As technology reshapes our media experience, TV remains a powerful channel for content consumption. In our next Ask the Expert series, we dive into a pivotal subject – the convergence of TV, linear (conventional broadcast and cable TV), and digital marketplaces.
In this Q&A segment, we’re joined by two industry experts, Dan Hickox, VP of Development & Partnerships at 605, an iSpot.tv Company, and Chris Feo, Experian’s SVP of Sales & Partnerships, who guide us through an engaging discussion on convergent TV, attribution, measurement, and safeguarding personal data in the evolving landscape of TV advertising.
How convergent TV is changing the future of advertising
The convergence of traditional TV and digital streaming platforms presents an innovative opportunity for advertisers to engage their target audience. With convergent TV, you can create campaigns that bridge the gap between linear and streaming, ensuring your message reaches your target audience while avoiding ad fatigue.
Along with high-quality content, extensive inventory, and targeting capabilities, convergent TV offers advanced measurement and attribution tools that will empower you to optimize advertising campaigns for maximum impact. You can make better decisions regarding when and where to strategically allocate your advertising budgets with effective TV measurement and attribution.
Attribution in converged TV
TV attribution involves tracing consumer actions and uncovering valuable insights into their behavior. With these insights, you can gain a clear understanding of the audience exposed to your ads and their actions in response. Lean into data attribution tools to track your target audience throughout the customer buying journey.
Measurement in converged TV
In contrast, TV measurement enables the tracking of performance TV advertising campaigns to assess campaign effectiveness. Through converged TV measurement solutions, you can rely on a singular data source, unifying different channels, devices, and metrics for actionable insights. This analysis will give you insights into the audience reached, their location, and the resulting actions taken.
TV attribution’s impact on cross-channel media
Embracing an omnichannel advertising approach is vital. Evaluating advertising campaigns across various platforms and devices – including linear, TV, and digital channels – is essential for identifying the channels that drive revenue for your businesses. Converged TV and digital streaming enable you to control ad frequency across all channels, enhancing the cross-screen experience. This convergence paves the way for a more comprehensive and holistic future in advertising. Here are three ways TV attribution impacts cross-channel media.
Identify the most effective channels
TV attribution offers a significant advantage in determining the channels that generate the most conversions. By using this data, you can make informed choices about budget allocation to achieve maximum impact.
Deliver a seamless customer experience
Consumers demand consistency in their brand interactions. TV attribution can help you by guiding the optimal timing and placement of ads, resulting in a more seamless viewing experience. This synchronization can significantly enhance customer loyalty and retention.
Enhance marketing effectiveness
By identifying the most effective channels and refining campaign strategies, TV attribution can significantly improve the success of marketing campaigns. The outcome is a measurable increase in sales and revenue, demonstrating the impact of informed and data-driven advertising.
Audience-based targeting across linear and digital ecosystems
It’s crucial to comprehend and connect with the appropriate audience. The emergence of linear and digital platforms has required the development of audience targeting. Across these two ecosystems, audience-based targeting aims to enhance this process by concentrating on specific audience segments rather than general demographics or programming.
Benefits of audience-based targeting
There are four key benefits of audience-based targeting across the TV ecosystem.
Personalization at scale
Digital platforms have conditioned users to expect tailored experiences. Audience-based targeting ensures ads resonate with individual preferences and behaviors, even within the vastness of linear TV.
Combining data from both linear and digital sources makes it possible to segment audiences more precisely. This results in advertising content tailored to each individual, making it more relevant and personalized.
Optimized ad spend
Improve your return on investment by targeting specific audience segments more likely to convert, ensuring your messages reach suitable viewers.
In contrast to traditional TV purchasing, where advertisement slots are bought based on a show’s overall demographic, audience-based targeting focuses on the viewers’ behavior and interests, regardless of the program they are watching.
