Brands that want to connect with potential customers in the early stages of the customer journey should consider streaming video as a popular and successful method of engaging current audiences. Still not convinced? Check out the most recent streaming audience behavior, interaction, and other stats here!
SSAI is a method of inserting advertisements into high-quality, long-form content. The ad insertion mechanism enables for a buffer-free transition from content to ad, then back to content, giving users the same experience as broadcast TV.
Benefits of SSAI?
- By seamlessly sewing together information and ads, SSAI helps to prevent ad blocking.
- It offers viewers an ideal, broadcast-like viewing experience with high-quality video and advertising creatives. Furthermore, the system may adjust to changing bandwidths in order to support bad connections by producing a lower-quality stream that does not buffer.
- Because it eliminates the need to maintain numerous SDKs, SSAI delivers certain operational efficiencies.
- Broadcasters can use it to insert digital commercials into a linear schedule.
- Finally, it aids media owners that have significant amounts of live event inventory in dealing with concurrency.
The trinity of sight, sound, and motion make streaming video advertising a powerful means of connecting a business to an engaged consumer. Streaming also enables marketers to use sophisticated machine learning and first-party data to optimize their advertising and ensure their long-term viability.
Elements in Advertising
Advertiser
As a type of product or service, an “Advertiser” reflects the name of a specific company that manufactures or provides that product or service. Advertising can be used by a brand or corporation to engage with new and returning customers. As it pertains to streaming, marketers have the choice of doing it themselves or working with an agency.
Agency
An “Agency” is an extension of the marketing team that brings together essential advertising elements that are not available in the case of individual advertisers.
Streaming Platforms
Streaming platforms offer a wide range of ways to interact, including…
- Advertising technology called a “Demand-side Platform” (DSP) allows advertisers to buy readily available advertising inventory by automating the purchase process.
- An advertising technology platform is known as a “Supply-side Platform” (SSP) is used by publishers to manage, market, and optimize existing ad inventory space on their websites or apps. Publishers can monetize their websites and apps by displaying display, video, and native adverts to their users via an SSP.
- ‘Data Providers’ are organizations that generate and maintain internet user profiles that may be used by marketers and agencies to target their campaigns to specific groups of people.
- Managing and serving internet advertising campaigns is made easier with the use of “Ad Servers,” a technology utilized by advertisers, publishers, ad networks, and advertising agencies.
- As a part of the “Analytical and Optimization” umbrella term, these technologies gather data about streaming advertising campaigns. These services can also improve overall performance and link a streaming strategy with other advertising channels and measurement tools.
Publishers’
TV series, movies, and other streaming media can be found on “publishers” that provide an on-demand internet entertainment source. Hulu, Peacock, and Tubi are just a few well-known publishers in this category.
Aggregators
When searching for movies and TV series to stream, “Aggregators” search through multiple publishers’ catalogs to compile a comprehensive list. Although they don’t create the content themselves, these sites have a significant amount of the ad inventory, making them important actors in the value chain.
Viewers
Finally, the viewer will see your advertisement. There are two types of “viewers”:
- Those who watch television
- and Those who watch specific programs on devices that allow for streaming advertisements.
Streaming TVs
It’s easier than ever for viewers to catch up on their favorite shows because they have access to the Internet. The phrase “Advanced TV CTV” was coined because of this. This includes over-the-top and addressable TV and other new ways of broadcasting. When used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing.
Connected TV
As the term “connected” refers to an internet connection, any connected TV set can be called “connected.” As well as game consoles like PlayStation and Xbox and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu like Smart TV, connected television is also supported by cable providers and Smart TVs. The two terms “connected TV” and “CTV” are not interchangeable; click here for more information on CTV advertising.
Addressable TV
Delivering material to a specified audience using addressable TV is a great way. The “address” of your target audience is printed on the text. The same technologies that make connected TV possible also make addressable TV possible. Find out more about TV advertising that can be targeted to specific individuals by clicking here.
OTT TV
Advertising may now reach its target audience via OTT for individuals who don’t want to shell out for cable (Over The Top). TV marketers and viewers alike benefit from this type of argument, which is in high demand.
What Does OTT Advertising Mean?
Online video streaming services and linked televisions, such as smart TVs, are common platforms for OTT (over-the-top) advertising (CTV).
Traditional TV providers have traditionally controlled media delivery, which is why “over-the-top” is referred to.
It is possible to go over the top without pre-determined broadcast dates or geographic restrictions.
Advertisers may now reach a much broader audience thanks to OTT, which previously was limited to traditional television (while optimizing campaign budget). The money generated by OTT ads is expected to grow by 45-60%, according to some experts. You will be well-rewarded if you are an early adopter in the ad tech space and can successfully launch an over-the-top ad.
What Does an OTT Advertisement look like?
It’s not always possible to skip OTT ad units because they’re typically watched until the conclusion. Ads that appear on top of video content are frequently used by marketers to reach specific and targeted audiences.
