The mass scale of programmatic video advertising can be costly for brands as these ads are typically difficult to target. When brands pay to display their video advertisements, they want to work with platforms that provide active, engaged viewers. Using too many platforms can be extremely expensive, but targeting the wrong platforms will result in low conversion rates. Brands need to look to the devices that consumers use for video viewing when developing their next video advertising strategy.
Programmatic advertising is becoming increasingly app-based as consumers take to the internet for all of their viewing needs. Cable-cutters present an excellent market for programmatic advertising as brands can better target their messages and create scalable campaigns. By utilizing innovative methods of video delivery, brands can discover new avenues for reaching consumers.
Programmatic Video Advertising Strategy #1: Make Mobile a Priority
Programmatic video advertising is going mobile, and so should brands. By 2020, mobile video is expected to account for two-thirds of overall programmatic spending. The desktop is near obsolete, as the devices consumers use every day—from their laptops to their phones and smartwatches—are all served by a mobile platform. Consumers no longer need a specific place to access the internet. They can take it with them everywhere they go. Brands should budget to make mobile video advertising a priority, as it poses the opportunity to take advantage of innovations such as:
- Augmented reality and 360-degree technology: Augmented reality and 360-degree aspects in video create a high-end feel that can increase brand quality perception. Red Bull leveraged both in its new Rampage campaign. The campaign allows viewers to experience a 3D model of the company’s mountain course in Utah. It also lets them select specific points within the video to view other features, including four live 360-degree virtual reality cameras. The mobile campaign is designed for use on both iOS and Android devices, ensuring maximum brand exposure.
- Rewarded video: Brands can only benefit from mobile app marketing if the app they partner with can maintain a consistent audience. Rewarded video—in which the consumer receives an incentive to watch an advertisement—is a retention driver for apps. These rewarded ads increase retention by as much as 76%.
- Interactive experiences: Consumer-driven advertising engages the individual receiving the brand’s message, leading to increased brand affinity. These types of video advertisements provide the consumer with an incentive to participate by expediting the commercial break. Brands can also gain feedback on consumer spending habits through interactive polls embedded in advertising.
Shopkick combines three forms of mobile video marketing to engage consumers. Rewarding consumers for their engagement boosts user retention, encouraging in-store interaction primes them for sale, and offering innovative mobile features drives adoption. This multifaceted strategy boosts the conversion potential of video while allowing marketers to better target users.
Programmatic Video Advertising Strategy #2: Go Over-the-Top
While mobile will represent a significant part of online video traffic in future years, streaming TV will also be a popular avenue for reaching consumers. By 2020, revenue from the over-the-top (OTT) market is expected to reach $120 billion. A wide range of devices that serve this type of content support this growth.
- Connected TV: Televisions that include built-in internet services are the primary drivers of consumers cutting cable and choosing instead to stream programs directly from the internet.
- Gaming consoles: Today’s more popular gaming consoles include Nintendo’s Switch, Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox. Notably, all of these devices are increasingly focusing on streaming services for both movies and games.
- Streaming devices: Popular amongst cord-cutters, streaming devices like Google’s Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire Stick, and Roku’s Express Streaming Player allow consumers to watch television from the internet on any device with a USB port.
OTT devices create segmentation in programmatic ad-buys as consumers use such a wide range of platforms for viewing. Well-known services like Hulu and Netflix are obvious targets, but smaller platforms may get overlooked. Brands should consider the niche interests of their target demographic when selecting streaming platforms for programmatic ad buys for OTT markets.
Programmatic Video Advertising Strategy #3: Leverage Addressable TV
The ability to reach the right consumers is much more important than the ability to reach consumers on a mass scale. One of the limitations of traditional television advertising is that commercials are scheduled based on very broad demographics. As such, brands cannot target messages at a user-level. Addressable TV seeks to change that by adjusting the message the consumer sees based on who they are.
While it seems like a far-off strategy, half of all U.S. households have the technology needed to receive addressable ads.
This data-driven video marketing strategy categorizes households to serve more relevant messages to viewers. By using existing data, brands buy ads by the viewer type, rather than the time slot. A diaper brand, for example, could schedule a commercial to run only in households that have had a child within the past year. It’s a more personalized approach to ad delivery with higher conversion potential. While it seems like a far-off strategy, half of all U.S. households have the technology needed to receive addressable ads. All brands must do to take advantage is seek out platforms that offer addressable ad-buy services.
Its mass nature always limited programmatic video advertising, but today’s options make it far easier to scale. Mobile delivery helps brands reach consumers as they shop, while addressable and OTT options better target the right viewers. These innovations allow brands to adjust their message and improve the return on their marketing investment.
Shopkick partners use our app as part of a programmatic video advertising strategy for reaching highly targeted audiences. To partner with us and stay ahead of innovation in the mobile marketing industry, contact us.
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