Unified measurement and analytics
When combining traditional and digital methods of reaching target audiences, it is essential to have a consistent approach to measuring success. By doing this, you can gain insight into how well your ad campaigns perform across different platforms and the frequency with which they are being seen.
By comprehensively understanding audiences within different ecosystems, you can adjust your strategies in real time, guaranteeing that your campaigns remain flexible and successful.
Enhancing the viewer experience
Audience-based targeting benefits viewers by reducing the number of irrelevant ads they see. As a result, viewers can have a more pleasant experience while watching content, which may discourage them from skipping ads and increase their engagement with the content.
Future-proofing and safeguarding data
Businesses are focusing on future-proofing for data privacy, and safeguarding individual data is becoming more significant than ever before. Now’s the time to embrace new methods that protect your data privacy while ensuring that measurement remains accurate. Experian offers privacy-safe solutions to help businesses preserve precise measurement, even with fewer cookies.
“What we’re working toward is future-proofing ourselves. To do that, we work with partners like Experian who are already thinking forward, and with your pixel technology, we can capture and resolve the identifiers that we know will be around for a while.”
Dan Hickox, VP, Solutions Consulting, Development & Partnerships, 605
How Experian and 605 work together
605 is an independent TV measurement and analytics company providing solutions for advertising, content measurement, attribution, planning, optimization, and media transactions.
“We partner with great identity partners, such as Experian, that really help us act as the connecting glue across different data touch points. So what it really is, is the ability to have holistic measurement across the different channels, across the different audiences and it starts out with the ability to be able to take disparate data sources and match them together.”
Dan Hickox, VP, Solutions Consulting, Development & Partnerships, 605
605 and Experian have a strong partnership that enables 605 to enhance its data through Experian’s Consumer Sync and Pixel solutions.
- Consumer Sync – 605 utilizes Experian’s Consumer Sync to ensure their data is privacy-compliant and deterministic across all sources. Experian identity organizes people into households, links their digital devices and IDs to them, enriches their identity with behavioral attributes, and then makes this data actionable in any environment, all while maintaining consumer privacy and data regulations.
- Web Pixel Attribution – 605 utilizes Experian’s pixel solutions to generate web pixel attribution reports on a client-by-client basis – for linear, TV, and cross-platform reporting. 605’s reporting capabilities allow customers to understand their marketing campaigns’ true impact and precisely identify high-performing strategies. With the Experian pixel, partners like 605 can learn more about anonymous website visitors by linking associated demographics and behavior attributes, build audience segments based on the highest cart value customers, and more.
The 605 and Experian partnership work hand in hand to make linear TV as actionable as digital media for you. Customers can prove the effectiveness of their marketing tactics and gain actionable insights to deliver highly impactful campaigns.
Watch the full Q&A
Visit our Ask the Expert content hub to watch Dan and Chris’s full conversation about TV measurement, data analytics, privacy regulations, and the evolving landscape of TV advertising in the digital age.
About our experts
Dan Hickox, VP, Solutions Consulting, Development & Partnerships, 605
As the Vice President of the Solutions Consulting team, Dan collaborates with sellers to turn prospective opportunities into long-term client relationships. He leads new initiatives and drives partnerships that expand 605 capabilities and improve marketplace positioning.Dan brings over a decade of cross-channel media experience in advanced analytics, media optimization, data integration and statistical analysis to 605.
Chris Feo, SVP, Sales & Partnerships, Experian
As SVP of Sales & Partnerships, Chris has over a decade of experience across identity, data, and programmatic. Chris joined Experian during the Tapad acquisition in November 2020. He joined Tapad with less than 10 employees and has been part of the executive team through both the Telenor and Experian acquisitions. He’s an active advisor, board member, and investor within the AdTech ecosystem. Outside of work, he’s a die-hard golfer, frequent traveler, and husband to his wife, two dogs, and two goats!
