CTV Guide Category: Connected TV Advertising 101

1. Roku: The CTV app Roku allows your television to be connected to your mobile phone. You can easily control your streaming on TV using the Roku app. It allows you to quickly and easily search using your phone’s keyboard and end voice controls. It also has a private listening mode where you get the display on your TV screen and the audio from your phone’s headset.
2. CTV App for Firestick: You can download a great variety of apps that are easily compatible with the Firestick platform. Kodi, Typhon TV, CatMouse APK etc., are some of the most popular streaming video content.
3. CTV Apps for Chromecast: Like the CTV app on Firestick, you can also download several apps for Chromecast – both free or paid. Some of these include Plex, Hulu, NowTv, Vivo, Tidal etc.

Branding comes in many ways. If you want to advertise your brand on a CTV app platform, you can try both the programmatic and direct-buying approaches. Here’s how both work.

Direct buying is a relatively older way of advertising where people have to negotiate for ad approvals, the timing of publication, campaign duration, and so forth. Both the collection of campaign data and the optimization-related decisions are made manually. The advertiser pays to platforms where the ad appears instead of a real-time metric approach.

In programmatic advertising, ads are bought and sold in an automated manner. With real-time, AI-generated data, ads are targeted more profoundly using the collected data. Advertisers only bid on the targeted audience, and the pricing is based on real-time metrics. At Keynes Digital, we use the full-time programmatic approach for CTV advertising.

With CTV Streaming, marketers can take advantage of both digital video advertising as well as traditional advertising. While the basic concept behind the two remains similar, digitized CTV streaming brings together precise targeting and monitoring features of video marketing.

The rise of CTV Streaming began when people inclined more toward OTT platforms and smart TVs. This gives marketers a new way to advertise their brands. In fact, the Connected TV advertising market was $13.4 billion in 2021, and by 2027, it is expected to cross $27 billion.

All of this is accounted for by the increased streaming surfaces that tempted the audience to cut the cord. As more people started to let go of their traditional cable-based television sets, these streaming surfaces began to get the limelight. These CTV streaming providers come in many forms:

• Let’s take the example of CTV news live streaming. Gone are the days when people had access to news channels that were limited to cable providers’ terms. This feature allowed people to have unlimited access to channels all over the world – all through a good internet connection.
• Another great example is CTV streaming apps, including the CTV Roku app and CTV Go app. These apps have been an excellent way to ensure that the streaming surface is much more elaborate. As more people have access to CTV content, marketers can enjoy more benefits and get their brands recognized by a larger public.

As we mentioned earlier, Connected TV providers such as the CTV Go app, Roku app, Amazon Fire TV app, CTV News Live Streaming apps etc., have given users a comprehensive library to choose their content from.

If we talk about Roku, for example, they don’t have any subscription fee. In fact, you can stream a great deal of content for absolutely free (unless you subscribe to paid channels such as Netflix). You will only have to worry about paying the data usage amount to your Internet provider.

This is great for users as they have so many content options at such cheap pricing. At the same time, this is also helping the marketers as this content comes with advertisements. While the audience enjoys the free content, the advertisers get the platform to give credibility to their brand.

Another benefit that mutually helps the audience and marketers is that CTV video streaming has more engagement. Due to enhanced convenience and on-demand streaming, the audience is more engaged. This also means that an advertiser will have a higher chance of getting the ads seen and eliciting more responses. Thus providing a collective benefit.

All of this has played a role in making Connected TV so popular in the modern world. It is mutually benefiting both the audience as well as the marketers at the same time.

A considerable part of the audience is fond of CTV shows. It is one of the most popular streaming styles. Masterchef, for instance, is an example of CTV shows online. Other such global tv shows include The Gray’s Anatomy, Big Bang Theory, A Place To Call Home, Modern Love, and so on.

The audience usually uses CTV and OTT platforms to stream these shows. A significant advantage of streaming these shows through the internet is that people all over the globe have access to watch them.

Unlike the times when people had to rely on their cable providers and watch their favorite show only at a specific time. Not to mention, you could stream particular shows only in distinct regions of the world.