Video or banner creatives aren’t an issue for platforms that accept a variety of advertising formats. In addition, video advertisements and banners are the two most frequent forms of ad placement currently. Advertisers will launch dynamic advertising in the future when CTV and OTT capabilities expand. Creatives that allow for user interaction on the TV screen – tapping to open, skipping, etc. – will be possible.
Where OTT Ads Can Be Seen on the Internet
Over-the-top video commercials can be seen on a wide range of devices and streaming services (such as Roku or linked TV) (such as OTT apps).
Any device that can broadcast video over the internet can offer OTT content.
- Hand-held devices
- Computers
- It is possible to connect television sets to the internet and use them as if they were computers.
- Portable media players (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV)
- PlayStation, and Xbox
The supply of OTT content are made possible by various OTT distribution methods, thus adverts don’t merely “appear” on any of these gadgets.
Delivering OTT
If you’re using an OTT device like a Roku or Amazon Fire TV, the manner of delivery relies on the streaming provider and how their platforms interface with those devices. It doesn’t matter (Apple TV or another model). Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) might be used as an example because OTT content is so prevalent. Server-side (SSA) or client-side (CSS) ad insertion is possible in this scenario (CSAI). This is how the whole thing works:
- To begin with, you need to identify a target demographic for your OTT advertising strategy. This audience’s demographics will be determined by the data gathered through the platform. Data about the household may be supplemented with this data in specific situations.
- A single TV subscriber list will be shared across all OTT channels by the ad platform.
- Advertising supported by OTT platforms will be delivered to target audiences through a variety of means. Different tags are used to notify the media player how a particular advertisement should be shown. The player that streams the video material receives and processes all the data at this point.
- Fourth, the OTT advertising platform will provide the advertiser with an analysis of the ad’s performance, which will help determine the campaign’s overall success or failure.
Benefits of OTT Advertising
- Ads have undergone a radical makeover because of the rise of over-the-top (OTT) media platforms. Every 6 to 8 minutes on broadcast television, viewers are bombarded with several commercials. It’s possible they’ll watch a commercial, or they’ll switch channels and surf until the ad break ends. If they’re using a DVR, they’ll probably skip the advertisements entirely. As opposed to traditional broadcast television, online video platforms like Netflix and Hulu offer 30-second or 60-second ad breaks with a countdown clock. However, viewers know exactly how long it will take to watch. Shorter, easier to swallow, and more enjoyable—I like to call it a “sticker.” This is a far superior method from the perspectives of both consumers and advertisers. Brands can be sure their advertising will be noticed, and viewers will have more fun.
- It is more difficult for television networks to advertise their shows because they have a less number of channels and niches than streaming platforms. Advertisers, for example, can only target their viewers through news, sitcoms, movies, sports, and kids’ programs. CTV platforms provide a diverse selection of programming from a variety of media and specialized areas.
- Although many platforms provide paid subscriptions to avoid adverts, many consumers prefer to use the free versions. Many popular shows and movies can still be seen without paying for a subscription to a streaming service, thanks to over-the-top (OTT) advertisements. As a result, your adverts will probably be seen by a wide range of potential customers.
- Cord-cutters and cord-nevers, remember them? In order to target this elusive segment, advertising can use OTT to their advantage. OTT’s targeting capabilities allow marketers to target specific populations that they could only hope to reach with a wide TV ad campaign. Nearly any customer may be supplied using OTT.
Downsides of OTT Advertising
While it may appear that the streaming environment is a single channel, it is in fact a multi-channel, multi-platform, and multi-publisher landscape. OTT advertising doesn’t just “appear,” they actually provide the material to consumers via a variety of OTT platforms. Content distributors and CTV device makers face severe rivalry in OTT advertising, which has the following drawbacks:
Transparency
A reseller or aggregator can make it difficult to tell whether an ad is being shown on a premium channel or a less popular portion of an OTT platform.
Measurement
An OTT ad is broadcast via television, thus it’s difficult to monitor the attribution of the ad to the viewer. Because it’s more difficult to track OTT ad traffic and clicks than other digital channels, working with an OTT advertising firm can help you better assess the impact of your ad campaigns.
Aiming and Creating a Media Strategy
In order to effectively use over-the-top (OTT) advertising with your other media and digital initiatives, you need to think strategically. Many platforms and data suppliers cannot connect cookies and media ad IDs to IP addresses, restricting the ability to target specific audiences.
Conclusion
OTT advertising has several advantages, despite the difficulties it faces. According to the IAB, OTT capabilities will go through two phases, largely paralleling the growth of programming that we’ve seen over the last two decades.
OTT advertising is still in its infancy, but it will continue to evolve, allowing advertisers to find new methods to connect with consumers. Unleashing the full potential of this technology could soon become one of the most lucrative options for advertisers, given its growing percentage of the advertising market in the coming years.