Latest posts
Q&A with John Fetto, Senior Analyst, Marketing & Research Earlier this year, Experian Marketing Services released our Cross-Device Video Analysis. The analysis has generated such strong and sustained interest from marketers and the media, we wanted to explore the subject further. The following is an exchange with the report’s lead author John Fetto who answers some common questions that we’ve received since the analysis was published. Q: In the Cross-Device Video Analysis, you report that consumers are “cutting the cord” on pay cable and satellite television services. Can you elaborate on this trend? What’s driving it? According to our research at Experian Marketing Services, U.S. consumers are increasingly likely to have high speed Internet at home but no cable or satellite TV subscription. There are two primary consumer trends driving this: 1) Households that never subscribed to a pay TV service are now upgrading to broadband Internet; 2) Households that previously subscribed to both pay TV service and broadband Internet that have since cancelled the cable or satellite TV subscription. While the vast majority of U.S. households pay for either cable or satellite TV, an estimated 15.1 million (or 12.9 percent of households) do not. That’s up from 13.5 million households (11.9 percent) who didn’t pay for TV in 2009. At the same time, the share of broadband households is also rising. Today, 72.7 million homes (61.4 percent) have broadband Internet, up from 65.0 million homes (56.9 percent) in 2009. As Americans’ Internet connection at home is increasingly fast enough to deliver high quality video content through sites like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and the like, as well as the ability to consume that online video content across an array of devices ranging from Internet-connected televisions to smartphones and tablets to computers, they are increasingly questioning whether they need to continue paying for TV. And more and more consumers are deciding to cut the cord. Q: With more consumers cutting the cord, how are they consuming video content? While the most commonly used device to consume online video is the smartphone — used by 24 percent of adults during a typical week to watch online video, according to our research — “cord cutters” are primarily using Internet-connected TV to consume online video. In fact, an adult who watches online video on their TV is 3.2 times more likely than the average adult to be a cord-cutter. This means that the Internet-connected TV market is critical in predicting the future of the cord-cutting consumer. As existing devices like Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku are upgraded and new devices like Amazon Fire TV are introduced to the market, consumers will have more and more options to consume online video without sacrificing quality or screen size. As a result, more consumers will be reconsidering whether they need to continue paying for TV. Q: What percent of consumers get their television programming from various sources including cable, satellite, online streaming and free over the air TV? Combined, 87.1 percent of U.S. households subscribe to either cable or satellite TV. While Experian Marketing Services doesn’t specifically measure the percent of Americans who watch TV through an over the air feed (OTA) we know that among those who do not subscribe to cable or satellite, the vast majority (77 percent) still watch TV. And while it’s possible that some are viewing TV from a cable or satellite feed away from home, the most likely source of their TV content would be from OTA sources. That means that at least 10 percent of American adults are watching some TV through an OTA feed. In addition, 48 percent of all adults watch online video each week through a variety of devices. Those who don’t pay for TV are 12 percent more likely than those who have cable or satellite TV to watch online video (54 percent vs 48 percent). Q: The cord-cutting trend has many implications for the cable and satellite companies, but what do consumer-facing marketers and advertisers need to know about this trend? The growth in online video viewing creates many opportunities for marketers. Online audiences can be more easily targeted and served up advertising that is more relevant, responsive and measureable. Marketers can also be more confident that their online ad was actually seen, given that viewers are typically unable to skip ads. And while CPMs for online video ads may generally be lower than those of TV, marketers can use that savings to negotiate costs based on clicks or transactions rather than impressions, giving them a better picture into audience interest and insights to inform their budget allocation. Millennials are the most device “agnostic,” with more than one-third saying they don’t mind watching video on a portable device even if it means a smaller screen. That’s more than double the rate of those ages 35 and older. This decentralized viewing can create headaches for marketers who need to start a relationship with Millennials during this stage of their lives when they’re most open to trying out new brands and have yet to settle down. On the plus side, marketers who do manage to reach this audience will find them much more open to advertising than average. In fact, Millennials are more than four times more likely to say that video ads that they view on their cell phone are useful. So while the challenge is big, so is the potential reward. Download the full analysis to learn more about: Cross-device video behaviors to optimize media mix approach The impact of the growing trend in cord-cutters The rising influence of Internet-connected TV How to get more impact from video content
