Bengaluru, Nov. 14 -- Rising advertising costs on quick-commerce platforms are forcing some consumer brands to rethink how they spend on the channel, even as it becomes an increasingly important source of sales and consumer discovery. With competition for visibility intensifying and returns coming under pressure, companies are choosing more carefully where to advertise.

Advertising rates on platforms such as Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart, as well as horizontal e-commerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart, have risen by as much as 30-40% over the past 6-12 months, according to estimates by market research firm Datum Intelligence. At the same time, brands' festive-season quick-commerce advertising budgets are projected to increase by...