NVF Roadmap 2021: what next for CTV growth?
While COVID-19 escalated connected TV (CTV) growth, the recent New Video Frontiers (NVF) Roadmap event highlighted industry evolution is on track for even greater advances.
Throughout 2020, the TV space experienced huge development at unexpected speed; not only in overall consumption — soaring to over six hours per day for UK viewers — but also digital engagement. Greater demand for more flexible access to TV content accelerated uptake of multiple online platforms, from subscription video on demand (SVOD) to diverse streaming services. And, most crucially, increased demand for online channels proved more than an initial lockdown boost; with adoption continuing to rise by up to 60% across Q3.
Now, the UK’s CTV sector is significantly ahead of schedule and brimming with potential, especially when it comes to advertising. But as noted in NVF’s October conference, moving further forward will mean both seizing opportunities and tackling complex challenges.
To find out what’s next on CTV’s advertising agenda, GingerMay bagged a virtual seat at the NVF Roadmap table. Here are the top picks from our expert team on which trends digital players should be watching out for in 2021:
Session: the next steps for TV broadcasters and platforms
By Jade Page, Account Director
“Rapid expansion of the TV ecosystem means linear is now part of a much broader content landscape, but this is far from the end for traditional broadcast. Instead, there is an exciting opportunity to enter the next phase of its evolution; if – that is – content producers and distributors are ready to embrace the new age of TV.
VideoWeek’s recent research into CTV advertising shows that despite increasing consumer adoption, development from broadcasters is under-resourced. It’s clear there is a hesitation to adopt a “CTV-first” mentality, when linear TV still generates revenue. Finding a balance and understanding how linear and CTV can work together will therefore be important to ensure both can thrive. In particular, greater focus on considerations around flexibility, scale, measurement will all be key to realise the opportunities of the multi-channel landscape and influence reach and revenue generation.
At the same time, it’s important to recognise that we can’t expect the entire TV scape to transform instantly; progress will move incrementally. For instance, there was agreement that true programmatic selling for TV is still far off, but we have the opportunity now to get the fundamentals right and establish standards to pave the way for greater long-term potential.”
Session: how will identify evolve for buyers and sellers?
By Jade Page, Account Director
“This session made it clear identity is a universal industry challenge that will impact every touchpoint of digital advertising, including CTV. After all, given the rising uptake of borderless content consumption, it would be a mistake to think of any channel as a silo. Consumers don’t see the divisions between online and offline platforms and services, and that means brands hoping to consistently engage them shouldn’t view them separately either.
While CTV has never operated via a cookie solution, the removal of third-party cookies creates the opportunity for media buyers to holistically understand how consumers are interacting with media across channels and platforms. But the need to balance the commercial interests of broadcasters and advertisers with consumer privacy is still paramount. Creating a positive consumer experience, regardless of whether the user is logged in and authenticated, or if they choose to be unidentified requires a creative, innovative, and privacy-conscious approach.
The important takeaway for the next 12-18 months is test and learn, be considerate of business objectives, and be prepared for a transformative journey.”
Session: setting the new Gold Standard for CTV Measurement
By Sarah Redman, Senior Account Manager
“Audiences weren’t alone in paying more attention to CTV over the last year. As viewership increased, CTV began to attract more ad dollars from marketers keen to find better ways of targeting consumers at home. This advertising demand increased the need for measurement and attribution that accommodates the merging linear and digital worlds at scale.
This was a lively session, which dove into what the ideal state for CTV measurement looks like now and in the future. All panellists felt the core goal should be a blend of both linear and digital worlds to maintain accuracy by applying the gold standard of linear measurement to the digital space. And perhaps unsurprisingly, the biggest driver for this will be from brands dictating what they want to measure and accomplish from their CTV ad buys.
The panel noted that while the challenge of one audience fragmented across time, channels, and platforms is the same for all marketers, no two brands are prioritising the same measure of effectiveness. Instead of seeing this as a challenge, the better viewpoint is considering it a chance to evolve measurement solutions in line with those conversations.
The concluding sentiment was that “advertisers don’t buy ratings, they buy results.” Overall, 2021 will be a fascinating year as a holistic cross-platform solution that unifies impressions and measures unified impact accounting for reach and frequency, de-duplicated reach, and identity resolution evolves at scale.”
The CTV market has made a significant leap forward in its evolution over the last year and there is yet more to come. Content providers, distributors and advertisers alike should strap in for what’s set to be another exhilarating ride through 2021.
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