OTT’s Evolution and New Ideas for Effective OTT Media Placement
The OTT (Over the Top) space has gone through a continuous state of change from the moment cable subscribers began cutting the cord years ago.
Today the landscape has a broader audience than ever, but consumers also have more options than ever before.
As a result, the video streaming marketplace is going to continue changing as consumers continue to change the way they consume media.
In an earlier blog about OTT, we described this channel as any kind of content being streamed over the internet directly to the consumer.
This is still true. Consumers have become increasingly familiar with streaming media. Whether initiated independently or introduced to streaming by a friend or family member, if you’re a consumer in the U.S., there is a good chance you’ve streamed OTT more recently than you thought.
Let’s revisit this evolving channel and learn what’s new in the OTT, CTV, and ATV space.
Has the definition of OTT changed?
As stated above, there have been a lot of changes. But what is considered OTT remains essentially the same: Video content delivered live or on-demand. It does not matter if its free or subscription based. With this in mind, the umbrella of OTT has been added to with a couple of key subcategories. CTV, and ATV are now recognized terminologies when talking about reaching audiences through different devices.
Over-The-Top (OTT)
This umbrella term simply means video content transported from a video provider over an internet connection via a connected device (such as a connected TV, Smart TV, etc.).
Connected TV (CTV)
A “connected TV” is a television that is connected to the internet. TVs can be connected to the internet via devices like Blu-ray players, streaming box or stick, and gaming consoles, or have built-in internet capabilities (i.e, a Smart TV) that provide access to a variety of long-form and short-from web-based content.
Advanced TV (ATV)
ATV refers to any television content that has evolved beyond traditional, linear television delivery models. This umbrella term is inclusive of Interactive TV, Connected TV, Smart TV, and Linear Addressable & VOD (Video on Demand) Addressable.
How Can OTT be used for marketing my business?
We’ve always discussed the importance of educating homeowners, selecting the right endorser, and strategies for kicking off your advertising campaigns.
The growth of OTT into the mainstream means that we are now consistently recommending marketers give the OTT space serious consideration for reaching target audiences.
By advertising on television AND on OTT, you can effectively extend your message reach. Viewers today aren’t choosing OTT content over traditional TV. Almost all are watching a mix of both.
As a result, data also shows that OTT viewers are responsive to OTT advertising.
In a 2019 OpenX study, 72% of OTT consumers recalled ads shown during OTT content. (Source: IAB, “OTT Streaming Video Playbook for Advanced Marketers”, Dec 2019 (https://www.iab.com/insights/ott-video-streaming-playbook-for-advanced-marketers/; Nielsen Total Audience Report, Feb 2020).
Can OTT advertising help target specific audiences?
Traditional television advertising uses ratings data to target broad customer demographics cost-effectively. OTT takes this a step further and attempts to use anonymized data on individual viewers to determine who gets served ads.
Here’s how that might look:
A viewer streams content live or on-demand.
Commercials are delivered if that viewer’s data matches the desired target audience
Commercials appear in TV-quality content
Impressions are recorded and delivered to RCG in a report
We can target viewers in a number of ways:
- Geographical targeting might include specific zip codes.
- Demographic targeting might include age ranges or income levels.
- Behavioral targeting might include hobbies, interests and/or recent online research.
Advertisers can test Advanced TV tactics, too.
With our devices being more connected than ever, the advertising opportunities are continuing the change. Advertising in OTT presents new opportunities to try advanced methods like dynamic overlays, customer acquisition tools and virtual coupons which allow the consumer to interact in ways never before.
Bottom line: another way to reach your audience.
The RCG Contractor Marketing team has been tracking audiences in this space for over five years. We help contractors navigate marketing on OTT and all streaming video platforms.
If you are curious whether OTT might be the right choice for your business, we recommend you contact our team to provide you with more insight on targeting your specific audience.