But now, with CTV shows and CTV movies, we can stream content whenever we like. We can pause the videos and resume watching them from exactly where we left off. This has given us the convenience to enjoy more content and consume it on demand.

This has led to the growth of CTV shows. It has increased the users’ inclination toward this modern way of streaming their favorite recent TV shows. Begone the days when our linear television sets provided only limited entertainment options!

You need to hire a service with the expertise in running suitable ads on any Connected TV platform. At Keynes, we provide full assistance with hundreds of online and offline database collections to make real-time decisions for your audience.

• Content: We plan and produce the perfect CTV video for your advertising campaign.
• Audience: Determine the campaign parameters to target a specific group of audience.
• Budget: Set up a programmatic budgeting approach for your campaign.
• Launch: Upload the content on the Connected TV platform for ad delivery.
• Monitor: Optimize the content by keeping track of how the campaign performs.

All the CTV platforms need programmatic advertising. The main goal is to show a relevant video ad to a targeted audience. Viewers aren’t necessarily against advertisements – they just want ads pertinent to their day-to-day lives.

That’s why the message in advertising has to be specific and somewhat personal to the viewer. The concept of CTV and OTT platforms is to let the viewers watch what they want, where they want when they want.

The same concept should be used in advertising. By advertising for the particular brand that a group audience is interested in, you can expect quick engagements and conversions in your marketing.

At Keynes, we curate your marketing so that the ads always run on the screens of interested buyers. Contact us to find it out yourself!

What is CTV? Or what is connected TV? A connected TV is a device that can be connected to the internet through it. The popularity of connected TVs has grown immensely over the past few years. According to Leichtman Research Group, 82% of US TV households have at least one Internet-connected TV device (compared to 80% in 2020, 74% in 2019, and 65% in 2016). eMarketer CTV also announced that 24 million U.S. broadband homes do not own a traditional pay-TV subscription service in 2018.

What is CTV advertising? Connected TV advertising is a form of video advertising that enables you to connect with consumers on connected TV devices, such as smart TVs, Apple TVs, Firesticks, etc. Connected TV ads create short-form video opportunities for brands that want to invest in their content and creativity to reach their ideal customers beyond the traditional limits of linear TV.

CTV trends are a great opportunity for marketers to reach people in new ways and control their media spending. There will be lots of growth opportunities for all types of media consumption across internet-connected devices. Giving you the power to reach audiences on the most popular apps, on every screen throughout the day, connected TV advertising is predicted to make up 60% of all video ad spending by 2022.

Similar to e-commerce, CTV 2022 ads are expected to take a sticker price. The idea of a 30-second ad being $50,000 or even $100,000 will become more and more normal as major corporations start bidding for bigger audiences and trying to fight for consumers on the small screen. As more advertisers begin to invest in TV (as an expanding market), it’s only expected that connected TV ads will follow the trend of increasing prices.

Multi-Channel Attribution is the measurement of the conversion path that leads to a completed sale. If your company is selling a $1000 product, then each customer costs more. As such, you need to make sure that every dollar you spend on marketing is worth it. Multi-channel attribution will tell you if a channel is worth investing in.

TV advertising effectiveness 2021 was a record year for the connected TV industry, driven largely by the increased consumer demand for video streaming services due to the pandemic. Connected tv trends 2021 of viewers were nothing the industry has seen before.

CTV growth 2022 is expected to continue surging as the connected TV advertising trend continues to take precedence in the consumer market. In response to the increasing demand for over-the-top (OTT) video streaming content, an increase in advertising spend on connected TV devices will be witnessed across industries and brands.

CTV growth 2021 reached 39% of total connected TV viewership 2021 from all streaming services globally, according to Pixalate. As the connected TV growth 2021 market expanded and consumer focus shifted over to more avenues than just traditional television, it’s good to know the industry is growing with it.

For example, CTV growth 2022 continues to skyrocket. Viewers are still watching for longer periods of time and watching a variety of content. CTV advertising growth will not slow down, so continue on to read to find out.

