A key component of Connected TV is its unique collection of data, this data allows marketers to be more specific about the audience they want to reach on the big screen. There are two main ways that data is collected – logged in data and automated content recognition (ACR) data. In the below Q&A we will find out a little more about each and how brands can make the most of the opportunities available.
Thanks to those who contributed: Samsung Ads, Samba TV, Google and Magnite.
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Laura Wall, Head of Agency, Samsung Ads
Q. How does ACR Technology work?
ACR, or automatic content recognition, is a type of data technology that identifies content played on a digital media device where a customer has provided consent. The technology enables recognition of content being played on devices, such as Smart TVs, by matching either the video visuals or audio to a similar source. This all happens automatically on the device at the “screen” or “glass level”.
Today’s TV landscape is rapidly evolving - consumers watch content whenever and however they want. As trends evolve, data is crucial to guide decision-making for stakeholders. ACR technology has the unique ability to understand TV usage; viewing across linear, streaming, and gaming formats – as all these behaviours are happening on the same Smart TV device.
Q. What are the benefits of ACR Technology and how can advertisers tap into it?
ACR-powered first-party data has a number of benefits for the whole TV ecosystem - consumers, advertisers and broadcasters. From powering discovery and customised content recommendations for Smart TV users, to providing accurate insights into CTV viewership and enabling better targeting, measurement and optimisation for advertisers.
Samsung Ads helps clients run addressable and targeted campaigns to reach the right audience with optimum frequency across CTV. The combination of ACR data and addressability creates a powerful tool for extending a campaign’s reach beyond traditional linear channels.
Some use cases are to achieve incremental reach, compliment linear TV campaigns, manage frequency, find difficult-to-reach audiences, increase app usage or time spent and most importantly, measure outcomes.
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Yasmin Sanders, Managing Director Australia, Samba TV
Q. How does ACR Technology work and why is it valuable for CTV advertising?
Video-Based Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is the industry’s first-ever solution for TV content recognition, powered by the real-time capture of 100% opt-in video fingerprinting in Smart TV’s to provide representative TV viewership data across every screen and device in the household. The technology enables recognition by video, audio, or watermarking to identify content through cues or codes that are matched back to a source database for verification. This includes commercials, programs, networks, gaming, and genres that can be tied to a specific household.
There is a high demand for quality data in the fast-growing CTV space, and ACR provides a solution: 100% opt-in, privacy compliant, content agnostic viewership data that is accurate, efficient and actionable. Advertisers can access key behaviours associated with TV viewership such as ad-skipping, time-shifting, streaming, and binge-watching to better understand the viewing habits, lifestyle and interests of their target audience to inform media planning and CTV activation. Through using Samba TV’s ACR-powered data, advertisers can reach elusive audiences who are shifting attention across linear, SVOD, CTV and OTT by connecting cross-device viewership behaviour and overcoming fragmentation in the CTV ecosystem.
Q. How can advertisers make the most out of ACR Technology?
The latest Samba TV Australian Q1 State Of Viewership Report showed that 92% of linear TV ads reached the same 55% of TV viewers. Advertisers must think outside the box to address over-saturation and look across every screen to reach incremental audiences.
Utilising ACR-powered first-party viewership data allows advertisers and broadcast marketers to achieve incremental impact beyond their linear TV buys by engaging exposed (or unexposed) TV audiences across any screen or by other behaviours such as light/heavy TV viewership and cord cutting. Access to these insights, data and analytics provides an opportunity for advertisers to bridge the gap between TV and digital.
Advertisers can also address attribution more effectively - Samba TV’s use of ACR data sets creates a measurement footprint that incorporates exposure data across every screen and device allowing outcome-based insights tied back to TV viewership
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Cally Scivetti, Head of Video and Display Solutions, Google
Q. What are the key value exchanges for consumers in enabling data capture capabilities for brands?
In short, logged in users can expect to see more relevant and useful ads. For example, across Google, YouTube may think that a consumer is a football fan because they watched highlights from a recent match on the platform or looked up 'football pitches near me' on Google Search and may suggest relevant ads based on this behaviour. However, it is important to note that the user is always in control of what data is used with the option to turn it off or deactivate personalised ads altogether. Consumers will still see ads, but they'll most likely be less relevant.
Furthermore, logged in consumers can leverage new interactive features that are helpful for viewers and engaging for brands. Brand extensions invite viewers to learn more about a product with a click of a button without interrupting their viewing experience, seamlessly pushing a notification their mobile device through the mobile app. For example, with YouTube Brand Extensions, whilst you are watching the platform on your Connected TV you can click to view more on a particular product and a notification will be sent directly to the YouTube app on your mobile device.
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James Young, Managing Director: Australia, Magnite
Q. What advancements have been made for logged in users over the last two years?
From a publisher/broadcaster perspective they have all setup member gates to capture basic user information e.g. email, age, gender. From here the publisher / broadcasters have then setup dedicated audience and data teams to explore all the opportunities for advertisers to be able to tap into
Privacy has become a major focus for publishers / broadcasters to ensure that as and when user data is utilised for advertising purposes. A focus on ensuring that anything that is shared from a 1st party perspective is adhering to current and potential future regulations. In more recent times there have been quite a few dedicated companies set up to help share and match data in a secure fashion.
Q. What does logged-in data allow advertisers to do on CTV?
We're really at the beginning of what logged in user data can provide to advertisers. Right now, advertisers can target based on demographic data, behavioural data and current consumption data. In addition to this more data points can be brought into the advertiser’s campaign to allow for targeting based on other elements that are known about that user such as purchase intent and consumption habits beyond the publisher’s own ecosystem.
Capturing logged in data on users means that there are common elements to allow for data matching between an advertiser and the publisher. Therefore, the advertiser can better tailor their advertising message to a particular group or groups of users based on where they are on the marketing funnel with that brand.
Q. How can advertisers make the most of this data in the CTV environment?
There are multiple ways an advertiser can take advantage of 1st party data:
- Targeting users based on their demographic information
- Targeting users on their behavioural traits for e.g. types of shows that they watch
- Have a persistent relationship with the end user. Being able to come back to a customer with new product messaging in the future in an effective environment can build brand loyalty.
- Matching datasets with their own customer base to allow for targeted messaging based on a user’s interaction with the advertiser
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