Publishers and advertisers work with treasure troves of data that require working in the weeds. But sometimes, working too deep can give you tunnel vision and cause people to miss the bigger picture.  

This is especially true when working with diverse audience data. Some miss out on multicultural audiences with massive opportunity and spending power. According to the Nielsen-Univision ROI of Inclusivity Study, experts expect Spanish speakers in the U.S. to grow to over 75 million by 2030 and projected Hispanic buying power in the U.S. to reach $1.9 trillion by the end of 2023. 

Still, some brands are seeing the potential in Spanish-language media. “I’ve seen a major shift in how AVOD is serving Hispanic audiences, with brands growing recognition of the incredible potential within this demographic,” shared Isabel Rafferty Zavala, CEO of Canela Media. 

In fact, EDO just released a study  analyzing every national TV ad that ran on Spanish-language TV and the data shows that ads that run on these channels have been 31% more effective than those on English-language TV. Spanish-language streaming’s growth presents a unique opportunity for publishers to engage a vibrant audience and optimize revenue streams, while allowing advertisers to improve targeting and capitalize on innovative ad technologies. However, it’s crucial to represent these communities authentically.

The Surge in Spanish-Language Streaming

With a large and growing Hispanic population in the U.S. and abroad, streaming platforms are ramping up their offerings of Spanish-language content, creating fertile ground for publishers looking to reach Hispanic audiences through targeted advertising and cutting-edge ad operations.

Key Players and Market Growth:

Televisa-Univision’s ViX+ launched in 2022 after a major merger combining Mexican multimedia company (Televisa) and the largest provider of Spanish-language content in the US (Univision). Starting with an ambitious goal, they offer over 10,000 hours of Spanish-language entertainment, ranging from telenovelas to original productions. 

They now offer ad-supported and subscription-based models with TelevisaUnivision’s flagship streaming service, Vix, amassing 50 million monthly active users, up 70% over last year.

They also acquired a free, ad-supported streaming service — Univision’s PrendeTV — to complement their Univision NOw subscription service. 

Latino-owned Canela Media has capitalized on the surge of Hispanic viewers by offering free, ad-supported content across multiple genres. Reportedly the fastest-growing Hispanic media company in the U.S., the CEO Isabel Rafferty Zavala launched the streaming service to celebrate the U.S. Hispanic community by delivering culturally relevant high-quality entertainment.

“My role has been to push for innovation — whether through our content offerings or the technology we use,” said Zavala. And this is not just lip service. Canela Media offers a wealth of first-party data through Canela Audience Solutions, reaching 76M unique devices. The OTT-first data product accurately identifies Hispanic audiences across English and Spanish content.

Other players:

Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max are all embracing this trend, significantly expanding their Spanish-language libraries to cater to Hispanic viewers and international markets. 

Other players include fuboTV Latino, providing 65 Spanish-language channels, including Zona Fútbol and FOX Deportes. Then there’s Peacock’s Tplus, in partnership with Telemundo, offering telenovelas, news, and sports. Comcast’s NOW TV Latino provides over 25 live Spanish-language channels featuring a mix of movies, shows, sports, and news for diverse viewing preferences. 

Crafting Culturally Resonant Campaigns in a Multilingual Market

The rise of Spanish-language streaming opens new doors for publishers and advertisers. With bilingual and bicultural audiences, they can leverage advanced technologies to create practical and dynamic ad experiences explicitly tailored to Hispanic demographics.

Programmatic Advertising: Programmatic solutions allow for precise audience targeting based on language preferences, cultural nuances, and consumption habits to deliver highly relevant messaging to  maximize engagement.

For instance, Macarta used Amazon’s Spanish Language Targeting Program for geo-targeting Spanish-speaking consumers and delivering tailored messaging to increase traffic and sales. 

Dynamic Ad Insertion:  Spanish-language streaming platforms leverage real-time dynamic ad insertion to seamlessly integrate ads into content. Advertisers can adjust creative messaging based on viewer data, location, or even cultural events. By delivering ads at the perfect moment, this technology enhances viewer experience while boosting ad effectiveness. 

With Akta’s Cloud Video Platform, TelevisaUnivision’s ViX streaming service leverages DAI, replacing broadcast ads with digital ads on their streaming platform, according to Michael Cerda, CPO for Streaming at TelevisaUnivision.

Cross-Platform Campaigns: Advertisers can also explore cross-platform advertising strategies ensuring  consistent messaging by tying campaigns across ViX+, Canela, Pantaya, and mainstream services like Netflix and HBO Max to amplify reach.

Unlocking Revenue Potential Through Targeted, Authentic Engagement

Maximizing revenue in the Spanish-language streaming segment requires deeply understanding Hispanic audiences, who show strong loyalty to platforms offering authentic, culturally relevant content.

To capitalize on this, publishers should focus on audience segmentation by developing detailed viewer profiles based on region, language preferences (Spanish, English, or bilingual), and content consumption habits. 

“Targeted, personalized, culturally relevant ads will only increase in importance as time goes on. Audience data can help advertisers understand where their target audiences are consuming content and learn behavioral insights about them,” according to App Science.

AVOD platforms, such as Canela, offer a clear path to monetizing content through targeted ads, while SVOD caters to audiences willing to pay for premium, ad-free experiences. Hybrid models, like TelevisaUnivision, offer a combination of ad-supported and ad-free tiers and are also gaining traction, providing publishers with diverse revenue streams.

