Andy Cocker is Director, TV at Amobee.
When we talk about TV as a channel, a common standpoint is to think of TV as a standalone linear environment. While purely linear settings still exist, the means to deliver content on this device has expanded tremendously thanks to the Internet and an ever-expanding roster of players and services. Enter Connected TV.
Today’s consumers have the ability to move fluidly between their TV sets, mobile phones and other smart devices. Although that provides a great user experience for viewers, it results in audience fragmentation and more challenges for marketers.
And while most users are screen agnostic -- choosing what, when and where they watch content -- over 21.5 million people still prefer to consume content on a TV each month, making it undoubtedly a top screen of choice for advertisers.
As demand for CTV continues to increase, and with more Australians spending more time at home watching TV, advertisers have an opportunity to bridge the scale and reach of linear TV with digital programmatic controls of cross-screen targeting, attribution and frequency management. The biggest screen at home may be making a comeback, but its rapid growth is making an advertiser’s job much more difficult.
CTV is not a strategy, it’s a device
Connected TV is the advertising industry’s latest buzzword. While the concept has been around for years, most agencies, advertisers and traders are still just scratching the surface of what it can do.
CTV, put simply, is television that streams TV content over the Internet. By definition, it’s clear that it is merely a delivery mechanism for content, however, it is still often misconstrued as a strategy to target audiences you can’t reach on traditional TV.
When we say CTV, we don’t just mean premium, professionally developed, TV-like content that drives engaged, desirable audience targets, but premium content that is highly-targetable, tactical and measurable.
The attention + emotion economy
One of the top reasons brands and marketers choose TV is because it commands attention like no other platform. While targeting, messaging and ad length can contribute to gaining more (or less) attention, the medium in which the ad was delivered will be the main deciding factor.
Apart from attention - marketers are also looking for action. Even before there was rich media on digital channels, TV was home to expressive audio-visual storytelling. According to ThinkTV, a strong emotional connection not only increases attention by 16%, but delivers 2.4 times the sales impact.
All of video, all in one place
The scale and power of TV remains unrivalled, however, as audiences become increasingly connected, long-established planning, buying and panel-based targeting are no longer enough for marketers. The TV industry is at a tipping point, which not only means better viewing experiences for consumers, but also more robust data for broadcasters, brands and advertisers.
There are more ways to watch video content than ever before. While the overall TV audience isn’t getting smaller, younger audiences are moving across to connected TV screens and digital devices for on-demand viewing experiences.
To get the most value out of your total TV plan, you need to identify, plan and activate the right data sources across all devices. While each medium should be treated individually, current technologies have allowed marketers to leverage and integrate the best qualities of each channel. As the end user becomes the main priority, the medium to deliver campaigns will become secondary.
Amobee provides brands and agencies with the ability to plan, activate and measure TV, digital and social campaigns all in one platform. Through our prescriptive AI, proprietary data and advanced analytics, advertisers can now seamlessly orchestrate the consumer journey across all devices and eliminate media overlap and waste, which come from traditional media silos.
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Learn more about connected TV from Andy Cocker at this year’s Future of Advertising Forum happening on Thursday, 25 February. Andy will be speaking on a panel around, “What connected TV means for Australia marketers and media owners”. For more information, visit the Future of TV Sydney website.
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