Connected TV (CTV) is the fastest-growing ad channel, outpacing other digital channels, search, social media, and retail media over the last year. As marketers scramble to develop strategies to implement CTV into their media mix, it can be easy to lose sight of this channel’s biggest advantages. Combining the reach and frequency of traditional TV with digital metrics, CTV provides more than just access to new audiences. With the right platform partner, CTV allows marketers to better understand the success of their ads, responsively optimize their campaigns in real-time, and fully integrate their omnichannel campaigns.
To help you capitalize on the power of CTV, here are three basic approaches to targeting and reaching your ideal audience using CTV.
#1 - Essentials
If you want the biggest bang for your buck, you can’t go wrong with the Essentials approach. Typically offering a relatively low-cost CPM, Essentials relies primarily on audience targeting across the broadest possible selection of streaming apps, focusing on who is watching rather than what they’re watching. Rather than paying for premium placement that may actually limit your reach, Essentials allows you to reach people wherever they watch, including lesser-known streaming apps or channels or small screens.
Essentials usually doesn’t guarantee any specific placement on a set list of apps, so it’s important to partner with a trusted provider who takes brand safety seriously and only serves ads on a human-curated app list.
Common Questions and Answers
Q: Will my ad still be seen even though my placement may not be on a major streaming service?
A: Yes! Essentials typically relies on CPM bidding, so the same number of people will view your ads, just at a lower cost.
Q: Can I control the streaming apps on which my ads appear?
A: No, Essentials is focused on delivering the widest possible reach, so it doesn’t limit placement. However, a reputable CTV ad platform should give you visibility into the apps your ad appears on, so you know where you’re getting impressions.
Q: Which targeting options should I look for?
A: You should expect your CTV ad platform to provide targeting based on behavioral audiences (think “Outdoor Enthusiasts”, “Small Business Owners”, or “Luxury Shoppers”), demographics, location, and retargeting. Anything less, and you won’t be able to guarantee anything more than impressions.
#2 - Top Networks
The Top Networks approach prioritizes premium placement over high volume. It ensures that your ad appears on household-name streaming platforms like Max, AMC+, Hulu, and ESPN among others. Though CPMs will generally be higher, this approach ensures that your ad appears on a large screen in an established, trusted setting.
Common Questions and Answers
Q: Why would I pay more to be seen the same number of times?
A: Better placement can be worth it for a lot of reasons! Appearing alongside high-profile content can elevate your brand perception, better guarantee brand safety, and have greater levels of reporting transparency as impressions are served across fewer apps.
Q: Who can I target with Top Networks?
A: Because the list of streaming apps on which your ads appear is more limited, targeting options are also limited – otherwise, your audience would be too small to be effective. Typically, a CTV ad platform will offer geographic targeting, but specific audiences, demographic targeting, and retargeting may not be included.
Q: Which apps should I expect to see when looking for a provider?
A: You should expect a CTV ad platform to provide access to most of the mainstream ad-supported CTV channels. For example, GroundTruth provides access to 40+ networks as part of its CTV Top Networks solution, including ABC News Live, Bloomberg, Max, Hulu, NBC Sports, and many more!
#3 - Live Sports
If you’re looking for passionate, tuned-in audiences, the Live Sports approach might just be for you. Leading CTV ad platforms often provide the option to air your ads before, during, and after sports events, capitalizing on the highly engaged audiences tuning in to hear commentary on the game or watch their favorite teams. Because many advertisers compete for these spots, you can expect a higher CPM than even Top Networks, but your ads will reach your audience while they actively watch live, real-time events, which heightens ad recall and even brand favorability.
Live Sports guarantees excellent placement, but like all CTV ads, you can’t choose the exact programming on which your ad appears. For example, if you use dayparting to schedule your ad to appear in the same time frame as a specific college football game, your ad may appear on any sports content occurring at the same time, including other football games, soccer matches, or pre-game commentary.
Common Questions and Answers
Q: Why use CTV Live Sports if I can’t control what game my ad appears on?
A: While your ad may not appear during your preferred programming, it will still be seen by a highly engaged, positive audience. Remember, CTV Live Sports still uses CPM bidding, so the same number of people will still see your ad even if it doesn’t appear on the most-viewed game of the day.
Q: How do live sports audiences stack up against conventional CTV?
A: If Essentials offers the most flexibility in targeting, CTV Live Sports offers the least. Despite its large viewership, the live sports audience size is inherently the most limited due to the shallower pool of content available. Think of it this way: Essentials and Top Networks include content of all genres across countless apps anytime, day or night, whereas live sports are on a specific schedule.
Q: Who can I target with CTV Live Sports?
A: In most cases, CTV Live Sports targeting is limited to dayparting and can only be targeted at a national level, though in some cases, you may be able to target at the DMA level.
GroundTruth’s CTV Ad Solutions
GroundTruth offers options to pursue any CTV strategy, including our CTV Essentials, CTV Top Networks (available on request), and CTV Live Sports solutions. Our CTV offering features all of the capabilities you need to pursue the approaches above or blend all three, with the added benefit of allowing you to attribute your ads directly to real business results, like foot traffic, sales, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Ready to see how CTV ads can drive Real Business Results? Create an Ads Manager account today and launch your first campaign in minutes, or read more about our CTV advertising platform.