CTV advertising growth reports show US CTV ad spending would total $11.36 billion in 2021 and grow to $18.29 billion in 2024. Since then, people increased the amount of time they spent streaming video, and advertisers spent more money trying to gain the attention of those viewers. It’s now forecasted that more than $30 billion will be spent on connected TV ads by 2025, growing the CTV advertising market size tremendously.

GroupM predicts the CTV growth 2022 ad revenues will grow over 22% to over $20 billion from global TV ad spending 2021.

Connected tv advertising allows advertisers to reach consumers in a distraction-free, lean-back environment with relevant and targeted messaging. Connected TV advertising is benefiting from the general increase in programmatic advertising. In 2022, video will account for more than half of all US programmatic display ad spending.

Connected tv advertising is cost-efficient. A highly targeted market can be achieved at a low connected TV CPM, giving advertisers the chance to put more money towards creative materials that produce high-converting ads. Connected TV advertising offers the ability for brands to reach audiences on any device, anytime. So, Keynes couldn’t stress enough how important an advertiser’s connected TV ad really is. We’ve created a One View TV commercial review page that reviews TV commercials expressing what’s good and what could use work. Check out the page to get firsthand connected TV advertising examples.

We truly believe the benefits of CTV advertising are performance-driven, and couldn’t recommend it enough. To learn more about connected TV advertising, check out our blog page or contact us directly for questions to be answered.

Connected TV advertising offers an unparalleled viewing experience as viewers engage with content on large screens from the comfort of their homes. Personalization is a hallmark of connected TV advertising, enabling advertisers to target specific audiences based on demographics, location, shared interests, and more. Whether your focus is on B2B or B2C, the CTV space offers ample opportunities for your organization through precise CTV targeting.

The landscape of advertising is evolving with cord-cutting, allowing advertisers to employ CTV targeting for viewers consuming content on their smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs. The future of CTV will continue to advance its targeting technologies, incorporating cross-devices and meeting the demands of today’s brands and advertisers.

Connected TV advertising has firmly established itself as the future of TV advertising, a trend that became even more pronounced in 2021. The time is ripe to kickstart your CTV ad campaign. Explore our CTV examples and align them with industry-standard CTV specs. Reach out to Keynes for comprehensive information and guidance on your CTV advertising journey.

CTV OTT is a combined term used to describe a new way for viewers to consume streamed television and video content. When considering OTT vs CTV, OTT stands for “over-the-top,” and CTV stands for “connected television.”

• CTV vs OTT: What is Connected TV? The CTV definition is a device (TV, desktop, tablet, or mobile) connected to the Internet used to stream content. What is OTT? OTT is the content being streamed to the CTV device.
• Connected TV vs OTT: The over-the-top delivery method allows digital ads to run before and/or mid-streaming of the content. The TV commercials are placed over the top of the TV streaming content.
• OTT vs TV: This can also be considered OTT vs linear TV. OTT video content is watchable at any time (with a subscription for most platforms) and is delivered via the Internet. Regular TV, or traditional TV, is broadcasted on a timeframe and delivered via cable.

OTT programmatic advertising is a placement method that gives an advertiser more control over the advertising campaign and an improved ability to target a specific audience. The capabilities that CTV OTT brought to the digital advertising industry are unbelievable from an advertiser’s perspective. CTV OTT makes it possible for advertisers to create premium and personalized TV ads to be served to unique audience segments based on their specific behaviors, demographics, locational attributes, and more.

Linear TV meaning is any broadcasted television delivered on a regular live schedule via a cable or satellite to a television set not connected to the Internet. Some linear TV examples of where this television may be broadcasted may include a local broadcast and linear TV channels. Some of those linear TV channels, that are also found on CTV OTT, may include the major broadcast networks of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, and others.

Because of the massive audience numbers for linear television in the past, linear TV was always seen as being a top player in advertising. Advertisers use linear TV, in the past or now, because of the large audience reach, credibility, large advertising budgets, and prestige.

