As we kick off the autumn event season, our team recently attended Campaign’s TV conference. From the nuances of attention and the overwhelming choice available to viewers, to the transformative power of data and AI on TV; here are our top five key takeaways from the day.
- The era of less
Sarah Picazo from The Trade Desk highlighted that “changes in the industry are nuanced, with the linear and SVOD worlds merging.” In this evolving landscape, it’s crucial to do more with what we have. Omni-channel strategies are essential for managing frequency across channels and ensuring consistent messaging. TV remains vital for building an emotional connection with the audience. New research by The Trade Desk reveals that omni-channel campaigns drive greater attention and reduce fatigue compared to CTV alone. - Is all attention created equal?
TV offers an attention bargain, but its effectiveness varies by channel, time of day and programme. David Chopping from Sky emphasised, “Quality of reach is more important than just reach and attention is key to that.” Studies show that people pay more attention during peak times and to shows they are genuinely interested in. New metrics, such as 1+ attentive reach, are being optimised by genre and daypart. Vicky Fox mentioned that Omnicom Media Group has developed an always-on panel measuring eye tracking and attentive moments. - Consumer choice paralysis
With endless options available, viewers take an average of 10.5 minutes to decide what to watch and 20% end up choosing to do something else instead. It’s essential to harness the positive aspects of this choice overload, particularly in terms of advertising. Whilst it is great for consumers to have so much choice, this highlights the fragmented landscape that advertisers are operating in. This being the reason metrics such as attention are becoming so important because it is ever more challenging to ensure you are hitting the right audience at the right moment. - AI: Enhancing efficiency, not replacing creativity
An interactive session underscored that while AI can enhance efficiency, it cannot replace the human touch in eliciting emotion from creative content. However, AI can significantly improve ad production and campaign analysis, helping advertisers optimise the personalised TV ad experience. - Data: The path to CTV’s promise
Dan Cohen from Sky noted that the power of live TV is becoming increasingly important as viewing fragments. It’s about peak content rather than peak television. Fragmentation occurs in two forms: different devices and varied viewing times. The concept of appointment viewing has fundamentally changed. There will be a shift from fixed price CPT deals to decision-based pricing, with each impression uniquely valued as data usage improves AV audience targeting. Ed Johnson from The Trade Desk highlighted this trend.
