The practice of a/b testing is not new to advertisers, but it is a very different story when it comes to a/b testing audience responses to your ads on Connected TV - mainly because advertisers have been severely restricted in the number of ads they can have to test with (SPOILER ALERT: The Origin Ad Studio has changed all of that, as you will see in step 3 below).
With CTV evolving from being a 'brand awareness' tool to being something that can do so much more, being able to a/b test different things on TV is vital because it will allow you to find the secret sauce that will deliver the objectives you are ultimately aiming for on Connected TV (CTV).
Here is a basic workflow of how you might want to think as you go about finding what's working and what's not working on CTV.
FIRST - ESTABLISH YOUR OBJECTIVES
Performance is a broad term, so cut it down to asking yourself what you are looking to accomplish. For example:
Simple market awareness.
Consideration.
Site visits.
Actual conversions on the site.
etc...
JUST REMEMBER - there is a vital difference between KPI's and success. So be sure you know the difference and are preparing to a/b test the right things.
You can learn more about how we break out KPIs from objectives here.
SECOND - ESTABLISH WHAT YOU'RE TESTING
The list is long, but here are some classic examples:
Voice - eg: should it be direct and serious or playful and less direct?
Calls to action (CTAs) - depending on your objectives as discussed above, the CTAs you might be testing are: URL, SMS, phone number or even a QR code (learn more about QR code best practices here).
Brand colors - you never know if one is more attention grabbing (or off putting) than another when it comes to TV.
Taglines - cheesy or deep? It's a tough balance.
The narrative itself - are you telling the right story for a CTV audience?
THIRD - BUILD YOUR AD CREATIVES
While most creative companies will only be able to offer you 1-2 ad creatives, we fundamentally disagree with the thought that 'one ad fits all'. So, the way we've built our in-house ad studio allows us to produce a virtually limitless series of broadcast-grade TV commercials.
During the creative process (which can take as little as 21 days), we learn everything we can about our client and make sure we speak to everything mentioned above. Once we are certain we have a joint understanding of what we're looking to test, we will be able to ascertain exactly how many ads are needed, confirming with ops along the way that your creative aspirations can be tracked - which takes us to point 3.
FOURTH - CHOOSE TRACKING TOOLS
There are numerous ways you can track your ad creatives, most of which are the same tools you would (should) use to track general performance. The only difference though is that you want to ensure that each asset is 'tagged' and trackable individually. At Origin, the solutions we might use to a/b test a series of CTV ad creatives are:
LoopMe (surveying solution)
TVision Insights (tracks physical attentiveness of viewers)
Claritas (on the basis that one of your objectives is website visits, Claritas will help evaluate which creative elements you're testing are driving the most site visits and conversions.
FIFTH - WATCH & LEARN
Now you have everything in place and the campaign is live. At this point there is only one thing you need to remember as you wait and watch the results come in:
Ivory Tower Syndrome - It is all too easy to be so deep into your own product/solution that your view and perspectives about what's best is actually not what the world outside thinks. So, when the results come in, be prepared to accept the results - good or bad - and prepare to act accordingly.
FINALLY
If you would like to talk to one of Origin's specialists about the unique capabilities of the Origin Ad Studio, drop us a line through the contact form on our homepage or email us at solutions@originmedia.tv
Enjoy!
Origin is a creative technology company whose pioneering Native CTV advertising solutions have reshaped the way brands engage and activate consumers on the largest screen in the home.
Fusing first to market ad formats with proprietary ad serving technology and direct distribution deals that span the media landscape, Origin's Native CTV solutions elevate attention, recall, consideration and outcomes for brands who are seeking to redefine the meaning of success on Connected TV.
Origin was founded by media veterans Fred Godfrey and Stephen Strong whose careers have been shaped by their relentless commitment to enraging the status quo. Learn more at www.originmedia.tv.