Nevertheless, with the rise of Connected TV OTT, linear television is losing audience share. Linear TV faces a decline of cable channel viewers as the audience becomes more fragmented.

The disadvantages of linear TV that advertisers are now relieving themselves from are the inability to target specific audience segments, expensive budgets to enter, and the large amounts of ad spend wasted on reaching viewers who are not potential customers for a product, service, or brand. Linear TV is set solely as a branding play.

Variety reports the Nielsen data that shows the average audience erosion for linear television in 2020 was a loss of 393,452 viewers. When comparing overall viewership for linear television from 2014 to 2020, only 21 out of 105 networks saw audience increases, whereas CBS had the greatest decline of 3.8 million viewers. So what is non linear TV?

From a viewer’s perspective, the main difference between CTV vs linear TV is that CTV delivers video streaming instantly. Instead of a viewer having to wait or plan around a broadcast’s live schedule, Connected TV has content readily available to play for users.

This can also be asked solely as what is CTV Advertising? The Connected TV definition makes CTV exceptionally interesting to advertisers because of the data flow that comes back from the content consumption of the households.

CTV advertising consists of ads played on Internet-connected TVs. To target a viewer on CTV, agencies or advertisers will track a user’s online journey all the way to target that user via a CTV device while content is being streamed, such as on Hulu. Agencies and advertisers do this by using cross-device technologies that need a 97%+ accuracy rate. These technologies determine that the person who logged into a device in New York isn’t the same device in Denver.

There are endless benefits to incorporating CTV advertising in a marketing strategy, such as:

• Performance metric measurement
• Ongoing optimization methods
• Cross-screen targeting and tracking

The number one reason advertisers are using CTV advertising is its ability to target valuable audiences giving those advertisers the credibility of being on a TV screen.

Some familiar CTV examples, or CTV device companies that display CTV advertising along with a variety of programming choices that differ with each system include:

• Apple TV
• Amazon Fire TV
• Roku
• Xbox
• PlayStation

Current CTV statistics prove Connected TV to be the biggest and best performance-based advertising channel in today’s time. The CTV metrics prove Connected TV to not only be useful for branding efforts but also a Direct Response channel for advertisers. The growth rate shown by CTV statistics proves Connected TV is not to be slowing down anytime soon. CTV households will grow to 82% by 2023 and reach full saturation within the next few years.

Connected TV Advertising Statistics

Statista reported that the connected TV advertising spends in 2019 were a total of $6.38 billion. In 2020, eMarketer says the US CTV ad spending was $8.11 billion. This amount is expected to increase to $11.36 billion throughout 2021. Statista estimates the connected TV advertising spend in 2022 will be $14.11 billion, rising to $16.34 billion in 2023, and in 2024, it will be $19.29 billion.

CTV Advertising Rates

The average Cost-Per-Thousand (CPM) for a CTV ad ranges from $25 to $35. CTV ads are more expensive when compared to local broadcast (linear) TV advertising that has a CPM range of $5 to $10.The CPM on YouTube is ~$10 and on Hulu is ~$30+. CTV ads garner a higher CPM because the audience is more targeted and therefore more valuable to advertisers. Also, just because the CPM is more expensive doesn’t mean everything else is more expensive. For example, Connected TV is almost guaranteed to produce a better outcome in the form of less expensive CPCVs.

CTV Measurement

CTV ads have the distinct advantage of being measurable. The measurement data is very valuable to advertisers when compared to the broadcast model which does not have a direct measurement. If using CTV advertising for a direct response campaign, CTV can be measured by CPA, ROAS, etc. For a branding approach, CTV is typically measured by a CPV metric.

Connected TV Marketing

Connected TV marketing has the feature of being addressable TV. This means that there is the ability to show different ads to different viewers based on the viewers’ demographics. Take, for example, a product that is targeted more toward females than males. It is extremely advantageous for an advertiser to present an ad for such a product to the audience portion that contains more females.

