Advertisers served dual-screen tool to deepen programmatic’s impact on TV
Brands will be able to time the purchase of online ads to coincide with TV ads airing on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky 1, a tool that could unearth potential insights into how to create better performing multi-screen campaigns.
The broadcasters are part of a wider group making ads on 2,000 channels accessible across 60 countries to brands.
Advertisers are being marketed the platform as a way to boost the impact of TV spots by synchronising ads on a mobile device at the same time, a media tactic companies such as Mondelez and Domino’s have explored over the last 12 months.
The technology, developed by programmatic agency Infectious Media, plugs into the commercial databases of TV slots from the channels to identify TV ads in real-time. It then identifies and works out the right time to deploy the ad, triggering the programmatic buying of online inventory. None of the broadcasters are involved in the buying process, which can take place on any programmatic inventory already being sold through the exchanges.
Advertisers are currently using the tool, however, Infectious Media decline to name any.
Andy Cocker, chief operating officer and co-founder of Infectious Media, said the platform has had a noticeable impact on purchase behaviour in tests it conducted for unamed media and retail brands earlier this year. Campaigns delivered through the platform increased performance by 15 per cent in some instances in comparison to those not TV-synced.
“In the lead up to Christmas our TV synchronisation capabilities offer a great way for brands to make more of their ad spends,” said Cocker. “Dual screening is especially prevalent during the festive period so using TV synchronised campaigns to influence audience purchase behaviour provides brands with a vital competitive edge.”
The advent of programmatic has thrown up new challenges for marketers still trying to join the dots when it comes to devices, media and technology. Despite numerous industry reports calling out TV’s waning prominence in terms of media consumption, it still dominates ad budgets with brands employing tighter media planning to boost return on investment.
The divide has sparked some brands such as Diageo and AB InBev to priotise how media is bought rather than the actual media as they look to better attribute spend. While creativity is still key, particularly when it comes to pulling display advertising away from banners, advertisers are looking to the likes of Google and Facebook to provide the formats needed to power the shift.