Articles by: "Stefanie Briec, Director, Head of Demand Sales UK & International AudienceXpress – FreeWheel"

Maximizing audiences’ unique relationship with TV

March 8, 2023 Stefanie Briec, Director, Head of Demand Sales UK & International AudienceXpress – FreeWheel

Consumers appear to be more engaged with media than ever before. Social platforms, podcasts, and games have found their way into consumers’ daily lives. However, TV’s place at the heart of the household lives on, appealing to the masses and capturing audience attention for almost 3.5 hours a day.

That said, TV no longer just occupies one screen. Advanced TV channels such as video-on-demand (VOD), and free ad-supported streaming services (FASTs) are accessible on many devices. While this proliferation of distribution channels has changed how brands connect with audiences, viewers’ relationship with TV and Advanced TV is unique. Here’s why.

1. It’s grounded in high quality content

The period since the turn of the millennium has been dubbed the “Golden Age” of TV, which is characterised by the growing choice over not only what viewers watch but where, when, and how they engage with TV. Advanced TV (comprised of VOD, CTV, OTT, and addressable linear TV) is home to premium, long-form video content that — due to its strong entertainment value — will always attract highly engaged audiences.

It is, in fact, viewer demand for premium content that is the driver of the diversification of the TV landscape, as new platforms and services are launched to capture eyeballs. Although Ofcom’s Media Nations (2022) report found that UK viewing habits have been readjusting after their peak during the pandemic, it highlights that broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD) services are bucking the overall trend and the time audiences spend with them per day is rising. So, how do consumers feel about maturing Advanced TV channels?

2. Linear TV’s reputation is preserved by Advanced TV

According to 36% of CTV viewers who participated in FreeWheel’s 2022 Connected Viewers: All Eyes on Streaming study – which surveyed consumers in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands (EU6) – ad-supported Advanced TV services give them access to an appealing mix of quality video content. To reach these audiences, who are increasingly adopting VOD and FAST services, industry players are implementing ad-funded models, but viewers’ expectations for quality extend beyond the content and apply to advertising as well.

That’s because linear TV, alongside setting the standard for premium content, has also established advertising as an expected part of the viewing experience. Research indicates that TV advertising creates memories among audiences due to its long-form video formats, giving brands strong storytelling opportunities and the chance to boost ad recall. In line with this, two-thirds of respondents to Freewheel’s study who watch CTV find its TV-like ad experience to be the most attention-grabbing.

Furthermore, audiences are not the only ones with high expectations for Advanced TV. Ad buyers have become familiar with TV’s standards for high impact creative and competitive separation. The benefits of TV advertising go further than delivering impressions, and this is underscored by the latest iteration of measurement tools that enable marketers to gain insight into how TV affects audiences in the mid- and lower-funnel. TV advertising can encourage consideration and drive traffic to websites and apps, increasing sales opportunities.

3. Audiences trust broadcasters and media owners

Since viewers generally consider broadcasters and media owners to be the source of quality video content, they tend to have a close connection with providers in the TV landscape — one grounded in trust. On the basis of these relationships, broadcasters and media owners have access to valuable first-party data, which lays the groundwork for informed and highly effective audience-based targeting.

Advertisers and agencies depend on this information to reach desired audience segments and boost engagement. However, it also helps sellers improve the advertising experience for their viewer bases. If broadcasters and media owners can ensure they serve relevant, contextualised ads, they can meet audience expectations for a quality viewing experience. Over one-quarter of audiences surveyed in Freewheel’s study claim they have a preference for ads which align with the content they are watching, 24% value ads informed by geolocation, and 20% prefer ads relate to their interests.

As a result, the ability to create a relevant viewing experience can be a key differentiator for media owners in the competitive TV landscape. It will capture viewers while also maximizing the appeal of their media offering to ad buyers. This creates a positive feedback loop, as uplifts to ad revenue can further improve advertising operations and help fund the production of quality video content, which in turn attracts bigger audiences, making premium video inventory even more valuable. Media companies are responsible for communicating this trade value to viewers, so they understand that by sharing their data they are unlocking a better experience in exchange.

Audiences’ trust, familiarity, and high levels of engagement with TV is what makes it such a valuable ad environment to build brands. TV’s evolution will undoubtedly demand advances in measurement, standardization, and tools that can connect the dots between fragmented audience segments. However, every development in these areas from, both buyers and sellers, must keep viewers at the heart of the innovation process. Doing so is absolutely critical for preserving audiences’ unique relationship with TV.