A Connected TV advertising example is using an advertising platform with programmatic advertising to run ads with streamed content. The content can be online television streaming services, streaming movies, and streaming content via gaming consoles. The main advantage of CTV ads is the ability to hyper-target a specific audience segment, and this makes CTV advertising campaigns highly cost-effective, and advertisers gain credibility by having their name on the tv screen.

Connected TV Growth

In July 2020, Digiday reported that there were 37 million CTV households in America. Industry experts estimate that by 2022, 25% of the television audience will access television programming exclusively by using CTV devices. The Drum predicts that connected TV households will grow 82% larger by 2023 to around 67 million. The Drum’s predictions are severely underestimated.

Another study, concluded in August 2020 by eMarketer, predicts even higher numbers for CTV households in America. These predictions are much higher than other estimates. The reason this study has a higher number comes from the survey methods. eMarketer surveyed households to find those that have at least one CTV device. Connected TV examples might be just one device in the entire household. Those households may also have cable or satellite television services too.

In 2020, eMarketer found that due to the pandemic, CTV households in America rose to 104.7 million. This number of households represents 80.9% of all American households. For 2021, the study predicts that this number grows to 107.6 million American CTV households representing 82.7% of the total.

By 2022, these American CTV households will rise to 109.7 million, equal to 84% of all households. In 2023, the estimates are 111.5 million households that will have CTV, which is 85% of the total. In 2024, eMarketer predicts 113 million U.S. CTV households, which is 86% of the total.

If the growth rate predicted by eMarketer is correct and continues, each year will add approximately another two million CTV households until the CTV households in America reach full saturation sometime over the next decade.

Connected TV Companies

For smart TVs, Samsung was the first to the market in 2008. Now, almost any new TV from Sony, LG, Vizio, or other manufacturers has an Internet connection. Roku has the largest market share for CTV devices, followed by Amazon Fire TV and Google’s Chromecast.

• Online Video (OLV): Online video, or OLV, encompasses all forms of video content streamed over the internet. This includes in-stream and out-stream video ads, interactive videos, in-game ads, and webpage-based videos. OLV content can be accessed on multiple devices, including mobile devices, laptops, tablets, and smart TVs.

CTV advertising brings a new era of precise measurement and audience targeting to the world of television advertising. Advertisers can leverage data-driven insights and collaborate with ad measurement companies to optimize their campaigns for maximum impact. As CTV viewership continues to rise, staying ahead of the curve in terms of measurement and strategy is essential for success in this dynamic advertising medium.

OTT / CTV advertising permits marketers to reach consumers directly on streaming platforms. However, while OTT advertising and CTV advertising are terms used interchangeably, there is one key difference. When comparing CTV vs OTT, the most notable contrast is where content is streamed. CTV refers specifically to television sets. The connected television will have internet access built-in or through an external device.

For CTV digital advertising, it refers to Connected TV commercials played on televisions that access streaming applications. When asking what is CTV advertising, the individual needs to focus on what the consumer is using to get online through their television set. The following are CTV examples:

• Samsung Smart TV
• Microsoft Xbox
• Sony Playstation
• Roku
• Google Chromecast
• Amazon Firestick

OTT advertising focuses less on what connects the television to the internet and instead on the platform used to stream content. Like CTV advertising, OTT advertising can also include media played on mobile devices, tablets, and desktops. OTT advertising / CTV advertising is more often preferred on a television set because consumers are viewing ads on full screen and in high definition.

Premium CTV advertising on OTT advertising platforms is designed to engage viewers before, during, or after watching a TV show or movie. Most Connected TV advertising is designed to play through from start to finish without a skip option. Although advertisements are featured on a television set, the cost is still less than traditional network TV commercials.

Connected TV advertising is also designed to work with big and small marketing budgets or companies. Connected TV advertising is usually priced by how many impressions are served and where the impressions appear. Since Connected TV advertising appears on internet-ready devices, all advertising is based on marketers’ pull of data for their niche audience targets. Collect data in real-time to see the traction Connected TV advertising is gaining and which ones are dead on arrival.

