Over the past four days we’ve explored the rapidly evolving advanced television landscape with 30+ industry leaders from the broadcasting, agency, ad tech and research community. As we listened throughout the week, one thing became clear, the lines between digital and “traditional” media are officially blurred.
A key factor that had previously been holding advertisers back from investing in this space was the lack of inventory and reach in ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) but that has changed. Canadians’ consumption of online video has been steadily increasing over the past across few years and the recent pandemic has only accelerated that shift. In fact, according to Vividata’s most recent study, 23 million Canadians now watch TV online each month and Canadian broadcasters have been ramping up their offerings to meet this demand.
Industry Collaboration
A resounding message that came across in several sessions was how the industry continues to come together in the spirt of collaboration to advance the space. Legacy broadcasters are working on advanced data buying segments that are powered by Environics (under the ThinkTV umbrella) and Numeris. The industry at large, including IAB Canada, is working together on a standardized cross-platform, cross-device measurement solution (VAM).
Data enabled buying
The powerful personalization abilities of digital and the mass reach of TV are finally coming together as television sets come online. Several speakers mentioned that data-enabled viewing on connected TVs and over-the-top (OTT) devices will allow marketers to make better buying decisions based on publisher data such as location, time of day, device type and program context. Programmatic TV buying also allows buyers to transact on 1st party data and track campaign results in real time.
Looking forward
Connected TV advertising is in its infancy which makes it an exciting time for the entire Canadian advertising industry to lean in, bring our diverse experiences with digital and traditional video channels to the table to make sure we get it right. From measurement and privacy, to audience segmentation and brand safety, we have our work cut out for us.