Some CTV Inventory is Better Than Others

How to thrive in the constantly-evolving and competitive streaming marketplace

Amidst a rapid uptick in spend for Connected TV (CTV), leading streaming services Disney+, HBO Max, and Netflix have launched their own ad-supported models, throwing the already rapidly-evolving ecosystem into a state of deeper flux. These newer offerings give marketers a compelling selection to buy from, and will catalyze the rest of the CTV ecosystem to move fast to increase their own competitiveness. Further, these offerings are 100% addressable and will help define a new era of premium CTV inventory. The key for marketers in this latest era of CTV is finding the right combination of factors to power their campaigns – here’s the four areas that marketers will prioritize as they choose CTV inventory:

Premium Content

The best and most important clout in the CTV space is premium inventory. Different streamers have different programming offerings, ranging from original content to licensed TV shows and movies; premium catalogs are well-maintained and well-recognizable, which typically guarantees a large and engaged audience that leads to increased brand exposure and a greater impact on consumer behavior. Well-defined content libraries also mean more reliable brand safety for inventory on these platforms.

While much attention has been given to Disney+, HBO Max, and Netflix, major broadcasters, such as NBC and Paramount, already have strong catalogs that they’re leveraging to their advantages. As each platform forms its own distinct identity around its catalog, marketers will have clear choices to make, whether they’re looking for audiences of longtime fan favorites like THE OFFICE, or fans of some of the biggest current shows like YELLOWSTONE.

Marketers should choose streamers whose content aligns with their target audience and brand image while knowing that premium inventory is often in high demand and limited supply. Additionally, inventory is often placed in prime locations on the platform, such as during commercial breaks or pause screens, increasing the likelihood of consumer engagement and interaction.

Addressability

Disney+, HBO Max, and Netflix have a key advantage – 100% addressable inventory. While there are other major streamers that also have addressable inventory, this is an opportunity for the industry to rapidly evolve.  Publishers requiring authentications for subscribers to access their premium content enables  advertisers to get a better sense of exactly who they’d be reaching with their campaigns.

One of the key benefits of addressability is that brands can leverage people-based identity. Marketers can connect logged-in users to the wealth of consumer insights that marketers have built through their years – and in some cases decades – of relationships with their consumers.

By marketing to people, instead of separate devices or best guesses at target audiences, marketers can effectively connect their audiences with personalized messages no matter the channel. In doing so, marketers avoid wasting impressions on users who may be outside their target audiences, and improve the overall consumer experience by focusing on those who are interested in their products.

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Measurability

Addressability also enables better measurement.

It’s an understatement to say that the ecosystem is fragmented. Starting at the highest level, consumers aren’t engaging with campaigns only on display, or only on CTV. Even within one medium, like CTV, a buy may be split across different CTV apps, with ads being served over different devices where one consumer may split watching the same program. People-based marketing helps marketers to understand their consumer touchpoints across all channels, no matter what app or device they may be using.

Leveraging addressability and people-based marketing also helps marketers to accurately track and attribute conversions to specific advertisements and destinations. Marketers can better understand the impact of their campaigns, and make data-driven decisions for future campaigns.

Collaboration

Data collaboration can provide marketers and publishers with a deeper understanding of their target audiences, enabling them to create more impactful advertisements and a better customer experience for the streamer. Through safely and securely collaborating to enhance their data about their consumers, marketers and publishers can gain more insights into their consumers’ interests, and the ideal way to engage with them.

This is a similar dynamic with large retail media networks leveraging their tech and data-driven insights to connect with a large, captive audience through viewing habits and purchasing patterns. Marketers with access to valuable first-party data, such as viewing habits and interests, can make more informed targeting decisions and can collaborate to combine their knowledge of the consumer with the publisher’s knowledge.

Moreover, when done safely and securely, data collaboration can also lead to greater transparency and trust between parties, improving the CTV ecosystem. Through proper data collaboration, brands and streamers alike can ensure that campaigns are executed effectively, with a clear understanding of the goals and objectives, and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality results.

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Moving forward

As CTV continues its rapid growth, we expect that these latest changes and competitive differentiators will be integral accelerators widening CTV’s chunk of the ad spend pie. In a market where 100% addressable and measurable campaigns are possible, the innovation that these campaigns enable for everything from reach to actual business outcomes will quickly become the norm.

In order to keep pace with this innovation, the ecosystem must focus on enabling as many addressable impressions as possible, while also ensuring that measurement and collaboration are given appropriate focus as well. Marketers and publishers will quickly realize that these advancements are must-haves, and will demand addressability moving forward.