As EDO outlined in their study, Spanish-language TV’s impact is even greater when combined with a highly engaging streaming environment. For instance, auto brands advertising on TelevisaUnivision’s streaming service ViX were 29% more effective than Convergent TV.

According to Zavala, Canela Media owes its AVOD  success “to focusing its monetization strategies by connecting brands with content that reflects the values, diversity, and interests of our community, ensuring that advertising feels both organic and impactful.” 

Additionally, partnering with Hispanic-focused brands presents another lucrative opportunity. For instance, TelevisaUnivision’s partnered with United Airlines’ Kinective Media to integrate ViX streaming content into in-flight entertainment. The collaboration merged data assets, enhancing Kinective’s platform for targeted advertising, allowing TelevisaUnivision to drive ViX subscriptions and deliver ads to Spanish-speaking travelers.

Tapping Into Cultural Relevance for Lasting Impact

As the surge in Spanish-language streaming continues, publishers and advertisers have a unique opportunity to deepen their connection with a dynamic and growing audience. By embracing cultural relevance, leveraging innovative technologies, and fostering authentic partnerships, they can unlock new revenue streams while serving the diverse needs of Hispanic viewers. Success lies in understanding the nuances of diverse demographics, respecting cultural values, and delivering personalized experiences.

The post What the Surge in Spanish-Language Streaming Means for Advertisers and Publishers appeared first on AdMonsters.

The revolution in live-streaming sports is unfolding before our eyes, disrupting the broadcast and cable industry as new media giants, including Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube, enter the field. Sports organizations are finding themselves negotiating deals with lots of layers, where specific streamers get a certain night, like Amazon while free streaming is available on Twitch and aired on local broadcast stations. 

The stakes are incredibly high as everyone figures out the rules for live-streaming sports. The NBA’s rights are valued at $75 billion over 12 years, and the NFL’s rights are worth upwards of $110 billion. The current court case against the NFL won’t just affect NFL franchise revenue, but the entire advertising and streaming ecosystem, which relies heavily on these extremely popular mass live events. 

With all of this upheaval and complexity, it seems logical for advertising to follow the same path — with digitization, fragmentation, targeting, and more. But that’s actually the opposite of what’s going to happen. Live sports events on streaming channels actually work very much like linear broadcast sports events, and both streamers and advertisers need to understand why the industry will succeed.

Streaming Can’t Change Live Sports

Streaming sports has hit a tipping point — 53% of adults stream sports at least once per month, and it now accounts for 30% of all streaming views in the US. For multi-channel media companies like NBC, striking a balance on live sports is critical to ensure they aren’t out-maneuvered by a native digital competitor.

Tech giants like Amazon, Google, Apple, and Netflix have the resources to dominate streaming sports. Unlike traditional broadcasters, they lack legacy relationships and dependencies, allowing them to operate more flexibly. Without the constraints of politics, multiplatform contracts, and outdated technology, these companies can leapfrog traditional broadcasters.

However, streaming might be upending most things about watching TV, but a lot about live sports looks a lot like linear. People can binge-watch shows, watch new movies in their living room, and access content from around the world, but sports are resistant to a lot of these elements.

The excitement of the game happening live doesn’t change much just because it’s streamed instead of broadcast — few people time shift an important game. Sure, some people might discover they love Canadian curling or Indian cricket on streaming, but most people are going to root for the same local teams that they always have, streaming or broadcast. The big games like NBA finals, the Super Bowl, and the World Series will draw huge audiences all watching at the same time.  

Premium Content Demands Premium Prices

The mass live appeal of sports means that the digital, often programmatic advertising that digital companies know and love isn’t as relevant. Amazon might have an advantage of cash and streaming technology, but their advertising savvy doesn’t come into play. It doesn’t make sense to allow a performance-oriented advertiser to bid on individual impressions during an NBA game when a brand-oriented advertiser is willing to pay premium CPMs for an entire audience – maybe even several national ad slots during a single game. 

Live sports advertising makes media companies the most money when they stick to old-school ratings-based metrics and price-based on branding at scale, not precision targeting. This means that any streaming sports rights-holder is still going to consider the UpFronts important. They’re going to want some direct premium ad sales executives. And, they’re going to need to be able to program advertising directly coded into the content, not dynamically serve it to individual households through a big complex supply chain.

The Trickle-Down Effect to All Streamed Sports

By leading with brand awareness and following with addressability on major sports events, streaming platforms create a valuable ecosystem, avoiding the race to the bottom seen in programmatic advertising. 

However, betting solely on brand advertising carrying streaming sports at the long tail is risky. The math of sports broadcasting shows that larger audiences generate greater revenue, but not every game attracts millions of fans. Mid-season baseball games for a mediocre team, college basketball, hockey, and many other popular but smaller sports streams can and should deliver a hybrid of premium brand advertising and targeted advertising. 

As all of these details get worked out, the future of live sports streaming will remain complex. Half of American households still have cable. Sports rights holders need licensing deals that cater to both groups and offer flexibility for a variety of ad-sales strategies. Converged media planning across platforms will be essential. Convergence means different things for buyers and sellers, with varying performance KPIs. Success with converged platforms requires unified sales, delivery, performance metrics, and reporting. 

Streaming will continue to grow in importance, but it won’t lead to an all-programmatic world. The ad market will resemble network TV more than walled gardens, with mergers and acquisitions likely shaping the future landscape as linear slowly fades out and streaming evolves. The convergence of live streaming and traditional advertising will define the next era of sports broadcasting.

