ITV

Tag: CTV

  • India TV expands reach on Samsung TV Plus

    India TV expands reach on Samsung TV Plus

    Mumbai: India TV group, in news broadcasting, has tied up with Samsung TV Plus India to expand its footprint in the rapidly growing Connected TV (CTV) space. As part of this collaboration, India TV Group’s Connected TV (CTV) exclusive channels India TV, India TV Speed News, India TV Aap Ki Adalat, and India TV Yoga are now accessible on the Samsung TV Plus platform. Viewers can now enjoy easy access to extensive high-quality content offerings ranging from news, current affairs, fitness and entertainment. This strategic move marks a significant step in India TV’s mission to broaden its audience by leveraging the expanding CTV market.

    “Our collaboration with Samsung TV Plus opens new and wider avenues for viewers. It is a stepping-stone towards delivering quality and diverse and rich content to the combined audience. We are optimistic that the coming together of India TV and Samsung TV Plus will redefine and improve the experience of online content consumption,” said  India TV chief strategy officer Amit Kumar Sinha.

    Samsung TV Plus is a free streaming service that comes pre-installed on Samsung Smart TVs, offering a wide range of channels, including news, sports, entertainment, and more, in select countries. In India, Samsung TV Plus gives viewers access to over 100 live TV channels and thousands of movies and shows, both live and on-demand.

    “Samsung TV Plus has been at the forefront of bringing high-quality content via FAST to our viewers. We remain steadfast in our commitment to provide content that our consumers find interesting and useful. The addition of the four new channels from the India TV group impresses upon our vision to deliver quality and diverse content,” said Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta.

  • Connected TV sparks advertising revolution, Nikhil Kumar on the rise of connected TVs in India

    Connected TV sparks advertising revolution, Nikhil Kumar on the rise of connected TVs in India

    Mumbai: The India Digital Brand Fest 2024, held on 30 August at Hotel Pride Plaza in Aerocity, New Delhi, was a pivotal event bringing together brand marketers, advertising and digital professionals, and CMOs under one roof. The festival illuminated critical trends in digital marketing, mobile strategies, and programmatic advertising, reflecting the rapid evolution of the industry.

    Amidst a landscape that is increasingly shaped by technological advancements, Connected TV (CTV) emerged as a central theme of the event.

    Diving into this, Indian Television dot com’s founder, chairman, and editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanwari, joined mediasmart’s chief growth officer, Nikhil Kumar, for a discussion centering around the transformational impact of CTV on the advertising ecosystem in India.

    Hard sell to the essential tool:

    Kumar shared his journey of championing CTV, a concept that was initially met with skepticism. “When we introduced CTV to the Indian advertisers during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a tough sell. Few brands saw the potential,” Kumar recalled. However, as he passionately explained, the landscape has drastically changed. Today, CTV is not just relevant—it’s crucial for any brand in today’s modern advertising. He emphasised that CTV’s power lies in its ability to democratise advertising, allowing even small-town brands to share the spotlight with major players.

    Empowering the underdogs:

    One of Kumar’s most compelling anecdotes highlighted how CTV is levelling the playing field for advertisers from towns beyond metro cities. He recounted a moment when a small-scale pesticide company’s founder, located in tier two or tier three town, was overjoyed to see his ad appear on television via an OTT platform. This, Kumar explained, is the magic of CTV—it allows brands that never imagined themselves on the big screen to reach audiences they couldn’t have before.

    Need for creative evolution:

    Wanwari pointed out a key challenge: many advertisers are not fully leveraging the potential of CTV. He noted that viewers often see the same ad repeatedly, leading to viewer fatigue. Kumar agreed, stressing the importance of dynamic creative optimisation (DCO) in addressing this issue. By tailoring ads based on user behaviour and exposure, brands can avoid bombarding viewers with the same content, instead offering a more engaging and personalised experience.

    Innovations driving CTV:

    Kumar highlighted several innovations that are pushing the CTV space forward. He spoke about mediasmart’s introduction of Creative Sync, a tool that enhances traditional ads by making them more interactive and engaging. For instance, a Coca-Cola ad could feature a bottle filling up on-screen, creating a thirst-quenching effect that’s impossible to ignore. This level of creativity, combined with the strategic use of QR codes and other interactive elements, is transforming how advertisers connect with their audiences.