Advertising | Perspectives | Supporter Spotlight

TV advertising has evolved. It’s time to think like a viewer

October 19, 2022 Stefanie Briec, Director, Head of Demand Sales UK & International AudienceXpress – FreeWheel

The advanced TV landscape—including video-on-demand (VOD), connected TV (CTV), OTT and addressable linear TV—has experienced rapid growth and change. We’re also seeing the rise of ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming services (FAST). As a result, more premium video inventory is becoming available to ad buyers. Luckily, innovation within the advertising ecosystem is beginning to make this more accessible. So, what’s up next for this evolving space?

Seven in 10 UK marketers believe their advanced TV budgets will increase in the coming 12 months, according to the latest survey from AudienceXpress, FreeWheel’s premium video sales house. What’s more, almost nine in 10 respondents intend to spend more on AVOD and FAST.

Ad buyers are investing in the channels where the eyeballs are. But now the industry must go a step further and truly think as audiences do. Content, quality, and connectivity appear to be front of mind for viewers. So, how can marketers also make these a priority?

Audiences only have eyes for content, so ad buyers should too

When viewers tune in to TV and premium video content, they can now access it through a diverse selection of platforms, channels, and devices. The fact that audiences have become more and more fragmented proves that what they watch is significantly more important than how they watch it.

If ad buyers plan to succeed in the TV advertising landscape, they need to adopt this attitude. By taking a unified approach to advanced TV and premium video, they can shift their focus away from fragmented endpoints and towards what matters most: the audience and what they enjoy watching. To help buyers achieve this, the advertising ecosystem is refining its tools for unified campaign planning, ad buying, and performance measurement.

New technologies and best practices, such as ad podding, are improving both efficiencies for buyers and the premium video experience for viewers. Advanced contextual advertising, meanwhile, is allowing buyers to connect with audiences through specific topics and genres, as well as combine semantic analysis and keyword targeting to maximize ad relevance.

While further collaboration is required to accelerate this progress, advanced TV is enabling advertisers to engage typically hard-to-reach audiences through quality content.

Why aggregation is the answer to precise ad targeting

The key drivers of advanced TV spend emphasize marketers’ goal of reaching the best viewers however they consume TV and premium video content. Our AudienceXpress survey found that respondents considered sophisticated audience targeting capabilities as the top growth accelerator for advanced TV, followed by the opportunity to reach viewers across screens.

Enabling precise ad targeting and allowing buyers to be agile as their audiences move between platforms and devices are therefore highly important for capturing investment. While it may seem paradoxical, aggregation is necessary for this to happen. By aggregating a bigger pool of premium video inventory, the advertising ecosystem can facilitate efficient, streamlined ad buying and deliver desired audiences at scale.

This again requires buyers and sellers to treat advanced TV channels as viewers do—that is, equally—as they unify their approach to TV advertising.

Joining the measurement dots

Consolidating measurement across endpoints is as critical to the future of TV advertising as consolidating inventory and audiences. Buyers need a single view of how impactful their ad campaigns are, both while they are running and after they are wrapped up, much like any great TV show.

Unfortunately, legacy measurement tools and newer alternatives currently struggle with capturing performance across screens and providing ad buyers with a full understanding of campaign impact. Buyers need this to pinpoint the elements of their strategies that are generating the best results and carry out informed campaign optimizations. Additionally, accurate measurement solutions are necessary for effective frequency management, which safeguards against ad fatigue and maintains the quality viewing experience for audiences.

Greater standardization of advertising metrics is a crucial next step towards unifying measurement. This provides clarity between buyers and sellers, allowing the former to plan, purchase, and optimize all forms of TV inventory and the latter to better communicate the value of their offerings.

Connectivity will solve complexity

Speaking the same language across the ecosystem also lays the foundation for better interconnectivity between all players. In turn, this will help tackle complexity, which has become a concern in the rapidly evolving advanced TV landscape.

Alongside building a shared language, interoperability must be a priority in the year ahead. Technological innovation is critical for overcoming the challenges buyers face with planning, executing, and monitoring advanced TV campaigns. But ensuring these innovative solutions are widely compatible will help make TV and premium video advertising available to all. This will drive growth and progress throughout the ecosystem, letting buyers purchase from bigger pools of aggregated inventory, increase efficiency, and extend their reach, while also allowing publishers to streamline their advertising business models and maximize yield.

