Confused by Connected TV? Here’s Where Marketers Need To Start

We’re in the middle of a massive shift in video viewing as more and more audiences flock to Connected TV platforms to replace or supplement their linear TV watching. It’s leaving a lot of marketers scrambling to catch up.

But this moment is a huge opportunity, as Connected TV platforms are vastly expanding access, scale, and diversity of video content. Consumers are turning to these platforms to watch the video content they crave — and marketers can use sophisticated ad products from these platforms to connect with those consumers.

Nielsen’s data below shows that of Connected TV viewers, YouTube is the largest platform that marketers can leverage through paid media — as Netflix doesn’t allow paid advertising yet. Marketers must extend their strategies to Connected TV to reach these highly-engaged audiences.

Here are the Connected TV platforms that marketers should be considering, and how they can benefit their strategy:

Amazon Fire TV

The ecommerce titan has been making massive inroads in the digital video world in recent years, and its video ads receive more than 200M monthly impressions among Fire TV viewers. The platform offers non-skippable, 100% viewable, mid-roll advertising, as well as brand-safe studio-produced video content. Critically, endemic marketers (marketers that sell through Amazon) can measure the impact of their video spend on purchases through Amazon.com. Pixability’s access to YouTube audience targeting data, with Amazon’s in-market data layered on top, can deliver an robust, end-to-end DR strategy that can drive impact at scale.

Roku

More than 30% of new smart TVs now ship with Roku already installed, expanding the already-popular platform’s massive footprint. The inventory available on Roku is 100% user-initiated, 100% viewable, 100% non-skippable, and always appears to consumers on a TV screen. Ads bought through Roku appear both on The Roku Channel, and on the premium channel partners available through the platform. By utilizing audience and behavioral trends on YouTube, Pixability can identify unique audiences to target on Roku.

YouTube for TV Screens

Many marketers still see YouTube as a primarily mobile or desktop experience, but the fact is that consumers want to watch their favorite YouTube content on TV screens too. Our insights team was the first to measure how YouTube was a sleeping giant in the Connected TV space, and we’ve found the bigger screen and less-skippable experience drives impact. It’s also a convenient way to test out a Connected TV strategy, as marketers can easily include TV Screens when targeting devices on YouTube. Here at Pixability, we’re among the select few partners included in the YouTube Measurement Program, which certifies that our data and algorithms are actionable and accurate. We’ve also been leading the way for our customers in building premium audiences for YouTube for TV Screens, and can help jumpstart your strategy as well.

In fact, we’ve driven video strategies for brands and agencies for more than 10 years now. We were among the first ad tech providers to guide agencies and brands from the growing digital realm to video. And we were named the most innovative video partner in the world by Google in recognition of our deep expertise and sophisticated video technology. As marketers and agencies now expand their video focus to include connected TV platforms, Pixability is here to help guide that transition as well. Want to learn more? Let’s connect to talk through your Connected TV video strategy.