption of targeted smart TV advertising (CTV)

Consumers continue to trust TV, making it the backbone of brand storytelling and credibility-building even today.

✅ 3. Print Re-Emerges as a Trust Source

During COVID, fake news spread rapidly online—resulting in a renewed trust in newspapers and credible print publications. Post-pandemic, print has regained relevance for:

  • Educated, decision-making audiences

  • Regional and local impact

  • Government, BFSI, healthcare, and education sectors

Print media is increasingly valued for authenticity and audience quality.

✅ 4. OOH Has Transformed — More Digital, More Experiential

Outdoor advertising took a temporary dip during lockdowns, but it has since evolved dramatically:

  • Digital OOH screens across metros and tier-2 cities

  • Interactive formats using QR codes, AR & motion sensors

  • Data-driven planning with footfall and mobility analytics

  • Airport, mall, metro, and residential media boom

OOH today blends creativity with technology like never before.

✅ 5. Cinema Advertising Returns — With Premium Audiences

As theatres reopened, cinema ads again became a high-impact medium for premium brands — especially during blockbuster movie releases. It now delivers:

  • Youth and affluent audience targeting

  • High engagement environments

  • Regional language film advertising opportunities

✅ 6. Radio Goes Hyper-Local & Digital-Friendly

Radio reinvented itself with:

  • Local community connect

  • RJ-led influencer-style campaigns

  • Integration with streaming platforms & podcasts

It now blends mass reach with personalization and city-focused storytelling.

✅ 7. Brand Tone Has Shifted to Empathy & Purpose

The pandemic changed consumer sentiment. Brands now communicate with:

  • Emotional storytelling

  • Social responsibility messaging

  • Realistic, human-centric narratives

Consumers respond to brands that show empathy, resilience, and purpose.

✅ 8. Attribution & Measurement Matter More

Brands now expect measurable ROI even from mainline channels. Tools for media analytics, geo-impact studies, brand-lift surveys, and CTV metrics are becoming mainstream.

Final Thoughts

Mainline media didn’t just survive the pandemic — it evolved to become smarter, hybrid, data-supported, and more emotionally resonant. While digital remains powerful, mainline media continues to be the foundation of trust, scale, and cultural influence in India and globally.

The future belongs to marketers who can strategically combine the authority of mainline media with the precision of digital ecosystems.


Elyts Advertising and Branding Solutions | www.elyts.in  (India) | www.elyts.agency  (UAE)