    Unified advertising experience:

    As the conversation drew to a close, Kumar discussed the importance of a unified advertising approach. He pointed out that today’s consumers interact with multiple screens throughout their day—from their mobile phones to CTVs to digital out-of-home screens in places like elevators. The key is not to bombard the user with the same ad on every screen but to create a seamless, multi-screen experience that builds brand recall without overwhelming the viewer.

    Future of CTV:

    Kumar is optimistic about the future of CTV in India, especially with major players like Jio entering the space. He sees CTV not just as an alternative to traditional TV but as a powerful tool that can complement and enhance other forms of digital advertising. With the right strategies, he believes CTV will continue to grow and evolve, offering brands new and exciting ways to engage with their audiences.

    In conclusion, Nikhil Kumar’s insights paint a vivid picture of a rapidly evolving advertising landscape, where connected TV is no longer just a concept but a vital component of any forward-thinking brand’s strategy. As Kumar succinctly put it, “The future of advertising is not about where your ad is shown; it’s about who sees it and how they engage with it.”

  • Affle India rides high on Adtech surge, poised for strong growth

    Affle India rides high on Adtech surge, poised for strong growth

    Mumbai: As per Elara diet report, global adtech leaders like Trade Desk and PubMatic have seen an average 16.0 per cent year-on-year revenue growth in developed markets (DM), with Trade Desk outperforming at 27.3 per cent. The shift from linear TV to connected TV (CTV), which offers higher ROI, is driving this growth. Programmatic advertising is also gaining traction as CMOs seek better results from their ad spend.

    Trade desk reported strong 25.9 per cent year-on-year growth in Q2CY24, while PubMatic saw a modest 6.0 per cent due to changes in a major DSP buyer’s strategy. Despite this, both companies are maintaining solid growth in the US, with Trade Desk’s International segment performing especially well.

    The adoption of CTV is accelerating, with PubMatic’s omnichannel video revenue, including CTV, growing 19 per cent year-on-year, and Trade Desk seeing significant gains in CTV as well. Lower CTV ad costs are attracting more ad dollars due to higher ROI.

    Google’s decision to retain cookies has eased concerns about rising data costs. PubMatic and Trade Desk are well-positioned, with Trade Desk’s Unified ID 2.0 gaining traction.

    Affle India, with 26.8 per cent exposure to DM, is expected to benefit from these trends. The company is projected to see steady eight to 10 per cent growth in DM, supported by CTV adoption and increased programmatic spending. Its strong presence in emerging markets (EM) further enhances growth potential, with an expected 21.0 per cent organic revenue CAGR for FY25E-27E. Analysts recommend a “Buy” with a target price of Rs 1,727.

    Affle India is poised to capitalise on the ongoing adtech trends, making it a promising player in the industry.

  • Neuroscience study by JioCinema confirms elevated viewer engagement with TATA IPL 2024 ads

    Neuroscience study by JioCinema confirms elevated viewer engagement with TATA IPL 2024 ads

    Mumbai: JioCinema, the official digital streaming partner of TATA IPL 2024, has released the results of a pioneering neuroscience study aimed at understanding and quantifying how viewers respond to advertisements during the TATA IPL. This innovative research highlights the exceptional engagement and purchase intent driven by ads viewed on JioCinema, both on Connected TV (CTV) and mobile platforms.

    With the 2024 season marking a milestone in digital streaming, JioCinema attracted a record number of 28 sponsors and over 1,400 advertisers, showcasing the platform’s popularity and reach. JioCinema achieved an impressive streaming viewership record with a 620 million reach during TATA IPL 2024. The significant rise in viewer engagement is attributed to the dynamic nature of the cricketing event and the strategic placement of advertisements.