The post Live Streaming Takes Brand Advertising Full Circle appeared first on AdMonsters.

The detrimental impact of third-party cookies on consumer privacy has been a hot industry topic for some time now, and with the deadline for cookie depreciation continuously being pushed back, more and more publishers are shrugging their shoulders to the end of cookies. Not surprisingly, only 32% of publishers are actively preparing for this change, according to a recent Teads survey.

The study surveyed 555 publishers across 58 countries, revealing an urgent need for the industry to adapt quickly. At Cannes, we met with Natalie Bastian, CMO of Teads, and were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Simon Klein, Global Head of Publishing. Onboard a yacht with a crisp blue aesthetic; we chatted about a future without cookies; the challenges publishers face, and Teads’ current initiatives to support them. 

As we navigate this complex environment, even a blind man could see that there are too many different types of ID solutions on top of Google’s Privacy Sandbox.

“One minute cookieless is here, the next it’s delayed, then it’s happening again, but we don’t know when,” Klein explained. “We are trying to educate publishers as much as possible on what’s available. At Teads, we are cookieless by default since 2018.We are willing to work with every solution that we believe could actually help publishers generate more revenue.”

Teads and Publishers: A Partnership Driving Mutual Success

In digital media there is a ton of trial and error. Now more than ever, publishers need to ensure their SSP partners are resourceful. One aspect of Teads that is a major resource to publishers is its tech and engineering team. With about 400 team members, both teams do a lot of the leg work when it comes to investigating and understanding the best solutions. 

According to Teads’ Publisher Preparedness study, 53% of publishers feel completely overwhelmed by the plethora of solutions. There are just too many. Through Teads’ Publisher Lab, the SSP hosts off-the-record conversations with publishers where they can all work together to derive roadmaps. 

Think of it as a therapy session for publishers. As a major player focusing on the buy and sell sides, Teads is in a unique position giving them a responsibility to share all of the trends and traction that they see happening on the buy side with their publishers and vice versa. 

“We are the connective tissue between all these publishers, but many aren’t necessarily talking to each other,” Bastian said. “Our workshops are cross-functional; we host the Publisher Lab quarterly on average, and we curate the conversation, but the publishers are the ones doing the talking.”

Keeping Publishers A Part of the Conversation 

This year is significant, with 64 elections worldwide involving 49% of the global population. For voters to be informed, they need to have access to news. News publications need ads to survive. Quality publishers and news journalists need the support of brands and if ads continue to fund journalism, then it makes news more widely accessible. Many news outlets are going to a paywall, only to find out that subscriptions can be a struggle. 

These outlets are turning on paywalls because they either need more funding to support their content or increase their first-party data set. Some of that is login-based, but even when logging in, it could still be free for readers.

“Many publishers are trying subscription or hybrid models to increase revenue,” Bastian explained. “We sit in a very unique position that is good for the consumer because we give them access to quality content. To keep this access open for everyone, it must be properly funded through quality ads and quality journalism.”

As Klein put it, at Teads, they are “making their pipes as efficient as possible.” That entails making their player a little quicker, and faster across every single environment, and making sure they have the critical pieces of their roadmap. When it comes to buyer partners, nearly 80% of Teads campaigns do not use a cookie-based solution. The need for urgent adoption is right in front of our faces, and while some are actively moving towards the cookiepocolypse, some are not moving as swiftly.

The post Wake Up and Smell the Coffee; The Cookieless Future Will Be Here Before We Know it appeared first on AdMonsters.

Hey there, Monsters, ready to turbocharge your digital media strategies? We’ve got something special just for you. For the first time, AdMonsters is releasing a detailed summary of our Ops 2024 Conference, held on June 3-4. This is your golden ticket to the industry’s latest and greatest insights.

Why should you download this summary? Because it’s packed with wisdom from top industry leaders across five dynamic tracks: Data & Identity, Future Ops, Revenue & Product, TV/Video/CTV, and Content/Commerce/Media. Whether you’re looking to harness the power of generative AI, navigate privacy regulations, or explore new revenue streams in the CTV landscape, this summary has it all.

Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your digital game. Get your hands on the AdMonsters Ops 2024 Summary now and stay ahead of the curve.

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The post Dive into the Future of Digital Media with the Ops 2024 Event Summary appeared first on AdMonsters.

The IAB Tech Lab Summit Day 1 was a whirlwind of innovation, insights, and forward-thinking strategies that are set to redefine the digital advertising landscape. From evolving identity solutions to sustainable advertising practices, the sessions were packed with valuable information and thought-provoking discussions. Here are five standout takeaways from the event that you need to know.

5 Key Takeaways from IAB #TechLabSummit Day 1

1. The End of the Beginning

IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur’s opening set the tone with a nostalgic yet forward-looking take on the last 10 years of IAB Tech Lab. He emphasized the dramatic evolution in advertising technology, from the significant rise of mobile not so long ago to today’s explosion in CTV. Despite the decline in linear TV, Boomers and GenX are holding on, creating a convergence with CTV that’s ripe for Advanced TV’s interoperable measurement solutions and data-driven, cross-channel approach to planning and buying across both. Katsur’s message was clear: nothing will ever be the same again.

