Cut media costs sharply while growing the business: that is what Google reports ACKO achieved, with an 82% reduction in media costs and 40% YoY growth in business. That is what Google says ACKO achieved with its YouTube CTV and Shorts funnel. Most marketers would take half of that. But the headline hides the part you can actually copy: the structure behind it. Here is what we know, what we don’t, and how to pressure-test the approach before you move budget.
What ACKO actually reported
The source is Google’s Brandcast India event. Google’s Brandcast recap says ACKO used a full-stack strategy across CTV, Shorts and Demand Gen, which produced 40% YoY business growth alongside an 82% reduction in media costs.
Now the caveats. This is a platform-published case, announced at a platform event. It gives no baseline, no time window, and no definition of “business.” It doesn’t say whether the reduction applies to cost per acquisition, cost per reach, or total spend. Treat it as a directional signal, not a benchmark.
The headline cost reduction is a platform-reported result with no published baseline. Use it to justify a test, not to set a target. Use it to justify a test, not to set a target.
Still, the structure is worth studying. MediaNews4U’s coverage quotes ACKO CMO Ashish Mishra describing a digital-first approach that treats YouTube as the primary medium, uses CTV with first-party data to reach premium audiences, and scales cost-effectively.
The funnel, decoded
Three formats, three jobs. That is the logical reading, though ACKO hasn’t published its exact campaign architecture, so this is our interpretation.
- CTV for reach and credibility. Insurance is a trust purchase. A big-screen, lean-back placement does work that a skippable mobile ad struggles to do.
- Shorts for cheap, repeated frequency. Short vertical video builds familiarity at low unit cost and tests messages fast.
- Demand Gen for capture. It turns warmed-up audiences into leads and sales, especially when fed first-party data.
The first-party data point matters most. Mishra’s quote ties CTV precision to ACKO’s own data. Without that, CTV is expensive broad reach. With it, you can build audiences and suppress people already converted, which is where a lot of cost reduction usually hides.
Why would costs fall that far?
We can’t verify ACKO’s mechanics, but there are plausible levers. Moving away from pricier channels lowers blended cost. Suppressing existing customers cuts waste. Shorts creative can be produced and swapped quickly. And strong growth on a lower media bill suggests the previous mix was inefficient, so the baseline may have been generous.
That last point is the one executives forget. Big percentage drops usually say as much about the starting point as about the new plan. If your current media is already tight, expect smaller gains.
The scale behind the claim
Context helps. Google states that YouTube Shorts has over 650 million monthly logged-in viewers, and that YouTube reached over 75M people in India ages 18+ on connected TV in April 2025. Those are platform numbers, but they explain why CTV and Shorts are now credible in the same plan.
ACKO isn’t the only Brandcast example. Per MediaNews4U, Myntra’s Shorts-first approach reached 19 million users at a 60% lower cost-per-reach, and Sebamed, using creators and Partnership Ads, saw a 2x sales uplift. Different brands, same pattern: Shorts and CTV paired with a clear job for each.
Where creators fit in
ACKO’s CMO said the brand is now exploring YouTube’s creator ecosystem. That is the next logical layer. Google also launched a Creator Partnerships Hub inside Google Ads, which Storyboard18 reports lets brands manage creator relationships and run creator content through Partnership Ads.
For influencer teams, that blurs the line between paid and creator budgets. If you want to see how others handle that handoff, look at seeded posts turned into ads and seeded UGC conversion lift. Creator content is often your best Shorts and Demand Gen creative.
Measurement is the other issue. Cross-format funnels fall apart without clean attribution, a problem covered in measuring creator codes. Similar logic applies to scale plays like centralized creator operations.
How to test a version of this
- Set the baseline first. Record current cost per acquisition and blended media cost before launch.
- Assign one KPI per format. Reach for CTV, view and engagement for Shorts, cost per lead for Demand Gen.
- Load first-party data. Build customer match audiences and exclusions.
- Run a holdout. Keep a region or audience off the new mix to measure true lift.
- Review at 8 to 12 weeks. Judge on blended cost and business outcomes, not platform-reported conversions alone.
One caution: ACKO’s CMO says the approach is digital first, but your category, market and sales cycle differ. Insurance in India isn’t the same as a DTC product in Europe.
Next step: pick one product line, carve out a holdout, and test a CTV, Shorts and Demand Gen sequence against your current mix with a pre-set cost target.
FAQs
What did ACKO achieve with YouTube?
According to Google’s Brandcast India recap, ACKO used CTV, Shorts and Demand Gen to reach 40% YoY business growth with an 82% reduction in media costs.
Is the 82 percent media cost reduction verified?
It is reported by Google and echoed in trade coverage, but no baseline, time frame or metric definition has been published. Treat it as directional.
Why combine CTV and Shorts?
They do different jobs. CTV delivers premium, large-screen reach, while Shorts offers low-cost frequency and fast creative testing. Demand Gen then converts that attention. This is our interpretation, as ACKO has not published its full setup.
Does first-party data matter for CTV?
Yes. ACKO’s CMO linked its precise CTV reach to first-party data. Audiences and exclusions built from your own customer data reduce wasted impressions.
How can influencer teams use this?
Use creator content as Shorts and Demand Gen creative, and explore Google’s Creator Partnerships Hub and Partnership Ads to run it inside your paid workflow.
How should I measure a similar test?
Capture a baseline, assign one KPI per format, and run a holdout group. Compare blended cost and business outcomes rather than relying only on platform-reported conversions.
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