Brands such as JK Super Cement, RuPay, Castrol and Cadbury have experimented with ad campaigns within micro drama platforms
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Micro drama platforms have begun to pique the interest of advertisers as they see an increase in viewership and become more mainstream in the media and entertainment industry,Speaking to businessline, industry executives and analysts suggest that while advertising activity in the segment is still nascent, brands are beginning to experiment with digital strategies tailored for vertical formats like integrating the product itself into the short ‘snackable’ storyline.Karan Rao - VP, Content & Influencer Marketing, Madison Loop suggests that brands are treating the segment as an incremental part of digital/ video budgets.“They are not yet allotting a percentage share of the budget to this segment as platforms are still maturing in the phase of expanding. But there is definitely increased interest,” he said.Meanwhile, Redseer Strategy Consultants pegs micro drama advertising revenue at about ₹24 crore in FY26, rising to ₹210 crore in FY27, and jumping multifold ₹5,000–5,500 crore by FY32.A report from the agency also suggested that over 66 per cent of surveyed consumers who consume such content were interested in an ad-supported micro-drama experience.While early adoption in the segment was led by digital-first and long-tail advertisers, established enterprise brands across key sectors are now actively integrating micro-dramas into their marketing strategies.Rao provides examples of brands such as JK Super Cement, RuPay, Castrol and Cadbury who have experimented with ad campaigns within micro drama platforms.“It has moved beyond long-tail advertisers. We are seeing experimentation across major players in payments, FMCG, electronics, healthcare, auto and even construction,” he said.Vinit Karnik, Managing Director, Content, Sports & Entertainment – WPP Media, South Asia suggests that a key advantage for the micro dramas as against other digital formats is that it enables marketers to gain high-frequency repeated engagement unlike OTTs.Interestingly, integrating the brand or product directly into the storyline has become a popular approach within micro-dramas.Brands are experimenting with campaigns where the product acts as an organic plot device or character enabler.“For instance, a beauty product is woven into a plot arc during a character transformation, or a quick commerce service can feature naturally to resolve a time-sensitive storyline,” Karnik said. Brands are also creating their own monthly micro-drama series and integrating the product into it, he added.As for the measurement of the effectiveness of a campaign in micro-drama segment, Amit Verma, Founder, NYX suggests that while impressions and completion rates will be relevant, advertisers may also evaluate the quality of the content and assess if it drives purchase intent.Published on September 8, 2026