School may be out for the summer, but this is the perfect time for marketers to begin back-to-school planning. Follow these five simple tips and be on your way to back-to-school success. Searchers are actively seeking out ideas around clothes, hairstyles and dorm room décor as they prepare for the school year to start. Leverage sites like Pinterest to promote back to school merchandise and content. Don’t forget to include DIY and customization options as these appeal to today’s students. Don’t underestimate the influence of moms and college students. These consumers are more likely to actively search for the best deals online so test using deal-seeking terms like “free” and “sales” in promotional campaigns. In 2013, Marketers experienced a 35 percent lift in unique clicks when they used the word ‘college’ in the subject line. This year, try targeting specific ages for back-to-school by including terms like “college” and kids” in the subject line. Timing of back-to-school campaigns matters. While August is the key month for back-to-school campaigns, there may be more opportunity to mail additional campaigns for school supplies in July, and clothing and accessories in early September. Don’t forget to personalize! Last year, we saw a 44 percent increase in unique open rates for emails that contained personalization in the subject line. These tactics should be included in a strong back-to-school mailing program. For more information on back-to-school planning, download the 5 Lessons for Back-to-school Marketers in 2014 report.
Experian Marketing Services conducted an analysis into the attitudes, language preferences, spending habits and media behaviors of Hispanic Consumers, some of which were featured in the 2014 Hispanic Market Overview presented by López Negrete Communications. This post highlights findings from that analysis, which focus on Hispanic consumers’ adoption and use of smartphones. Hispanic consumers, who today account for 15 percent of the total U.S. adult population and 22 percent of Millennials, represent an ideal audience for mobile engagement and mobile advertising. While cell phone ownership rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic adults are equal, Hispanics are more likely to own a smartphone and use it as their primary device to connect to the Internet. According to the latest estimates from Experian Marketing Services, 63 percent of Hispanic adults own a smartphone versus 60 percent of non-Hispanics. That’s up from 52 percent and 51 percent, respectively, since 2012. Among smartphone owners, Hispanics are 17 percent more likely than non-Hispanics to say that they access the Internet more through their phone than through a computer. In fact, 45 percent of Hispanic smartphone owners are mobile-dominant when it comes to going online compared with 38 percent of non-Hispanics. Marketers courting the influential Hispanic consumer must consider this fact and take a mobile-first approach to ensure that online marketing efforts, including everything from email to websites to e-commerce, are designed to engage the customer as effectively on a mobile device as on a computer. Even traditional marketing tactics such as television ads should reflect the growing likelihood that Hispanics have a smartphone either nearby or physically in their hand and are ready to engage. In fact, 37 percent of all Hispanic adults say that they often use their cell phone while watching television compared with 29 percent of non-Hispanics. Among smartphone owners, the share of Hispanics who use their phone while watching television shoots up to 50 percent versus 42 percent of non-Hispanics. Millennial smartphone owners are among the most likely to be splitting their attention between the big and small screen with 61 percent of Hispanic Millennials and 58 percent of non-Hispanic Millennials doing so. Knowing what specific mobile activities Hispanics are engaging in is critical for marketers in identifying the best tactics for reaching them via mobile. The chart below shows that Hispanics engage in most smartphone activities at above average rates, but they are much more likely than non-Hispanics to IM/chat on their phone. As a result they are slightly less likely than non-Hispanics to email from their phone, though the vast majority of Hispanic smartphone owners still use mobile email. Other activities that marketers will find Hispanics engaging in at above average rates include watching videos, using mobile GPS and listening to music. Learn more about how Experian Marketing Services can help your organization more effectively target, reach and engage today’s Hispanic consumer.