Connectivity is enabling viewers to consume TV and premium video content how they want, when they want. It is also the key to enabling ad buyers to purchase the inventory they want, how they want. Not only is this beneficial to the future of advanced TV advertising, but also to audiences by ensuring they receive the most relevant ads and a quality viewing experience.

Advertising | Perspectives | Supporter Spotlight

Fulfilling the buy-side wish list with connected TV

August 9, 2022 Stefanie Briec, Director, Head of Demand Sales UK & International AudienceXpress – FreeWheel

Connected TV (CTV) includes a wide range of video on demand (VOD) platforms, free ad-supported streaming services, and a growing number of channels that viewers primarily use to enjoy long-form premium video content. Ad buyers increasingly direct their spend towards the eyeballs watching CTV. However, to capture this investment, media owners and broadcasters must deliver everything on marketers’ wish lists.

From data-driven targeting and incremental reach to frequency capping and efficiency, how can sell-side players become the fairy godparents of CTV by making sure buyers’ wishes come true?

Targeting: tailor that ball gown

Much like a ball gown, ads need to fit — and fit well. A recent consumer study from FreeWheel and Happydemics uncovered that almost two-fifths of CTV viewers surveyed like ads related to their personal interests. And more than a quarter prefer ads that reflect their lifestyle.

The sell-side can help marketers tailor their ads by supporting advanced targeting methods. Gone are the days when TV campaigns were planned on ratings alone. CTV now makes the same household screen addressable and many elements such as age, gender, time of day, geolocation, device data, and more can inform ad targeting.

As the custodians of user information and contextual data, media owners can enable buyers to better personalize their ads based on audience behaviors and content preferences. Doing so heightens the value of CTV inventory and enhances the viewing experience with stronger relevance.

Geo filters: the glass slipper must fit perfectly

To help marketers win over viewers and plan the most effective campaigns, the sell side must balance relevance and scale when it comes to targeting. CTV environments can place brands in front of a broad audience. But it’s essential to consider if they are high intent consumers and how receptive they are to specific messages.

The ability to purchase inventory that can be targeted with geo filters addresses this issue by letting buyers pinpoint regional audience segments. It also helps ensure relevance through location. A footwear brand, for example, could use this to boost in-store traffic from local audiences, especially if combined with a new product release stocked in their brick-and-mortar stores.

Efficiency: from a pumpkin into a coach

Increasing efficiency for ad buyers gets them to their objectives quickly and in style. Enabling marketers to make the most of CTV’s data-driven targeting methods allows them to deliver cost-effective campaigns, as media owners’ viewer data can enrich audience segmentation. Buyers can purchase the best inventory for connecting with specific consumers and get better mileage for their ad spend, generating stronger impact while reducing waste.

What’s more, broadcasters that unify their linear TV and VOD inventory will make an appealing proposition for ad buyers. In the FreeWheel x CoLab Media Consulting 2022 study, the marketers surveyed consider the ability to purchase ad slots for both linear and Advanced TV — which encompasses CTV, streaming and on-demand services — in one transaction as a key driver for their investment.

Incremental reach: the more, the merrier

Another reason behind the growth of Advanced TV budgets, according to the marketer study, is the opportunity it gives buyers to extend linear TV’s reach. The sell-side can ensure CTV is highly effective for cross-channel marketing by bringing connected and linear TV together.

As the media landscape becomes more and more fragmented, it’s easy to think that newer channels will replace traditional ones. However, linear TV continues to account for 58% of consumers’ time spent with video. This highlights the importance of buyers being able to leverage the optimal mix of channels to boost incremental reach and deliver on their campaign goals, alongside the need for media owners to unite their inventory and streamline the transaction process.

Frequency: don’t keep asking for the next dance

According to FreeWheel’s consumer study, nearly two-thirds of respondents who watch CTV believe premium video platforms are home to the most attention-grabbing advertising experiences. Audiences claim to enjoy CTV’s big screen and quality content, and media owners are responsible for maintaining the viewer experience.

Frequency capping is critical here, because persistently serving the same ads will lead to audiences losing interest. Through enabling marketers to set a frequency cap not only at a household level, but also across channels, sell side players can remove the risk of ad fatigue. This improves campaign effectiveness for buyers while ensuring viewers continue to enjoy CTV environments, so media owners can keep everyone happy.

