By Matt Young, VP and Industry Lead, Entertainment, Oath
When’s the last time you felt caught up on the season’s hit TV shows? Last summer? Ten years ago? In an era of competing and diverse content providers, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the vast choices available. In fact, last year, the number of TV shows released in the U.S. hit a new high, up to 487 compared to 455 in 2016.
This swell in TV programming combined with the massive growth of over-the-top (OTT) and trend of cord-cutting– which, according to eMarketer, will jump 32 Percent this year–begs the question: what does this mean for TV marketers and how can they keep up?
They adapt. Innovations in Advanced TV and mobile advertising have opened doors for advertisers to go beyond the large-scale TV ad buys and focus more on targeted advertising that makes an impact. As our watch lists continue to grow and more and more consumers cut the cord, we need a new playbook for TV marketers looking to cut through the entertainment clutter and capture consumer attention. Here are four ways to navigate the new landscape of TV.
In today’s fragmented landscape, where viewers turn to alternative methods for traditional TV content, advertisers are finding it increasingly difficult to reach audiences in one place. There are too many ways to reach consumers and at too many times throughout the day. Advanced TV ditches the one-size-fits-all approach of getting in front of broad audiences to help marketers connect with consumers at the right place and the right time through addressability and interactive ads.
Recent innovations in addressable TV are putting advertisers in the driver’s seat with more sophisticated models for targeting. Leveraging first-and-third-party data, marketers now have the ability to show different ads to different households during the same TV program, and it works! A study from Forrester reported a 19 percent increase in overall brand efficiency, 39 percent increase in overall brand awareness and 67 percent ad recall in addressable TV ads versus traditional TV ads.
For a more engaging experience, consider leveraging interactive TV ads, such as overlays with clickable video, or ACR-powered ads on connected TVs that drive engaged viewers to a website or send promotions to viewers’ smartphones. Interactive ads offer a cross-device experience that connects the dots between TV and mobile.
Another benefit to advanced TV? The medium allows marketers to close the loop on reporting. Advanced TV allows precise measurement after a campaign airs, so that brands can measure their ROI with precision.
Speaking of the changing living-room and viewer consumption habits, OTT advertising shouldn’t be forgotten. Advertising on these platforms, like Xbox, offers marketers a unique opportunity to connect with engaged viewers. And, results are not only measured by the number of viewers reached, but also on how audiences are engaging with the ad.
What can marketers do? Take advantage of the personalization available with OTT advertising and connect with viewers in a compelling and customized way. Whether it’s transactional video on demand (TVOD), subscription video on demand (SVOD) or ad-supported video on demand (AVOD), consumers continue to spend time with OTT video services. According to a recent Oath study on video consumption, 51 percent of video viewers use an OTT video streaming service to watch TV shows or movies. Earlier this summer PwC released its Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2018-2022, which forecasts that OTT will show an average of 10 percent growth for the next five years.
Diversify your video advertising spend
The need to diversify video advertising spend has never been more apparent. According to Forrester’s recent Video Advertising Forecast, TV Everywhere is expected to grow from 89 million users in 2018 to 111 million in 2023, and virtual multichannel video programming distributor users will grow from 24.2 million this year to 44.3 million in 2023.
Close to a quarter of video viewers now use an app to watch TV shows or movies from a cable, satellite, telco TV service or TV network with higher levels among Millennials (33 percent) and Gen Z (31 percent) according to the same video consumption study from Oath. What’s more, when it comes to watching free, ad-supported content, consumers are in — particularly GenZers, who are more open to learning about new products that are relevant.
This presents a massive opportunity for marketers to put their money where consumer eyeballs are. The key is ensuring your strategy integrates both TV and digital video so you have a consistent message across every touchpoint.
Invest in mobile video to capitalize on OTT and all-access apps
U.S. consumers spend an average of five hours a day on mobile, and it shows no signs of slowing down. From social media to news, consumers are turning to their phones to stay connected — and that also means making their phones a second screen for TV shows and video content. With the rise of OTT and all-access apps, the opportunity for mobile video advertising continues to grow. But to effectively engage consumers via mobile video, creating a personalized experience that works seamlessly is critical.
Pre-roll video and native video ads are some of the most effective video formats on mobile because they provide an uninterrupted video viewing experience. And research shows that native video ads between 15-22 seconds in length on mobile are significantly more engaging than desktop ads. This is great news for advertisers; 15-22 seconds gives marketers more opportunity to engage consumers in a personalized and meaningful way. Finally, if you’re looking to reach specific audience segments, consider going programmatic. Combining the data and targeting of programmatic advertising with the creativity of native video ensures you’re reaching viewers on smartphones with meaningful content that is tailored to their interests.
As we move further away from primetime and closer to TV everywhere, the video advertising landscape is ripe for innovation. Marketers need a new playbook that incorporates these strategies to ensure they’re making the most out of their TV and video ad spend.