2. Registered Ad Creative: The Future of CTV

The session on the Ad Creative ID Framework (ACIF) was eye-opening. Nada Bradbury from AD-ID and Dan Brackett from XR Extreme Reach discussed how creative IDs can revolutionize CTV advertising. Forget privacy surveillance; this is about simplifying ad management with unique IDs, making frequency capping, competitive separation, and cross-platform reporting seamless. Bradbury emphasized that implementing creative IDs brings much-needed transparency and accountability, making it a crucial step for cross-platform measurement.

3. Embracing New Identity Strategies

Gruia Pitigoi-Aron from The Trade Desk and Shailley Singh from IAB Tech Lab tackled the fast-evolving identity landscape. They discussed UID2, privacy regulations, and the critical need for reducing friction from the user experience. Gruia’s advice? Publishers should make it easy for users to provide their email addresses and he highlighted the importance of finding the right moments to communicate your value exchange. The goal is a sustainable, long-term identity solution that doesn’t rely on browsers or operating systems.

In a follow-up breakout session about building your identity strategy, Kanishk Prasad from The Trade Desk highlighted the need for publishers and advertisers to test and implement identity frameworks like UID2, RampID, and ID5. He emphasized that these solutions should be easy to deploy, scalable, and focused on enhancing user authentication and overall consumer experience, ensuring the open internet thrives.

4. Sustainability in Advertising

Bill Wescott’s session on sustainability was a wake-up call. The ad industry must play its part in tackling climate change. From individual consumption patterns to the collective power of advertising, Wescott highlighted the role of behavior change. His message? Climate risk is financial risk, and the industry needs to move faster. It’s not just about profit; it’s about purpose.

5. Kara Swisher’s Tech Take: Insights and Wit

The keynote with Kara Swisher and Anthony Katsur was electric. Swisher, known for her sharp insights on technology and media, didn’t hold back. She discussed the impact of technology on journalism and the importance of consumer protection around personal data. One standout moment was her remark on AI and self-driving cars, as noted by Mathieu Roche on X: “Technology is going to get better while humans stay terrible.” It was a fitting end to a day that underscored the transformative changes ahead.

Anthony Katsur and Kara Swisher. Photo by IAB Tech Lab

As Day 1 of the IAB #TechLabSummit wrapped up, it was clear that the future of advertising lies in embracing change. With the growth of CTV, evolving identity frameworks, and a strong focus on sustainability, the industry is on the brink of significant transformation. Get ready for a new era in digital advertising. #TechLabSummit #EndOfTheBeginning

The post 5 Key Takeaways from IAB #TechLabSummit Day 1 appeared first on AdMonsters.

Many marketers are – let’s say – generally excited about the promised targeting power of CTV. 

Yet, for political advertisers, many are staking their careers on this burgeoning new medium.

Indeed, candidates can’t wait for CTV to sort out all of its fundamentals in the near future. They can’t set aside some ‘test and learn’ budgets while hoping that all the targeting tools, identifiers, and post-cookie offerings that CTV has dangled — producing the ultimate combination of precision targeting and big screen branding — get put in place.

Rather, politicians have a high-stakes race to run now. And if they lose – they don’t just slip behind in market share. Their brand goes out of business (for four years at least).

The stakes don’t get higher than a race for the White House. But, because the 2024 races should also provide the ultimate test case for this still unfinished medium, the stakes couldn’t be much higher for the business of television advertising either. 

Whether CTV ad targeting can deliver on its campaign promises in 2024 will have huge ramifications for the industry.

What CTV Needs To Prove To Persuade the 2024 Vote

Given the macro shifts in media consumption, political candidates – typically among those without the larger media budgets-  cannot afford to lean on linear-TV-centric playbooks of the past. Today’s voters are ‘Streaming.’ 

However, CTV still needs to prove it can influence voter behavior and election outcomes this year. The good news is that thanks to the adoption of ad-supported tiers by many top streaming services and the expanded availability of FAST platforms, there is far more CTV ad inventory and reach available to political advertisers than just a few years ago.

More importantly, CTV is uniquely equipped to drive tangible outcomes that candidates care about (besides votes on election day), such as site visits, sign-ups, and donations. Increasingly, a new crop of researchers and ad technology companies can tie TV exposure to spikes in web searches, mobile downloads, and transactions.

The key will be for CTV’s targeting capabilities to come through by reaching the right, ideally persuadable, swing voters. That means hitting crucial voting segments in the right neighborhoods or clusters of DMA’s to push voters to the polls.

In addition, CTV will be crucial for connecting with the hard-to-reach yet highly influential Gen Z voters, most of whom are streaming-first, cord-TV viewers. The same can be said for underserved minority voters, who are likely to consume niche streaming content. 

Considering the ability of these groups to potentially sway this election, it’s fair to ask — can politicians holistically impact all necessary groups across the CTV ecosystem, both in reach and investment? 

Is It the Creative? 

The CTV ad tactic that could have the most impact on political campaigns this year is its long-touted ability to deliver a wide range of different TV ads to different target constituents. This kind of creative variation in CTV has been chiefly theoretical, as many brands continue to run their general TV spots in streaming environments. 

However, given the issue-driven nature of their campaigns, political advertisers can and should take advantage of this opportunity by delivering unique messages – tied to specific causes – to distinct audiences in a very nuanced way.

To help, there are also more impactful creative options in CTV vs. traditional linear, such as QR codes, picture-in-picture units, and other interactive strategies that can be used to achieve performance results among a range of constituencies. 

