Yahoo Advertising Survey Uncovers Benefits and Challenges of Integrating Linear TV and Digital Campaigns

Audience targeting is the primary benefit of merging linear and digital data, according to poll of over 300 TV marketers

Yahoo Advertising, the advertising division of Yahoo, unveiled new research on Advanced TV (ATV) advertising, exploring the advantages and obstacles of combining addressable linear campaigns with digital campaigns. The study involved polling over 300 TV marketers, including agency and brand advertisers.

“Connecting linear and digital data opens up exciting opportunities in audience targeting and measurement”

As viewers transition from traditional TV to streaming and digital, advanced TV enables advertisers to connect with audiences across multiple channels. It offers data-driven targeting for personalized ad experiences, advanced frequency controls to reduce waste, unified measurement capabilities, and the ability to adapt to a changing media landscape. However, to fully leverage advanced TV, marketers need to better integrate addressable linear and digital campaign data for more cohesive strategies.

Yahoo Advertising’s study revealed that audience targeting was the primary benefit of merging linear and digital data, with 70% of respondents stressing its importance. Measurement was also considered crucial, with 58% of respondents recognizing it as a key advantage. Additional benefits included extended reach (55%), frequency control (55%), planning/forecasting (50%), and contextual/content (39%).

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Nevertheless, integrating linear and digital data presents challenges for many advertisers, such as the lack of common metrics across channels (53%), creating a holistic framework for planning and measurement (41%), data-sharing restrictions by walled gardens (40%), choosing the right partner (34%), limited internal resources (27%), and organizational silos (26%).

“Connecting linear and digital data opens up exciting opportunities in audience targeting and measurement,” said Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, Chief Revenue Officer at Yahoo. “Marketers often face interoperability challenges and need partners and technology platforms to help them harmonize metrics, data, and audiences.”

Yahoo Advertising’s research discovered that 9 out of 10 advertisers deem it essential to manage linear and digital campaigns using a single omnichannel solution. While advertisers know the importance of campaign consolidation, they feel there are still barriers to entry. Respondents primarily cited the lack of transparency on impression delivery (34%) and high costs (34%) as reasons for slower adoption of advanced linear advertising.

“The benefits of integrating linear TV and digital campaigns are clear, but advertisers must overcome significant challenges to fully harness advanced TV,” said Herbst-Brady. “Advertisers need an omnichannel solution that manages both linear and digital campaigns while addressing the complexities of unifying data across channels.”

Advanced TV is a cornerstone of the Yahoo DSP, which provides advertisers with a comprehensive programmatic buying platform spanning digital, addressable linear and streaming TV, enabling them to reach more addressable households more efficiently. With first-to-market partnerships with industry powerhouses like DIRECTV Advertising to leverage unique data sets, premium supply through collaborations with leading networks, and access to tens of millions of CTV households as well as 25M+ addressable linear households, Yahoo Advertising ensures advertisers maximize their digital TV investments. Further, the platform offers vital ad performance measurement and attribution tools assisting advertisers in efficiently allocating budgets and optimizing campaigns.

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