Inside Warner Bros Discovery’s major measurement & attribution deals
Advertisers are demanding access to performance data that indicates how effective their TV campaigns perform. As part of The Drum’s latest Deep Dive, The New Data & Privacy Playbook, we explore how Warner Bros Discovery is responding to those demands.
Discovery’s annual Shark Week programming / Warner Bros Discovery
Brands and buyers alike have been urging global broadcasters to provide better measurement and attribution insights. From Comcast and Disney to NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery, each media giant has been carving out adtech deals and making improvements to their data.
TV advertising lags behind other media channels when it comes to measurement, with many brands expecting the same capabilities that are available in digital.
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Previously the president of Comcast Advertising James Rooke told The Drum that TV’s measurement system was “broken.” He revealed that while advertisers were looking for reasons to invest in TV, they are put off by the issues of buying multiscreen. “Buyers are asking for simplified access to scaled multiscreen inventory,” he said, but added that when the whole system is built on live TV schedules, it makes buying and measurement “messy.”
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Today, Warner Bros Discovery revealed it has signed deals with six new adtech partners in a bid to offer its customers new ways to track the effectiveness of their campaigns.
These providers will work with the media giant’s ad sales team to improve the data on its programming, which spans entertainment, sports, news and lifestyle.
Andrea Zapata, executive vice-president and head of ad sales research, measurement and insights at the company, said there are more measurement partnerships on the horizon. “We will continue to invest in new and alternative measurement providers that empower the marketplace to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of their spend and see a more multi-dimensional ROI,” she said.
So, who are the partners behind Warner Bros Discovery’s measurement push?
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Disqo: This platform uses a panel-based system that tracks the behavior of 2 million viewers who have consented to share their first-party data. Disqo allows advertisers to measure behaviors from web visits to e-commerce and even on the walled gardens. Warner Bros Discovery is using it to prove the impact of ads that run on its streamer HBO Max.
LoopMe: LoopMe relies on digital IDs to send survey questions to viewers through mobile ads. Meaning the campaigns are typically smaller but LoopMe has access to around 250m devices so generates a big pool of consumers.
ABCS Insights: This data platform links up website visits with ads seen on linear TV to show how different parts of a TV campaign drove impact.
605: Using household viewing data from 34m homes, 605 can identify individual parts of the campaign that might have led to bottom-line sales. This tech enables advertisers to try and pinpoint which tactic drove which outcome for both linear and streaming.
EDO: EDO looks at the predictive behavior of viewers for an individual brand. EDO is used to prove the effectiveness of mid-funnel ad placements.
Pilotly: Warner Bros Discovery is working with Pilotly to test the effectiveness of the creative and the ad format. Pilotly measures audience sentiment by asking in-video questions about the ads they’ve seen.
To read more from The Drum’s latest Deep Dive, where we’ll be demystifying data & privacy for marketers in 2023, head over to our special hub.