Politics – And CTV – Are Not for the Faint of Heart

Of course, given that the CTV advertising ecosystem is still in its infancy, candidates who decide to spend aggressively on this vehicle face plenty of potential pitfalls.

Brand safety is of utmost importance for many marketers, yet they are still working through protection mechanisms and technologies common to digital advertising in CTV. If an unwelcome ad adjacency is a nightmare for the average CMO, it could prove fatal to the wrong political campaign.

Plus, this time, campaign managers have to worry about not just keeping their messages away from unsavory or inappropriate content – but also the inevitable rise in misinformation, thanks mainly to the increased adoption of generative AI.

The more that the ‘bad guys’ figure out how to exploit this tech to spread falsehoods, the more that social media platforms, in particular, will have to fight an arms race while trying to keep candidates out of trouble. 

As a result, CTV has an opportunity to provide a more regulated environment – as long as streaming platforms and their ad tech partners can create reliable safeguards.

The Race (For Media Supremacy) Is On

Just as the pandemic accelerated many shifts in consumer behavior and subsequent advertising strategies, this year’s highly contested election could serve to pour jet fuel on an already red hot medium – or a bucket of cold water. Candidates essentially have no choice but to dive right in and make a big bet on the medium’s supposed unmatched set of capabilities. How that bet goes could sway many future advertisers to quickly look to emulate the 2024 winners’ CTV ad tactics – or to put on the brakes. It’s incumbent on the industry as a whole to execute and deliver. Whichever candidates win, if CTV is considered key to their success – the entire medium should soar.

The post Why CTV May Decide Who Wins the White House – and the Fate of the Medium appeared first on AdMonsters.

Aside from purchasing a home, buying a car is one of the biggest and most time-consuming financial decisions a person can make.

In March 2024, the average price of a new vehicle in the US was $47,218. New vehicle buyers also spend an average of 11 hours and 45 minutes before making a decision, and the number is even higher for used-vehicle buyers, who reportedly take over 14 hours before making a purchase and driving off the lot.

These days, the journey often begins online, with a buyer researching a vehicle or service in-depth before scheduling a visit to a dealership.

That presents a problem for auto advertisers. With purchase cycles spanning weeks (if not months) and a customer encountering hundreds of ads along the way, it can be difficult to differentiate yourself from the competition. Add the slow demise of 3rd-party cookies, and it’s never been harder to get your ad in front of your target customer.

Thankfully, connected TV (CTV) is helping fill the void.

Millions of people are cutting ties with their cable providers, making CTV the fastest-growing major ad channel in the US, with 88% of US households owning at least one internet-connected TV device.

CTV provides the best of linear TV and digital advertising, allowing auto advertisers to target high-engagement ads directly to consumers while they’re watching their favorite programs. And, with 55% of viewers using free ad-supported (FAST) streaming platforms to watch TV in the past year, there have never been more opportunities available to market to them.

Here are seven reasons why CTV deserves a spot in every auto marketer’s media mix.

1. More Precise Targeting

With the decline of 3rd-party cookies, 1st-party data has never been more valuable.=

One of the major benefits of CTV devices is that they’re connected to the internet, meaning that auto advertisers can leverage 1st-party data collected through form submissions, in-store visits, previous purchases, and 1st-party cookies to target households directly using hard data like their IP addresses and device IDs.

This gives auto advertisers a unique opportunity to target customers one-to-one, as opposed to traditional linear TV campaigns, which often rely on contextual targeting alone to reach a broad target audience.

With CTV, auto advertisers can leverage 1st-party data to segment which users they want to target and cherry-pick individual IP addresses, ensuring the right messaging, make, or model of a car gets in front of the right buyer at the right time.

2. Increased Campaign Efficiency

Another benefit of the level of precision targeting CTV offers is its efficiency, which allows auto advertisers to drive sales on less volume relative to linear TV.

With CTV, you don’t have to buy millions of impressions to make a sale. You can pick and choose who (and how many people) you want to target directly, use frequency caps to prevent oversaturation, and actively track the impact of campaigns using digital metrics like video completion rates to optimize advertising spend and overall campaign efficiency.

The cost per impression is often higher, but you’re wasting less media spend overall by targeting customers who have already shown interest in your brand or product.

3. Democratization of Premium Content

In the past, it was nearly impossible for anyone but auto dealer groups to do any meaningful advertising at scale on a regional level. Traditional linear TV advertising required certain minimum spends that were often too high for small businesses, and it wasn’t easy to deliver ads that were targeted and personalized to local audiences, especially on premium channels.

CTV levels the playing field. It reduces the barrier to entry by allowing smaller dealers to bid on premium inventory through major streamers like Netflix, Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Max. This allows advertisers to deliver highly targeted ads while buyers watch popular shows like Yellowstone or stream major sporting events like Formula 1, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional linear TV campaigns.

4. Cost-Effective Creative Versioning

Building creatives is hard, plus you need to consider time and cost. Dealership levels also fluctuate, making it even more difficult to create versioned creatives that include accurate details like which year, make, model, trim, and price are available.

As a result, most local brands go broad with their messaging or piggyback off corporate ads to entice buyers, which can limit the appeal of buying from a local dealership.

It’s important to choose a DSP that makes it easy for smaller businesses to build and launch CTV ads at scale. That way, local auto dealers can target buyers using ads with inventory-specific messaging that are actually relevant to prospective customers in the community.

5. Higher Levels of Engagement

Car specs matter to customers. But ultimately, it’s the emotional response they have while watching an ad that lures them to the lot.

