The television is still a static object that is placed in one spot of the home, but it’s come a long way.
Today’s television is smart. It can connect to the internet, transmit and display content from a smart device, download and stream apps, and provide access to loads of free online programming. This is the era of the Connected TV.
Modern programming, through Connected TV technology, knows the viewer like never before. It knows what channels they like, how often they watch, and even has the capability of pausing content at home and resuming it on the go.
Connected TV digital programming is free, app based and presented just like linear tv, but smarter. Unlike linear cable television, Connected TV’s use free app based digital streaming services that provide recommendations to the viewer. These recommendations are tailored to tastes, preferences, location, and are also run as an extension on mobile devices; providing further insight into what the viewer enjoys both at home and on the go.
Brands that are looking to entertain, engage and inform consumers about their products are taking notice of Connected TV advertising capabilities. The potential of reaching viewers at home using highly targeted, non-invasive and contextually driven ads on premium inventory is getting more and more brands on board; as it’s something that can’t be done on traditional cable tv advertising.
Today, aided by COVID-19 lockdowns, connected TV viewership has grown exponentially with a jump in new accounts created and a spike in streamed hours globally. In addition, Q2 2020 Smart TV sales accounted for 25% of TV’s sold in Canada while smart tv player sales also doubled year over year*.
This growing viewership of Smart TV content presents advertisers with an opportunity to create a more active and engaged TV experience. It enables brands to deliver an extension of their linear TV ad campaigns to the consumer that prefers to watch content at their convenience across multiple devices. In the end, the Connected TV opportunity is making modern TV advertising better, and more effective. This new form of advertising is no longer the future, it’s here and it’s here to stay. The time for brands to start testing and learning what Connected TV advertising can do is now.