OTT advertising has similarities to CTV advertising. For one, most companies will be able to play the same type of ads through OTT devices, or Connected TV devices. CTV advertising / OTT advertising grows companies. High-quality, video ads help improve brand recognition. Marketers control the frequency of how often a viewer sees their CTV advertising / OTT advertising commercial and gauge responsiveness. CTV advertising / OTT advertising is highly targeted and is shown based on previous interactions. For instance, a consumer who has already interacted with a brand could be shown a retargeted Connected TV commercial.

CTV advertising / OTT advertising also has a high completion rate. According to Strategus, CTV advertising / OTT advertising rates have a completion rate of over 90 percent. With higher completion rates, brands are more likely to see a return on investment. An additional benefit of OTT advertising is that marketers have an extended reach. Like CTV advertising, OTT advertising reaches consumers who own any device, such as a TV, desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.

OTT advertising and Connected TV advertising spending are important in a company’s marketing budget because of the significant reach campaigns currently have in the industry. As of November 2021, according to eMarketer, the average person spent 80 minutes per day viewing OTT content. This was a 9 percent increase from the previous year. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of OTT content viewed daily is expected to surge. Binge-watching has become a popular way to watch TV shows, which gives companies a chance to interact frequently with targeted prospects digitally.

OTT vs CTV IAB should be a consideration as a company plans out its marketing strategy. IAB stands for Internet Advertising for Media Buying and provides a standard for digital media companies to follow. Brands are protected under these guidelines when promoting their products and services through OTT advertising platforms. Connected TV advertising is also protected under the terms and conditions of IAB.

OTT advertising platforms are applications available to display different types of ads. The best OTT advertising platforms will have the means to target customers for the brand. For instance, toymakers may want to use OTT advertising platforms that have a lot of child-friendly content. Benefits of OTT advertising include the potential to target based on viewing habits. The following are OTT advertising companies currently with inventory available:

• Hulu
• Paramount Plus
• Sling
• Amazon Prime Video
• Crackle
• Pluto TV
• Vudu
• Roku Channel
• Peacock

Another option is to purchase OTT advertising space on the Connected TV device. Examples of Connected TV advertising platforms include:

• Roku
• FireTV
• Chromecast
• Sony Playstation
• Microsoft Xbox

What is CTV? As you may already get the gist–CTV stands for “Connected TV”, or connected television, and means any type of television set capable of streaming over the internet. A CTV definition is typically about televisions that can download applications intended for streaming. The following are the three categories of Connected TV:

• Smart televisions. A smart television is manufactured with the ability to go online and support applications. Manufacturers of smart TVs include Samsung, Sony, and Vizio.
• Gaming consoles. Once hooked up to a television, the latest gaming consoles provide a platform to stream content. Examples include the Sony Playstation, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
• OTT device. An OTT device is also called a streaming or connected device. The device plugs directly into a television set and connects to the internet as a way to download applications and stream movies and shows. Examples include Amazon Firestick, Apple TV, and Chromecast.

A CTV advertising definition means ads are played on a television that has online access. Connected TV advertising is always played on a full episodic player and will include unskippable commercials that run for 15 to 30 seconds. Connected TV advertising is optimized for television screens and can display in high definition. The type of Connected TV advertising chosen by a brand will depend on goals and preferences. Examples of CTV advertising types include:

• In-stream video advertisement. This ad type is not skippable and will last up to 30 seconds. The ad will be displayed before or during an OTT program.
• Interactive ad. An interactive ad could also play before the content or after the episode has finished. The difference is the ability to click on the ad and get redirected to an external landing page.
• Home screen and pause button ads. These versions can be static or animated for the marketing campaign. The ads will usually feature an obvious call to action.

CTV advertising companies streamline the process of getting a brand’s ads on the right platform. Companies achieve this by providing programmatic buying opportunities. Programmatic buying features buying and selling ad space in real-time for specific devices or OTT platforms. Bidding can be automated without having to enter into a contract with a platform. Ads can be targeted better with programmatic buying since multiple content types and streaming services can be accessed at once. CTV advertising permits easy tracking to measure the results of each campaign. Companies can look at data to see how much CTV advertising has assisted in brand growth.