Engagement drives sales, and unlike other digital ad formats, CTV reaches customers when they’re often the most engaged: during their downtime, watching their favorite TV shows, sporting events, or movies.

That, coupled with the high-octane visual storytelling generally associated with car ads, means auto marketers can capture a customer’s attention directly in their homes and prime them to make a purchase. In fact, 81% of CTV users say their shopping decisions have been influenced by a CTV ad.

6. Unparalleled Flexibility

Unlike with linear TV, where advertisers would often buy supply in bulk and wait weeks, if not longer, to receive performance reports, with CTV, you can pump the brakes and change direction in near real-time.

That’s beneficial for car manufacturers and dealers. Over the past few years, supply chain issues and high demand for both new and used vehicles have caused inventory levels at dealerships to fluctuate wildly.

With CTV, auto advertisers can pause and adjust campaign strategies even when an ad is in-flight based on performance and real-world demand, allowing for even more dynamic and responsive marketing.

7. Enhanced Interactivity

Although still in its infancy, CTV ads are proving to be an even better alternative to linear TV ads due to their interactivity.

Thanks to the functionality of devices like Apple TV and Roku remotes, viewers can click on in-stream ads. This allows them to do things like input their email address, quickly scan a QR code, or get redirected to a website—either on their phone or the connected TV device itself—to learn more about a product.

For auto advertisers, this means it’s even easier for prospective customers to book a test drive or request more information about a particular model without them ever having to leave their couch.

Putting Auto Advertisers in the Driver’s Seat

Thanks to its sophisticated targeting capabilities, overall efficiency, and accelerating growth, there’s never been a better time to incorporate CTV into your media mix. Auto advertisers should prioritize adding it to their multi-channel strategy—those who don’t risk getting left in the dust.

The post Shaping the Future of Auto Advertising: Harnessing CTV and 1st-Party Data for Precision Targeting in a Post-Cookie Landscape appeared first on AdMonsters.

Since chatting with Elizabeth Herbst-Brady in October, everyone has been talking about Yahoo’s DSP nonstop. The hype isn’t going away anytime soon, as Adam Roodman, SVP of Product Strategy told us directly, that more announcements will come this year.

Sitting beachside at the Yahoo Cabana at Possible, we had a very in-depth conversation with Roodman about targeting and addressability. He assured us that Yahoo DSP’s upcoming developments will prioritize measurement. But before diving into that, let’s explore how Yahoo’s Identity Solutions are expanding into CTV. 

Yahoo Identity Solutions services include Yahoo ConnectID and Next-Gen Solutions, which launched within CTV environments, including Paramount, Tubi, NBC Universal, and FreeWheel. One thing that sets Yahoo ConnectedID apart from other identity offerings is that it’s a deterministic ID that easily attains consumer consent through a user’s relationship with the brand—no mystery there. 

Yahoo ConnectID has expanded to include 205 million unique users in the US and nearly 300 worldwide. With nearly 70% of inventory going non-addressable because users opt-out of authentication, Yahoo’s Next-Gen Solutions is the perfect savior.

With only about 30% of the inventory authenticated, Yahoo DSP leverages alternative signals and panel-based targeting through Yahoo ConnectID, allowing expanded targeting even without identifiers. 

Enhancing Connections: How Yahoo’s Identity Solutions Elevate Existing Partnerships 

If one thing is for sure, and two things are for certain, Yahoo isn’t new to this they are true to this. The CTV partners mentioned, along with others not listed, have long been big partners of Yahoo. However, these updates have the power to elevate these partnerships. 

“We’ve been accessing that inventory through various methods, whether PMP, PGD, or open market,” Roodman explained. “This just takes the partnership to the next level by allowing us to authenticate with them on the Yahoo ConnectID side. They are very excited about it. They see it as an opportunity to provide better advertising to their users; we see it as an opportunity to have better fidelity for measurement and targeting.”

According to Roodman, Yahoo DSP is the only one where you can actually test cookieless environments right now. They have developed the ability to strip out identifiers in real time, not only for cookies but also in apps. Stripping out identifiers in real time means that the DSP bidder lacks identifiers to auction or target against. 

While many other platforms offer buyers post-campaign analysis, Yahoo DSP provides this data to buyers in real time. 

Unlocking Unique Consumer Political Data with AdImpact 

The 2024 election will be one of the most competitive in a while, and local elections are looking for the most seamless ways to reach potential voters.

Together with AdImpact, a leading ad intelligence SaaS company, Yahoo DSP has gained access to viewership data. This new capability enables political advertisers to reach potential voters effectively and at the right time. 

In many instances, buyers can now leverage this data for their campaigns if they want to target audiences within 24 hours of a debate or other political event or wish to exclude audiences exposed to a political advertisement. This partnership offers better targeting and provides differentiated political viewership audiences for activation for local and national campaigns this election year. Although streaming accounts for about 38% of American viewership, political campaigns are only estimated to allocate 13% of their political ad spend on CTV.

Yahoo DSP to Infinity and Beyond 

According to Roodman, while Yahoo Identity Testing may only be applicable for another couple of quarters, they have been really valuable for those looking to get ahead of the curve. 

“The addressable world is expected to shrink from 75% of all inventory to less than 30% after cookie deprecation,” Roodman said. “While many DSPs are focused on the shrinking addressable, Yahoo Identity Solutions provides solutions for 100% of supply, regardless of identity state.”

