More often than not, marketers talk about 'CTV/OTT' as if they are one and the same. For them, it's simply about 'streaming' and everything they are told and sold enforces this view.
But they are not the same. Not even close. Here are three of the most important reasons why the Connected TV screen must be separated from every media buy.
1. Different Viewer Experience
The Connected TV (CTV) is the centerpiece of every living room and it's where families/individuals go to 'lean back' after a long day. It is a highly captive setting that allows for very few distractions when it comes to the environment around the viewer. The TV screen does one thing and one thing only - it streams content.
In contrast, the other screens that fall within the category of OTT (mobile phone, tablet, laptop) are smaller, serve multiple purposes and are more often than not being used to stream content in a setting that is highly distracting.
2. Different Advertising Value
Everyone in advertising knows about 'the funnel'. The role that a video ad plays in the funnel experience varies greatly depending on the screen it is running on. Because of this, not only should a marketer's expectations be different when it comes to outcome, the contents of the ad should be different too.
On the smaller screens the viewer is in a highly 'clickable' environment where there is a seamless journey for them to go from ad to site to shopping cart. Attribution is fully trackable and outcomes are 100% quantifiable when it comes to justifying market spend. However, when it comes to the Connected TV there is a mountain between the viewer and a purchase which must be scaled.
But to think of CTV as serving no purpose other than generating 'awareness' is a mistake that we have clung onto from the old (and far less trackable) days of traditional linear TV advertising. In the world of Connected TV, innovations such as Origin's Native CTV solutions empower marketers not only to elevate brand awareness - but to get the viewer actively 'in the funnel'. By embracing the technological advantages that CTV has over traditional TV advertising, Origin Native CTV helps advertisers improve some of the most critical challenges they have that advertising on smaller screens is less good at.
3. Different Measurement Needs
When an advertiser chooses to bundle CTV into OTT, they are also bundling the metrics they use to measure success. That is a massive mistake. Measurement on smaller screens simply does not apply on CTV. To name a few examples, Connected TV advertising comes with the following advantages that are all but guaranteed:
100% viewability
>98% completion
Co-viewing
Non-skippable
No ad-blockers.
Because of this, measurement needs to be different and more personal - and what could be more personal than surveying the homes that the ad runs in. Using solutions such as LoopMe and Lucid, Origin actively asks the viewer questions that will tell the advertiser what they need to know:
Do you recall seeing an ad for X on your Smart TV in the last 30 days?
Would you consider buying X product?
Going beyond this, thanks to solutions in the marketplace such as FourSquare it is entirely possible to track the journey of household member from their home to a store, Fast Food restaurant and so on. Now that's conversion.
In Conclusion
The Connected TV screen sits in a class of its own. For 70 years the largest screen inside our homes has been the darling of the advertising industry. She stands out proudly as a screen whose purpose for the viewer is different to any other screen. So if you are an advertiser reading this article, do yourself a favor and let her stand out for you.
We are Origin and we help advertisers take full advantage of the most valuable screen inside the home.
ABOUT ORIGIN MEDIA
Origin is a pioneering media and advertising company whose first to market creative solutions are reshaping how brands connect with consumers on Connected TV.
The original architects of ‘Native CTV’, Origin’s in-house studio produces engaging native content for advertisers that is designed to capture the attention of a room, immerse the audience in active dialogue and elevate the connection they feel towards a brand.
Origin Media was founded by media veterans Freddie Godfrey and Stephen Strong, whose success has been shaped by a relentless commitment to disrupting the status quo. Learn more at www.originmedia.tv.