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Sky AdVance unveiled as the broadcaster seeks 'partner of choice' status

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By Ronan Shields, Digital Editor

October 20, 2015 | 3 min read

Sky’s media sales arm has kicked off its IAB Digital Upfronts activity by unveiling its first managed service offering as part of its Sky AdVance roll-out, as it seeks to use its data-led customer insights to bring more parity to the media dynamic.

Sky AdVance lets advertisers plan and book cross-platform campaigns, letting them target audiences and tell their brand stories in a sequential way - as opposed to bombarding with the same messaging - across TV and digital channels.

Sky Media claimed that until now this integrated approach has only been available in concept as opposed to execution, but by directly connecting TV and online audiences Sky AdVance represents the biggest change in media buying since the emergence of online.

Sky Media’s understanding of viewing behaviour, combined with multi-platform and device data, means advertisers can address the most relevant and interested audiences via whichever screens they’re using, without encroaching upon viewer privacy or harming the overall viewing experience. Sky AdVance allows TV to digital and vice versa, connecting content, context and creative.

The proposition means media-buyers buying on Sky AdVance can overlay Sky data to execute both on Sky’s media channels, as well as its other digital properties such as YouTube, etc.

Sky AdVance lets advertisers to extend TV spot campaigns to people they know haven’t seen it by enabling executions on digital channels, as well as using online messaging to reinforce those exposed to the campaign on TV, according to Sky Media.

Jamie West, Sky Media UK's deputy MD, told The Drum: “Sky AdVance is a major play to break down the barriers between digital and TV. The proposition is much more than spots, space and impressions.

“We think we can bring life to the entire cycle of media planning and buying… We want to be a peer as part of a tripartite relationship [i.e. itself, advertisers, and agencies] instead of a simply transactional relationship.”

West went on to explain how the managed service element of the offering would allow advertisers to assess the individual effect of its media buy with Sky, as part of the overall campaign performance.

It is currently undergoing a live test phase with up to 20 different advertisers ahead of a planned January 2016 roll-out.

Part of this process involves some deciding which ad tech partners to work with, with West confirming Sky is in the process of vetting potential future partners.

“We’re in the test-and-learn phase until the end of the year in terms of which DSPs [demand-side platforms] to work with, it’s likely we’ll work with a few select partners,” he added.

This combined TV, online and mobile knowledge opens the door to advanced cross-platform understanding and delivery, according to Sky Media.

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