Now that Yahoo’s customers can experiment with Yahoo ConnectID and Next-Gen Solutions, they are better prepared for the complexities of today’s ad tech. Tokohe ability to conduct A/B testing is facilitating improved conversations between Yahoo’s customers and publisher partners. 

While choosing a measurement provider is ultimately up to the advertiser, Yahoo ConnectID ensures the fidelity of targeting and measurement accuracy. This is largely due to the use of a  deterministic identifier, which is more reliable than probabilistic methods.

The post Yahoo Elevates CTV Advertising: Unveils Dynamic Identity Solutions and Politics Partnerships  appeared first on AdMonsters.

BrandDiscovery allows brands to target their CTV ads based on the emotions of specific scenes within TV shows. Using various AI technologies, BrandDiscovery analyzes a scene’s text, images, and sentiment, determines an emotional score, and then places ads with a similar emotional score.

The result? Stellar reviews, per Matthew Kramer, Head of Brand Investment at Media.Monks, ​​a global, digital-first marketing, advertising, and technology services company. Pete and Matthew sat down with AdMonsters to discuss BrandDiscovery and the potential to redefine the right time and message based on the consumer’s emotional response to the content they’re viewing.

Susie Stulz: What prompted Wurl to build a platform that allows CTV advertisers to choose placement based on emotions?

Peter Crofut: Looking at the history of linear television buying, advertisers have been adept at leveraging TV programming to create emotional resonance, which drives performance. However, there isn’t much control over where to place those ads or an understanding of where those audiences are and how to forge emotional connections.

That led Ron Gutman, Wurl’s CEO, to ask: do emotions have a role in contextual targeting, and if so, how should they drive CTV targeting? Wurl began testing it and quickly realized that it could drive a 2x to 3x lift in performance.

SS: What exactly does BrandDiscovery do?

PC: BrandDiscovery lets advertisers precisely match their ads with the emotion in context of real-time programming across our supply of over 60 billion monthly premium CTV impressions. Every scene has an emotion, and they bring consumers into that emotional journey. They’re also highly captive, watching that content on the biggest screen in the house in a non-skippable environment. The advertiser has the consumer’s attention by default, but is all attention equal?

We believe that there’s positive attention and negative attention. Positive attention occurs when ads match the emotions of the content and resonate with the consumer at the precise moment the ad is shown. Negative attention occurs when there is a mismatch between the emotion of the ad and the consumer’s emotional journey with the content.

In this respect, BrandDiscovery seeks to earn positive rather than negative attention. We want to make it easier for brands and agencies to select at a scene level where their ads appear so that they’re the most relevant to the audience.

SS: How do you go about determining the emotions of each scene?

PC: We’ve trained our generative AI on millions of pieces of content that we analyze according to Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. This helps us mimic what a viewer may feel while watching that scene. Then we apply generative AI to analyze the sentiment of an ad creative and marry the two. If you’re watching a sad show and a happy commercial comes on, it’s an emotional mismatch, and the brand can come across as insensitive.

We also apply this to matching genres to brand suitability and brand safety considerations at the scene level. Does a show about office dynamics fall into the comedy genre or romance genre? Well, it can be both, depending on the scene. We want to get it right for the advertiser.

SS: What is Plutchik’s wheel of emotions?

PC: It’s a system developed by Robert Plutchik in the 1980s. Basically, there are eight primary emotions—anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy—along with three different intensities for each. Combined with the three intensities, these emotions cover the entire expanse of human emotions.

SS: And how did you tie the emotional matching of the scene and ad content to performance?

PC: We have a lot of metadata from our FAST channels and a lot of performance data through AppLovin. When we analyzed that data, we noticed that certain contextual features perform better than others.

SS: Media.Monks is where the rubber meets the road. Have you tried BrandDiscovery with any of your clients? If so, what are your impressions?

Matthew Kramer: We aimed to see if this approach could drive KPIs across the entire funnel. CTV is very effective at driving brand metrics, but we wanted to see if we could drive lower funnel metrics such as engagements. BrandDiscovery increased our brand metrics and doubled the engagements by optimizing against emotional resonance. It cut our cost-per-engagement in half.

SS: That’s cool. What type of campaign did you test?

MK: We used BrandDiscovery with a financial services client that wanted to launch a CTV campaign in its five key cities to drive business in the lead up to the holiday shopping season. The client was keen to optimize the campaign’s bottom line, so we wanted to measure the impact of BrandDiscovery on the full funnel. We worked with Wurl on two studies. The first used Kantar data to measure brand metrics, and the second used EDO to look at engagement.

SS: What emotions did you choose to run the campaign against?

MK: Well that’s the beauty of the platform. We let the algorithm do the emotional scoring. We knew going in that the creatives were likely to score high on trust and joyful emotions, but we left it to the AI to take it from there.

SS: The industry always discusses the right audience at the right time. How does BrandDiscovery update that quest?

PC: It pushes our industry to think differently about that. How do we even know what right is? Consumers expect personalization, even if they’re consuming free content in a skippable environment. Using emotions shows the audience that you understand where they are, and that rewards the brands.

SS: I understand the importance of emotions, but in performance-based campaigns, brands also need to target audiences that have a need for what they’re selling. How do you incorporate that need?

PC: All campaigns start with a KPI, and our approach isn’t different. But we also bring plenty of viewership data about the audience for each channel we operate. This data allows us to hone in on where people are in their journey for that product or service.