Connected TV advertising companies provide a space for video and banner ads to appear on the screens of viewers. Connected TV companies can represent the platform or the channel. Some Connected TV advertising platforms are media groups run by television stations. Connected TV advertising platforms could also include omnichannel platforms and Connected TV devices. The following is a small sampling of CTV advertising platforms:

• Roku
• The Trade Desk
• Amazon Firestick
• Apple TV
• Chromecast

CTV advertising examples are essential to determine what makes a good commercial and what doesn’t perform well. Connected TV examples aid advertisers in judging what can positively reflect a brand and the company’s core values. OTT advertising examples will offer the same insight since they are often categorized with Connected TV commercials.

Keynes Digital recommends judging each Connected TV advertising example on whether it garners a direct response or assists with branding. For direct response, questions to consider are:

• Does the ad grab my attention right away?
• Do I know who the advertiser is from start to finish?
• Do I know where to go to follow up?
• Does the ad look professional?

For branding, questions to think about when viewing CTV examples include:

• Is the ad memorable?
• Would I need to watch many times to remember the ad?
• Is the ad buzzworthy? Would I share with friends?

Connected TV advertising statistics are one of the main reasons that marketers prefer the platform over linear TV advertising. Traditional network commercials don’t typically provide enough data to help a company make smart marketing decisions. CTV measurement is more than just measuring how long a consumer watches an ad. Although video completion rates are important, marketers want to form a partnership with companies that provide additional data sets. For instance, post-view attribution reports will state whether consumers interacted after viewing a Connected TV commercial. Marketers can measure metrics like ROAS, CPA, CPCV, TV network performance, impressions, and more.

Any questions about connected advertising opportunities, reach out to Keynes Digital. As a top-rated agency, representatives can answer questions about CTV advertising stocks, programmatic buying, Connected TV tracking, and much more.

The acronym CTV stands for “Connected TV,” a term that itself refers to any television set that is used to stream video content over an active Internet connection. More often than not, these videos are streamed via apps that are downloaded by users to better reflect their viewing preferences.

A “smart” TV is perhaps the most obvious example of one of these devices, as they have their own built-in Internet connections and media platforms and thus require no additional equipment for streaming. Devices that plug directly into the TV that is connected to the Internet (think: the Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick) would also fall under this umbrella. Gaming consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation would also qualify, as they have built-in app stores that essentially allow them to act as streaming CTV media devices along with gaming platforms.

A Connected TV advertising campaign, by association, is exactly what it sounds like: an opportunity to target relevant content channels (and audience groups) with long-form, non-skippable online advertising via these devices. The right CTV campaign is an advertiser’s best chance to reach these users, the majority of which have already left traditional cable programming behind and are unlikely to ever return. CTV advertising is also by default a way to future-proof a brand’s efforts, as recent studies indicate that CTV households are predicted to grow to an enormous 82% of ALL households by as soon as 2023.

But at the same time, Connected TV advertising will not be successful if an advertiser simply takes the methods he or she has always used and tries to transpose them onto this new platform. This piece will discuss all of the things needed to know to be successful in terms of advertising to this new generation of users.

As stated, the answer to the question “what does CTV stand for?” is “Connected Television” – a series of devices that stream content to users, not over a cable connection, but over the Internet in their homes. But what is CTV advertising and why is it important in the modern era? Because it affords advertisers certain opportunities that simply didn’t exist in previous generations.

CTV advertising offers far better targeting capabilities than traditional television advertising, for example, allowing advertisers to virtually guarantee that their budgets are going toward their most valuable customers and the ones who are most likely to convert. CTV marketing also offers an opportunity to leverage more measurable results than ever before.

Connected TV programmatic platforms allow advertisers to measure the results of their ad campaigns via both digital and traditional metrics, for example, which include important ones like video completion rates and more. To put it another way, an advertiser won’t just know who is seeing any of his or her ad campaign – an advertiser will be able to see the amount of content the user viewed and whether or not he or she took any action at the end of it.

