5 Questions to Ask Before Buying Advanced TV

Chances are you’ve streamed shows this week, whether it’s been to keep the kids busy or to stave off your own boredom while staying at home during the pandemic. As a consumer and an advertiser, this should tell you it’s simply not enough these days to reach consumers only through traditional linear TV. To reach all the customers who matter to you, consider buying advanced TV, especially now that the living room is any device and household screens these days are getting more attention than ever. However, though advanced TV can help you maximize your audience reach to show more value for every dollar you spend, it isn’t right for every advertiser. Familiarize yourself with all the advanced TV definitions you need to know and download our newly updated advanced TV slides for the latest trends, data and rationales on why you should include advanced TV in your campaigns. Then ask yourself these five quick questions to help you determine if buying advanced TV is right for you:

  1. How much budget do I have?

Connected TV works well for smaller budgets since it adds over-the-top (OTT) devices and smart TVs to a DSP buy. You could run a connected TV campaign with a monthly budget as little as $5,000, although we typically recommend a higher spend so your dollars aren’t spread too thin. If you have more to spend, you can consider video on demand or programmatic TV, which often commands minimums of $15,000 per month.

  1. Where is my campaign running?

Geography is another factor to take into consideration with advanced TV. Advanced TV is still a growing market, and scale is a challenge for smaller geos. Connected TV can work for smaller geos, but be prepared to shift your budget to other tactics if scale is an issue. Sticking to pre-roll video might be a better fit for granulary targeted campaigns. If you’re advertising nationally or in one of the larger DMAs, there should be plenty of inventory available via video on demand (VOD) and programmatic TV.

  1. Is my creative digital-friendly?

While some advertisers find success with repurposing a :15 or :30 TV spot online, your campaign will probably be more successful with a creative designed for the online experience. Platforms like YouTube allow audiences to skip ads, so if you don’t hook a user within the first 5 seconds, you risk your ad getting skipped. Additionally, many users are streaming advanced TV on tablets and phones. If your creative isn’t designed with a small screen in mind, your video could look too busy on these devices.

  1. What are my campaign goals?

Advanced TV is still primarily an awareness builder rather than a direct-response tactic, though advanced TV attribution is in place and getting more advanced all the time. You can benefit from your media being trackable across all devices, and you can see post-view activities attributed to connected TV media, but these activities are harder to track than other inventory types. In the near future, some advertisers will be tracking offline in-store sales too. For example, Roku and Kroger just teamed up to track specific CPG purchases. But if you’re looking to run a VOD or programmatic TV campaign, awareness and viewability goals are your best bet. Viewability is high on these types of campaigns since the audience is highly engaged and sometimes can’t skip the commercials.

  1. How does advanced TV fit in with my linear TV buy?

One of the beauties of advanced TV is that you can mirror a traditional TV schedule and reach users across all their devices on the same programs. Cord-cutters and cord-nevers are on the rise as consumers are demanding more control over their viewing experience, and while traditional TV won’t entirely disappear, its audience is starting to shrink. Supplementing an existing TV buy with a portion of budget carved out for advanced TV tactics will ensure your ads aren’t missing anyone. There’s a lot to consider with advanced TV’s technologies, and many brands are trying to get up to speed now on advanced TV so they can connect with all their customers and enhance their reach and sales. For our tips and tricks to navigate the advanced TV lingo and landscape, reach out to us. Or download our free advanced TV guide (now updated to show COVID-19’s impact) to decide if advanced TV should be part of your marketing mix.