Digital marketing and TV advertising are the two horns of advanced TV. On one side is the data-driven targeting and measurement of digital, and the other is the contextual and emotional brand impact of TV.
Truth be told, advanced TV has been around for several years. But now, it is going through a dramatic and exciting transformation with the advent of TV-specific granular data and analytics platforms that will make this powerful medium just as measurable as digital is.
While the TV content is the same as traditional television (a show is still a show, no matter where you watch it), the audience each channel draws and the level of sophistication each channel brings to targeting is different.
As 2018 becomes the break-out year for advanced TV, what do marketers need to know about it and how can they best get started with optimizing their advanced TV campaigns?
The Many Channels of Advanced TV
Advanced TV strategies combine the broad reach of traditional TV with the targeting and measurement capabilities that marketers have long used in their programmatic campaigns. So what are these channels?
Data-Driven Linear TV
Let’s start with the most familiar: linear TV. Linear TV is watched as scheduled in real-time; it’s what you see when watching sports or the news. Today, this still remains the oldest and largest TV inventory pool or audience, with $73 billion in ad spend reaching 196 million viewers and 95 million households. But now, its possible to plan linear TV buys more efficiently by using any granular target data set to create indices demonstrating what programs, networks, and dayparts where you are most likely to reach your target audience.
Addressable TV
Addressable TV is a type of data-driven TV that enables one-to-one targeting. Basically, it allows you to show different ads to different households when they’re watching the same show. It brings the data-driven relevance and personalization that marketers use in their digital campaigns to TV.
OTT
Over-The-Top, or OTT Video, content is viewed on internet-connected devices through OTT providers/devices (think: Apple TV, Hulu, and Roku) or Connected TVs. These providers deliver TV content via the internet without requiring users to subscribe to a Linear or Addressable TV service.
Digital Video
Digital video is traditional TV content viewed on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. This kind of internet-based streaming sometimes requires authentication via an MVPD or a programmer, such as TNT, ESPN, and HBO.
This may seem complex but each channel is an opportunity for you to use data to reach your audience and discover something about them that you would not have through digital marketing alone. And if you’re already targeting on these channels, then you’re halfway to measuring in a people-based way. If you’re not, measurement might be just the button you need to turn on your people-based TV campaigns.
Tuning in to TV Measurement
When you use granular data to create your TV audiences and you will also want to make sure that you’re able to measure results at the same people-based level so you can know when you’re reaching customers and prospects in your database. Then, TV is no longer a black box when you can finally map it to the customer journey.
Yes, you read that right—people-based measurement in TV means that you can measure the impact your efforts have on your company’s bottom line. Not only does this help you justify your budget, but it also gives you insights on how to optimize spending across channels.