Young has been growing new, scalable and profitable businesses in the technology and media space for the last 15 years. Currently, as the VP, industry lead for Entertainment, Media and Gaming at Oath, he oversees industry advertising revenue for all of Oath’s content and ad tech products. Prior to Oath, Young led the programmatic initiatives for the field sales team at Yahoo! (acquired by Verizon for $4.48B in 2017) and held various leadership positions in mobile and programmatic at BrightRoll (acquired by Yahoo! for $640M in 2014). Early in his career he worked on the content and production side of media, starting as a journalist in South America, and then running his own entertainment company in Los Angeles.
26 Streaming TV Shows You Can Binge in a Weekend (Photos)
Labor Day is a great time to hang out with friends and family and do some grilling. It's also a great time to stay in, watch TV, and do absolutely nothing else. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime, there are a ton of great shows you can stream while you're avoiding sunlight. Here are 26 that you'll be able to wrap up before heading back to work next week.
"Altered Carbon" (Netflix)
A gritty sci-fi murder mystery, "Altered Carbon" takes place in the distant future, where consciousness can be downloaded and people can switch bodies to live forever -- if they can afford it. Action-packed and twisty, "Altered Carbon" is a great 10-episode mystery to work through on your days off.
Netflix
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon Prime)
Amazon's period comedy about a housewife turned stand-up comedian took home Golden Globes this year for best comedy TV series and best actress in a comedy series for star Rachel Brosnahan. The funny, expertly cast comedy with eight hour-long episodes to keep you busy for a couple days.
Netflix
"Lost in Space" (Netflix)
Netflix rebooted the 1960s sci-fi TV show "Lost in Space," creating a more modern version of the Robinson family that feels grounded, while still "out there" in a similar way as the original. Parker Posey is also a standout as the slimy Dr. Smith in the 10-episode first season.
Netflix
"The Runaways" (Hulu)
The first Marvel show to make it to Hulu is a refreshing change from the Netflix takes. It follows a group of teenagers as they realize not only that they're special, but that their conspiratorial parents are not to be trusted. At 10 episodes, it's a quick watch and an interesting take on superhero TV shows.
Hulu
"Jack Ryan" (Amazon Prime)
Amazon gives a new look at Tom Clancy's many-storied spy, with John Krasinski taking on the role of the CIA analyst who quickly finds himself trying to take down terrorists. The eight-episode season is a relatively quick watch but has plenty of action and intrigue to keep viewers engaged.
Netflix
"Wormwood" (Netflix)
Directed by legendary documentarian Errol Morris, the hybrid docu-drama miniseries "Wormwood" digs into the story of a man's death, reportedly as part of a CIA experiment in the 1950s. But as files are declassified and more information comes to light, "Wormwood" tells the story of a possible Cold War conspiracy, reenacted by some top Hollywood talent. If you're looking for a new true crime obsession, the six-part miniseries is perfect.
Netflix
"Future Man" (Hulu)
A guy who finds himself recruited by soldiers from the future to fight genetically enhanced bad guys in "Future Man," because he's awesome at a video game. Turns out, he's not especially good at anything else. Riffing on classics like "Back to the Future," "Future Man" is pretty funny, and pretty smart, too. And with one season out, it's easy to work through in a couple of lazy days.
Hulu
"Dark" (Netflix)
It's easy to get lost in the mystery of "Dark," which centers on a small German town where children keep going missing. Before long, it becomes clear there' sci-fi spookiness afoot, as events start to mirror similar ones that happened 33 years ago. With the first season available, "Dark" is a quick watch that will keep you glued to your seat.
Netflix
"The Orville" (Hulu)
The first season of "The Orville" is all available on Hulu, and anybody itching for a return to old-school "Star Trek" should give it a shot. The show is basically what would happen if regular people served on the U.S.S. Enterprise -- a humorous and accessible take on the "Star Trek" formula, but which still gets what made those series so endearing.
Fox
"The Punisher" (Netflix)
The latest of the Marvel Netflix series follows a former marine who takes down criminals -- and finds himself unwittingly at the center of a conspiracy. "The Punisher" might be the best of the Marvel series so far, balancing the Punisher taking down bad guys and dealing with his own personal demons.
Netflix
“The Night Of” (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO’s short miniseries starts with an accusation and a murder, and spirals from there. Naz is a Muslim kid arrested for a murder he can’t remember if he committed, and even before his trial, the situation ripples out to affect everyone even remotely related to him or the crime. It’s a dark and dramatic look into the criminal justice system that goes beyond the usual police procedural.
HBO
“The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (Netflix)
Looking back into the American zeitgeist of 1994, FX’s drama adaptation of the trial of the century is an enthralling 10 episodes. It’s brilliantly cast and captures the moment, with all its bizarre and upsetting ins and outs, extremely well.