SS: In your opinion, Matt, what types of clients should lead campaign targeting with emotions?

MK: I think any product that has an emotional decision behind it, which could be an expensive product such as a new car or jewelry. The beauty category is another good candidate because those purchases also have strong emotions that drive the buying process. Aligning attention to positive attention would be beneficial to the brand.

It’s also important to test the thesis behind an ad’s emotional content to see if it drives the response you want. An insurance ad may opt for a fear-based creative, but does that actually work with the content? I think all brands will appreciate testing this and leveraging that insight.

PC: In addition to what Matt just said, we found that additional emotions performed really well that weren’t in the initial analysis. In the campaign Matt mentioned, we targeted millennial moms and anticipated that a high joy emotion would motivate them to take a specific action. What we found, however, is that anger also drives behavior. 

I can imagine sometime in the future having a matrix that says, “here are the emotions” and “here are the KPIs” that those emotions deliver.

MK: The reason why this is so important to us at Media.Monks are that the shift from linear to CTV is accelerating, but much of the inventory isn’t up for sponsorship. That means we have limited opportunities in CTV, and we need to ensure that we make the most of our opportunities. Being able to have emotional resonance and drive positive attention helps us to maximize the impact of those opportunities.

SS: Final question, what advice would you give advertisers interested in this approach?

MK: It’s important to set aside some budget to test new options. Things like BrandDiscovery and even Disney’s and NBCUniversal’s approach to emotion-based targeting are disruptive. So setting some budget aside to test better and understand the emotions that drive their KPIs is a new way to consider the challenges of engaging an audience and increasing positive attention.

The post Beyond Demographics: Why Emotions Are the Future of CTV Targeting appeared first on AdMonsters.

Streaming’s rise is drastically changing TV consumption, and cable companies are pivoting to join the revolution. But even the streaming era is birthing many new CTV challenges, and consumer concern over subscription cost is a major factor. On top of that, cable companies need to find new ways to generate revenue.    

Like many other cable programmers, AMC Networks faces cord-cutting obstacles, declining linear viewership, and reduced ad revenue as brands shift to streaming platforms. In response, AMC developed a streaming distribution system to complement cable and an ad tech system to provide media buyers with automation, targeted data, and ROI.

AMC’s established reputation for producing high-quality scripted dramas such as Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead bolsters these efforts. 

“Content remains a significant distinguishing factor for AMC networks,” stated Kim Kelleher, AMC’s Chief Revenue Officer, to Broadcasting+Cable.

In addition to showcasing upcoming shows and innovative ad tech solutions at its upfront presentation for advertisers, AMC will introduce ad-supported versions of more subscription streaming services and increase production through its Content Room branded content unit, offering sponsorship opportunities for advertisers.

AMC Network’s New Sales and Revenue Outlook

In 2023, AMC reduced programming expenses, and this year’s production will match last year’s. The company plans to inform upfront buyers about expanding its zombie, vampire, and witch universes and introducing new series like Nautilus, which offers a fresh perspective on Captain Nemo.

Concurrently, AMC aims to reverse declining ad sales. Domestic ad sales plummeted by 20% to $634 million in 2023. Executives emphasized their commitment to long-form, premium dramas, contrasting with competitors prioritizing quick production and reality shows.

With content now accessible through 30 endpoints, the media company is experiencing record viewership levels. AMC’s advanced insights and data-targeting platform, Audience Plus, allows transactions across all endpoints, reaching 91 million homes and garnering an average of 480 million hours of viewership monthly.

Evan Adlman, executive VP of commercial sales and revenue operations at AMC Networks, highlighted that 72% of AMC’s national linear footprint is addressable-enabled, with 40% programmatically accessible. He emphasized AMC’s readiness to collaborate with advertisers to leverage its platform.

Despite viewers shifting to nonlinear platforms, AMC’s ability to monetize content on these platforms lags. Adlman acknowledged this and stressed their gradual shift towards monetization on new distribution endpoints.

Although some marketers hesitate due to measurement problems, Adlman reassured that those targeting strategic audiences trust AMC’s measurement and verification methods. He urged more industry players to embrace these capabilities.

Content Is King 

AMC is not the only publisher who needed to pivot due to changing times. At PubForum Montreal in 2022, Former Complex President Justin Killion highlighted how new plans for diversifying and distributing content  allowed them to evolve and thrive through changing times. For instance, Complex was originally a print magazine that expanded to online publishing and eventually into streaming, producing original content for Netflix, HBO, and Amazon. The new content brought in new audiences and new advertisers to target those audiences. 

AMC is in a similar boat and admits they are still adjusting to the streaming era. Yet, they still trust in the power of their content to win over consumers and advertisers. Despite the increasing influence of programmatic buying, AMC recognizes the importance of acquainting clients and agency executives with its content.

“Our shows are our primary assets,” Kelleher emphasized. “They attract the audiences advertisers desire.”

Kelleher anticipates that advertisers will seek flexibility and diverse transaction methods in response to evolving market preferences. She believes this approach will help them align better with the new market dynamics in CTV. 

While AMC is optimistic about the economy, there is still a need for increased advertising volume and confidence in spending. However, the traditional upfront model of committing dollars and guaranteeing inventory and pricing well in advance may not suit everyone anymore, further emphasizing the power of the pivot.

The post Shifting Screens: AMC’s Streaming Struggles and Ad Tech Evolution appeared first on AdMonsters.