Some trends happen from sheer will. A group of people, usually marketers, start talking about a topic enough and it becomes a trend. Without genuine interest from people, these earn the title “a flash in the pan.”
Trends that transform into mainstays do so because people from all different demographics find value in them. Instead of conversations, real-world behaviors are at the heart of these ideas. That’s exactly what we’re seeing with CTV. Advertisers aren’t spending valuable marketing dollars because an influencer told them to. They’re getting real business results from their investments.
To help illustrate what we, and other advertisers, are seeing in the CTV space, we identified three critical behavior trends that are contributing to the exponential growth of CTV ads. Here’s what we found:
1. Attention Is Moving Across All Age Demographics
No company wants to pay for ads to be shown to distracted audiences. Even the best messaging won’t work if no one is paying attention. Advertisers want to place their ads where audiences are most likely to take action.
While mobile still ranks at the top for most used device, CTV devices come in at second across all age groups. What’s more, data shows that viewers spend more time engaged with CTV ads than they do on linear TV ads.
Not only do people turn on their big screens, they are spending more and more time focused on whatever is streaming. In terms of efficiency and reach, advertisers are finding the ads placed on CTV drive better results, and faster, than linear ads.
2. Diversity in Apps Is Growing
Until recently, three apps dominated CTV streaming. While YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu continue to be the most popular, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) apps are growing rapidly. In the first quarter of 2024, the audiences for FAST apps grew 9% and continues to grow.
With more ways to reach audiences, companies now have the choice for the kinds of audiences they want to bid on. For major campaigns, advertisers can invest in premium audiences and the most popular streaming services. On secondary campaigns, they can use FAST apps and other avenues.
Especially for budget-conscious marketing teams, this diversity means you won’t have to sacrifice reach or performance to get in front of the engaged CTV audiences.
3. Primetime Remains Premium
Finally, companies looking to drive foot traffic to their brick-and-mortar locations are particularly interested in daily viewing habits that CTV audiences share. Research shows that primetime reigns as the best time to reach the largest and most engaged audiences. Additionally, the hours right before primetime and “late night” hours continue to gain popularity.
This trend is particularly helpful for restaurant advertisers. Limited-time offer ads placed during those pre- and post-primetime hours can drive people into your location to dine right before their favorite shows. On the other hand, if your company wants to avoid overly competitive ad bidding, try moving into the early afternoon or morning slots, if it matches your audience. No matter what your goals are, there will always be a CTV audience ready for you.
Add CTV to Your Media Mix Using GroundTruth
Now is the time to use these real-world behaviors to drive real business results for your company. Contact us today to get started with our brand new CTV+ offering.