Netflix
“The OA” (Netflix)
Diving deep into the "strange and mysterious serialized show" category is "The OA," about a kidnapped blind woman who returns to her hometown with the ability to see. The series gets even weirder after that, constantly posing mysterious questions about the woman's powers and her kidnapping. The strangeness only escalates, so binge now for a mystery to solve ahead of the show's second season.
Netflix
"Castle Rock" (Hulu)
Part adaptation, part original story, "Castle Rock" takes place in the spooky town that's the setting for many of Stephen King's spookiest stories. "Castle Rock" is still airing new episodes weekly in the first season of the anthology series, but there are enough to make what's available a binge-worthy proposition.
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
There are actually four seasons' worth of episodes of “Black Mirror” available on Netflix, but at only six episodes each, the series is just contained enough that you can get through the whole thing in a couple of days. It’s worth it, too, as “Black Mirror” puts a “Twilight Zone” twist on modern technology and human relationships.
Netflix
“The Jinx” (HBO Go and HBO Now)
The story of Robert Durst is a strange one, filled with disappearances, murder, dismemberment, and bad disguises. The six-episode documentary miniseries goes through the story of Durst's early life and the disappearance of his wife, through two other deaths, and ends with a possible bombshell break in the case. It's the kind of binge watch material that's hard to pull away from.
HBO
“The Fall” (Netflix)
This British police procedural about a detective hunting a serial killer stars Gillian Anderson of “X-Files” fame and Jamie Dornan of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Though it covers three total seasons, the shorter series of BBC shows means the grand total is just 17 episodes.
Netflix
“Band of Brothers” (HBO Go and HBO Now)
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced this drama that follows the 101st Airborne through the European Theater in World War II. Intense, personal and powerful, the 10-part series tells the story of the war in a way that few other movies or series have captured.
HBO
“Making a Murderer” (Netflix)
This intensive documentary series covers the story of Steven Avery, who was exonerated of a rape accusation before being arrested for murder. The documentary covers the sorted story of the crime, the investigation, and the prosecution over 10 episodes, raising plenty of questions about whether Avery is guilty along the way.
Netflix
“Crazy Head” (Netflix)
British horror-comedy “Crazy Head” is about two women who can see demons. At first they think they’re crazy — but then they realize the demons are real. Over six episodes, Amy and Raquel battle the forces of evil, making it a funny experience that’s easy to knock out in a hurry.
Netflix
“11.22.63” (Hulu)
Adapting Stephen King’s novel of the same name, “11.22.63” sends James Franco back in time from 2016 to the 1960s. The plan: stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy and rewrite the entire future of America for the better. The entire story is perfect weekend material, covered in just eight episodes.
Hulu
"The Young Pope" (HBO Go, HBO Now)
Jude Law is the first American pope in a dark comedy about religion, authority, politics and backstabbing. "The Young Pope" has its surreal moments as Law's Pius XIII tries to deflect the machinations of the cardinals around him and figure out what to handle being His Holiness.
HBO
"Big Little Lies" (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO's scandal- and rumor-fueled dark comedy "Big Little Lies" also became a whodunit as its drama unfolded. With a star-studded cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern, and clocking in at only seven episodes, "Big Little Lies" is a quick, high-quality watch. A second season of the show is on the way, but it probably won't land until 2019, so you've got plenty of time to catch up.
HBO
"The Confession Tapes" (Netflix)
The latest true crime documentary series on Netflix focuses on several cases in which people confessed to crimes they claim they didn't actually commit. Each case will leave viewers wondering if the people in question really are the perpetrators, or if police misconduct, psychological probing and other factors are really to blame for creating false confessions. There are no easy answers, but the questions "The Confession Tapes" raises about the American justice system are definitely interesting ones.
Netflix
"The Keepers" (Netflix)
Another of Netflix's lengthy true crime documentary sets out to try to find the killer of Sister Cathy Cesnick, a Catholic nun and teacher who died in 1969. The show quickly uncovers a sprawling, horrific tale of sexual abuse at a Baltimore Catholic school that might have led to Sister Cathy's murder, and possibly a cover up.
NBC
"The Staircase" (Netflix)
Dig into the story of the murder trial of Michael Peterson, accused of killing his wife Kathleen on the staircase in their house, as the story spans more than a decade. Netflix's new documentary adds three new episodes to the story of the trial, which took place in 2003, and its aftermath, digging into the investigation surrounding Peterson, the trial, and his ultimate fate.
If you’re looking to beat the heat and stay home, settle in with these great streaming shows you can wrap up over the course of a few easy-going days
Labor Day is a great time to hang out with friends and family and do some grilling. It's also a great time to stay in, watch TV, and do absolutely nothing else. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime, there are a ton of great shows you can stream while you're avoiding sunlight. Here are 26 that you'll be able to wrap up before heading back to work next week.
Netflix
