Spending redouble on Advanced TV

Spending redouble on Advanced TV

About 78% of advertisers say they have used some form of advanced TV in their marketing efforts, according to a study released on Thursday by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Most advertisers however can't decide what exactly the difference is between TV and advanced TV.

The primary technologies of Advanced TV have promoted content delivery and interaction, which has led to significant consumer behavior shifts. TV viewing habits have changed. The question is how advertisers will adapt to these changes. The IAB sees tremendous opportunity for advertisers’ strategies around media, creative, and measurement to evolve as well, generating greater value for publishers, distributors, and viewers alike.

How should we define Advanced TV? It is the evolution of television, far beyond the linear television viewing experience and 30 sec commercials of the past 50 years. Non-traditional television consumption methods - such as time-shifting on DVRs, VOD and interactive television (iTV) - have enabled unprecedented consumer control and choice. New content delivery platforms and functionality create great chances for marketing actors: better targeting and addressability, more efficient and automated buying and selling methodologies, more holistic measurement and robust insights, and all of this enabling more impactful and influential campaigns. Advanced TV brings the best capabilities of digital advertising to TV advertising.

Three major arguments will highlight the benefits of this new territory. First, the highly effective targeting technologies available through Advanced TV platforms help advertisers find their audiences cross-device whenever, wherever.

Second, the richly interactive technology of Advanced TV enables greater engagement. Viewers choosing their content or potentially even picking which ads they want to see, ensures deeper engagement with that content and the advertising that goes with it. Data return on what audiences prefer to watch helps further refine the addressability of the platform based on the viewers’ choices of both content and advertising.

And third, that same data return offers advertisers more effective and meaningful measurement of campaigns. Brands can be more certain that they actually reached their audience effectively, and gain insight into viewers’ usage and engagement. These insights feed back into the top of the cycle, helping advertisers target, reach, and engage their audience more and more effectively.

68% of respondents said they are already allocating ad dollars from traditional TV budgets to fund some advanced TV activity, and 72% said they see advanced TV becoming an important advertising platform within five years.

Still, there are concerns despite the eagerness to spend more in the space, starting with confusion about the technical processes (cited by 35% of respondents as an obstacle), high costs (33%) and a lack of transparency in the process (30%).

To help accelerate innovation and adoption in this space, the Advanced TV Advisory Board of the IAB has begun work on an industry primer, to be published in Q2 2015. The primer will serve as a resource and buyers’ guide, pointing the way to help brands and agencies.

In short, with Advanced TV, advertisers have the opportunity to deliver more targeted messages and interactive content, with accountability far beyond simple media exposure.

Sources:
www.adage.com
www.iab.net

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