A fairy tale ending

CTV attracts highly receptive audiences and delivers a quality advertising experience. That said, the sell-side can leverage its digital-equivalent capabilities to make it an even more enticing prospect for ad buyers.

Marketers are expecting CTV platforms to unite linear TV’s reach with advanced targeting and efficient media trading methods. By supporting buyers with techniques such as frequency capping, geo filters and ad personalization, media owners can help make their wishes come true in their quest to optimize campaigns.

Advertising | Industry-Research | Supporter Spotlight

Europe’s CTV audience is switched on for ads

June 1, 2022 Stefanie Briec, Director, Head of Demand Sales UK & International AudienceXpress – FreeWheel

Connected TV (CTV) audiences in Europe seem to have embraced streaming as their go-to destination for video entertainment, where they enjoy a wealth of content from a diverse set of providers. While subscription-based offerings have long dominated the landscape, ad supported services are gaining traction, delivering new user experiences as well as opportunities for brands.

In collaboration with market research company Happydemics, FreeWheel surveyed CTV viewers across the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands (the “EU6”) to understand their preferences and how advertisers can tap into the connected audience.

Smart TV tops connection methods

The popularity and convenience of Smart TVs has led them to be the primary method of connecting to internet video throughout the EU6, with one notable exception. In France — where telco and pay TV operators have held strong — set-top boxes are the favored connection method, used by 72% of the French CTV viewers surveyed. On the other end of the scale, our study found that 86% of CTV viewers in Italy connect via Smart TVs, well above the EU6 average of 60%.

The popularity of premium and ad-supported options

As for what they watch once they are connected, long-form premium video content reigns supreme, with the majority (59%) of respondents using at least one subscription video on demand (SVOD) service. On average, EU6 CTV viewers surveyed spread their attention across 3.5 different streaming platforms, including SVOD, ad-supported video on demand (AVOD), broadcaster video on demand (BVOD) and live TV, showing that consumers are willing to switch between apps to find what they want.

However, when it comes to SVOD, there may be a point at which viewers reach “subscription saturation.” In fact, free ad supported tv services (FAST) are gaining in popularity. According to the survey, free streaming platforms, such as Pluto.TV and Molotov TV, see the highest uptake among viewers who subscribe to multiple paid services.

AVOD users come for the price, stay for the content

As SVOD giants Netflix and Disney+ tease their ad-supported tiers, EU6 CTV viewers surveyed are warming up to AVOD, with adoption by our connected respondents nearing two-fifths (38%). Consumers seem content with the trade-off of watching ads in exchange for content. In fact, 60% of these users said that free access was, unsurprisingly, the biggest appeal of such services. However, more than a third (36%) were won over by the variety and quality of content on offer.

With no cost barrier, we might expect audiences to dip in and out of AVOD. But those who try it tend to stick around, with over two-thirds of CTV viewers surveyed (68%) accessing ad-supported video every week, half of whom do so daily. AVOD appears to slip seamlessly into viewing schedules. This bodes well for platforms big and small exploring this new frontier of content monetization.

Big-screen ads grab attention best

Advertisers seeking to capitalize on CTV will be reassured to know that TV ad experience is considered the most effective by the vast majority (64%) of EU6 CTV viewers surveyed, with little variation between regions. In the age of distraction, attention-grabbing, big-screen ads provide an opportunity to maximize campaign impact.

One advantage of CTV is the ability to personalize ads for the viewer, and EU6 respondents were generally receptive to this. When asked which type of personalization they prefer: 37% chose ads related to their personal interests, 30% related to their lifestyle, and 23% for brands or products in line with their values, such as sustainability. While the EU6 CTV audience is accepting of ad personalization, they are not accepting of their personal data being used to achieve it, as stated by 62% of respondents.

Time to unlock CTV ad potential

Advertisers go where their audiences are, and in the EU6 countries they can be found enjoying premium video streamed via Connected TV. So, there is real potential to harness CTV platforms for campaigns, particularly when you look at the apparent shift of bigger SVOD players towards ad-supported models and concerns over subscription fatigue.

Normalizing AVOD should be good for viewers, platforms, and advertisers alike. Viewers get to try content with no upfront cost, while content platforms can compete on quality rather than price. Advertisers, meanwhile, would be able to target their ad spend and creative to key demographics, while having the potential to reach new audiences; all thanks to CTV’s “superpower” – the ability to combine the best attributes of TV and digital video in one place.