Finally, CTV advertising allows advertisers to tap into an audience that is growing dramatically all the time – CTV meaning not only millennials but also the growing percentage of the population who do not have cable television and who do not plan on getting it anytime soon. This generation of cord-cutters is here to stay, and CTV marketing, therefore, becomes a brand’s best opportunity to adapt to that fact.

A similar concept that is equally important is OTT TV advertising, which is short for “over the top.” OTT services are streaming services that allow users to buy access to their platforms to watch television content over the Internet via a standard, closed TV system. With an OTT device, users don’t have to subscribe to traditional cable in order to watch their desired shows and programs. Popular OTT examples include services like Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

OTT advertising is again important for advertisers because it allows an advertiser to take an ad campaign message directly to where the targeted viewers in a way that is far more targeted and effective than ever before. An example of OTT advertising (inaction) would be if a user turned on an Apple TV, opened the YouTube TV app, selected a video, and had to watch two or three commercials before and during the content actually came on. These commercials are far more relevant to the user’s own interests than anything most likely seen on traditional television.

This is because of those aforementioned targeting capabilities that allow advertisers to leverage the data already being created to provide better and more specific content than ever. Not only does a user see commercials of his or her actual interest, but advertisers get to more effectively connect with the prospects who are most likely to become paying customers in the first place – thus increasing the return on investment of their ad campaign at the exact same time.

At this point, it’s important to touch on another related concept – linear, also known as traditional, television. The linear TV definition provided by the experts at Oracle is “a traditional system in which a viewer watches a scheduled TV program at the time it’s broadcast and on its original channel.”

In simpler words, this is the familiar way of watching television that most adults grew up with – a bought bundle of TV channels from a cable, satellite, or telco company. For example, back before streaming services, a particular show would have an air date and time that the viewer had to be home in order to watch it. If not, the viewer would have to wait for the network to rerun it or have the option to record it via DVR to view it later.

As the battle between connected TV vs linear TV continues, linear TV’s reach continues to implode due to the increasingly advanced TV landscape arising. From an advertising perspective, CTV vs linear TV is also beneficial if they’re spending money on an ad running at a specific time and the viewer doesn’t see it because they weren’t home. Ultimately, the advertiser has essentially wasted his or her money. With Connected TV advertising, a viewer will see the campaign regardless of the time he or she watches a show.

Although, let’s look at CTV vs OTT. Connected TV vs OTT advertising ultimately comes down to a matter of semantics. The term CTV is used when specifically talking about those smart televisions and streaming devices that are used to deliver content to users. OTT is platform agnostic, meaning that it doesn’t actually matter which devices are included in the discussion. A streaming platform, like Netflix, would be considered an OTT service, which is then delivered to users via a CTV device, like an Apple TV. It can be helpful to think of connected TV examples in those terms.

These days, there are a wide array of connected TV advertising platforms out there all targeting users in more precise ways than ever before. According to a recent CTV study by eMarketer, approximately half of all CTV ad spend this year is going to the same three platforms: YouTube, Hulu and Roku.

But interestingly, one connected TV advertising example that isn’t a part of the three mentioned above experienced incredible gains this year: the Apple TV. Due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that more people are spending more time in their homes than ever before, the Apple TV actually saw the largest market share increase of all CTV devices in 2020 – to the tune of about 175% increase. Therefore, it makes a certain degree of sense that connected TV companies are turning their attention toward these types of devices. It makes sense for CTV advertising companies to focus their CTV ad spend in this direction because they can instantly target users on various platforms.

In the end, CTV is for all brands. Both content consumption on CTV platforms and CTV ad spend are increasing – and this is one trend that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, CTV has been the least affected by ad placement during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns – and total CTV ad spend is expected to reach $16 million per advertiser by the end of the year according to one study. Not only that, but by the end of next year, CTV ad spend collectively is estimated to hit an enormous $10.81 billion – most of which will go directly to CTV examples like YouTube, Roku and Hulu as outlined above.

Everyone knew that CTV and OTT advertising was the way of the future – stats like the above go a long way towards proving that this future has officially arrived.