Festive marketing rush: Why new channels won’t replace the old, but work best together

What makes a message endure in the noise of a festival season? Is it the latest AI tool promising hyper-personalisation, the sharpest targeting algorithm, or the familiar voice on television that families still gather around? Every festive season brings a flood of campaigns, and with it, the same declaration we have heard for decades: this is the medium that will change everything, this is the end of the old. Yet time and again, theold refuses to disappear.

Festivals in India are not just celebrations of culture. They are moments of choice, when households spend with emotion as much as reason, and when brands are tested for their ability to connect. In these moments, history offers a clear lesson. Marketing is not about one medium replacing another. It is about how each finds its place in the larger rhythm. New media never silence the old, they join them in creating a stronger chorus.

The enduring strength of traditional mediums 

Print was supposed to fade away with the rise of radio. Radio, in turn, was expected to lose its voice when television arrived. Then television was declared outdated once digital captured attention spans. And yet, through every wave of disruption, none of them disappeared. Print continues to be trusted, especially in regional dailies that carry credibility in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. Radio remains the voice of local communities. And television still commands the largest share of advertising spend in India because it alone can deliver the combination of scale, emotion, and cultural resonance that festive campaigns demand. These channels endure not because they resist innovation, but because they adapt. They prove that relevance is never about being new, it is about being meaningful.

The digital wave and the rise of AI

Digital brought precision, speed, and measurement. Social media gave intimacy. Influencers added authenticity. Performance marketing promised accountability. Today, AI holds the spotlight with the promise of personalisation at scale and faster, sharper targeting. McKinsey reports companies using AI in marketing see 20 to 30 percent higher ROI compared to traditional methods. 

But then, television still also generates significantly high ROI according to Nielsen studies. Storytelling built on human emotion still anchors consumer trust in ways algorithms cannot. An algorithm cannot replace the emotional weight of a television story that a family watches together, nor the authority of a trusted print headline. AI will not conquer. It will collaborate. It is another instrument in the orchestra, powerful in its role, but never the entire composition.

Marketing Is not a zero-sum game

One of the biggest myths in marketing is the idea that the new overcomes the old. It rarely does. What happens instead is integration.

AI-powered targeting and automation might optimise media spends, but they still need the bedrock of emotional storytelling to drive brand love. Influencer endorsements may build authenticity, but they gain strength when backed by performance marketing that measures outcomes. Television may build mass reach, but its impact multiplies when extended with digital engagement.

Studies show that integrated campaigns, combining brand-building with performance, deliver stronger long-term returns than single-channel efforts. Consumers don’t live in silos; they move across touchpoints, seeing a brand in print, on Instagram, on radio, and then online. A mother in a small town may trust the advertisement she sees during her evening television soap. A college student may be persuaded by an influencer’s reel at midnight. A professional in a metro may finally act after reading about a brand in print or clicking on a targeted performance ad. 

Consumers move across touchpoints seamlessly. The true impact of marketing comes not from one channel acting alone, but from how all of them reinforce each other to create trust, recall, and action. The impact comes from this interplay, not from any one channel.

The caution against chasing fads

As marketers, we often fall prey to the allure of the “next big thing.” Performance marketing was once thought to be the holy grail. Then social platforms promised infinite reach. Google Ads automation is now being treated as the final word. And AI is positioned as the single solution. But does any single medium truly deliver the entire ROI? Does any tool on its own build both short-term conversions and long-term brand love?

The most enduring campaigns have always been integrated. The consumer goods industry continues to invest in television to build mass awareness, even as it experiments with digital storytelling. The retail sector still relies on outdoor advertising while embracing AI-driven personalisation. Financial services, healthcare, and education blend print credibility with digital outreach to build trust. The lesson is clear: fads come and go, but fundamentals remain.

A balanced path forward

From where I sit, as a marketer, the future is not about picking sides. It is about balance. Use AI for precision, but lean on traditional channels for trust and reach. Embrace Google’s automation, but retain human oversight where nuance matters. Invest in influencers, but back them with performance campaigns that track outcomes. Build content ecosystems, but anchor them in brand campaigns that shape perception.

The challenge for marketers is not to predict which medium will kill the old. The challenge is to orchestrate them so they amplify each other.

The final question

So, the next time a new medium emerges, and it will - should we ask whether it will conquer the old? Or should we ask how it can make the whole stronger?

The truth is, no medium conquers another. ROI may fluctuate, hype may rise and fall, but in the end, marketing is not a battlefield. It is a marketplace of ideas where the old and new find their rhythm together.

This article is penned by Vinit Kapahi, CMO, Aviva India 

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.