    To delve deeper into this engagement surge, JioCinema conducted a novel neuroscience study utilizing advanced EEG brain mapping devices. The study measured key performance metrics, such as distraction levels, mental effort required to understand and remember ads, changes in brand equity, and purchase intent, directly from viewers’ brains. Participants watched their favourite teams’ matches along with the ads on various platforms, including JioCinema on CTV and mobile, and on Linear TV (LTV) channels. Comparative data was also collected from YouTube on CTV and mobile.

    Key Findings:

    Large Screen (CTV):

    Viewers displayed much more attentive ad viewing, 1.2 times higher than LTV and YouTube CTV.

    Brand equity increased by 1.5 times compared to LTV and doubled compared to YouTube CTV.

    Small Screen (Mobile):

    Viewers were significantly more attentive to ads, 1.2 times higher than YouTube on mobile.

    Brand equity increased by 1.2 times compared to YouTube on mobile.

    These results underscore the superior impact of advertising on JioCinema’s platforms, offering advertisers a unique opportunity to connect with a highly engaged audience. The study demonstrates that JioCinema’s ads not only capture attention more effectively but also enhance brand equity and drive purchase intent more powerfully than other platforms.

    Neurons India cognitive neuroscientist and director Shikher Chaudhary who worked with JioCinema to conduct this study, said, “The effectiveness of ads and how motivating it is to consumers is dependent not only on the creative narrative of the ad but also the scenario in which consumers encounter it. Here we see that the platform has a significant effect on purchase intent, advertising on JioCinema allows for something called the Halo effect, in which the goodwill garnered by the goodness and new-age features of the platform transfers onto the ads, boosting reception to the brands as a result.”

    “Our recent experiment has demonstrated that advertising on our platform significantly outperforms other platforms both on large and small screens, in terms of brand equity and purchase intent. Brands that leverage our platform see a more profound impact, with higher engagement and stronger consumer connections,” said Viacom18 Sports head of revenue Anup Govindan. “This proves that our unique approach and advanced targeting capabilities provide a superior advertising environment. We’re excited to help more brands achieve these exceptional results and drive their business growth to new heights.”

    With unequivocal proof of how brands can benefit from associating with JioCinema in this regard, advertising on JioCinema will undoubtedly prove to be a mainstay for brands looking to engage with consumers. As the official digital streaming partner of TATA IPL 2024, JioCinema continues to innovate and provide viewers with an unparalleled cricket viewing experience.

  • Dr Deepak Chopra explores happiness on Duologue with Barun Das Season 2 CTV premiere

    Dr Deepak Chopra explores happiness on Duologue with Barun Das Season 2 CTV premiere

    Mumbai: Barun Das and Dr Deepak Chopra embarked on a profound dialogue about the intersections of well-being, leadership, and modern challenges, in the CTV premiere of the third episode in Duologue with Barun Das Season 2.

    The eagerly anticipated third episode of ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ Season 2 premiered on India’s only 24×7 digital English news livestream, News9 Live, at 9 pm on the 1  June 2024. The episode featured Barun Das, MD & CEO of TV9 Network, and the internationally acclaimed author and wellness guru, Dr. Deepak Chopra engage in a profoundly cerebral conversation on the meaning of happiness, tradition, leadership and more.

    In a compelling back-and-forth, Das and Dr Chopra delved into the intricacies of modern life, discussing contemporary sources of stress and the transformative potential of well-being practices. Dr Chopra, known for his profound insights and holistic approach, shared his perspective on the current state of the world, describing unhappy people as “victim(s) of the hypnosis of social conditioning.”

    Dr Chopra’s insights offer a refreshing take on leadership and personal growth. “In my life, I’ve used only two formulas: pursue excellence and ignore success,” he revealed in a candid moment. The conversation explored the challenges of engaging people with transformative ideas and the significance of joy in personal and professional life.

    Both visionary thinkers, Dr Chopra and Das dived deeper into the ambiguous concept of happiness, with each sharing their understanding of what it was, the importance of measuring it, and the different formulas that could be used to calculate it.

    Touching on neuroplasticity, Dr Chopra advocated for traditional activities that foster creativity, such as listening to music, engaging with nature, and reading fiction. “Rote work doesn’t encourage neuroplasticity. It’s simply the recycling of collective consciousness,” he explained.

    The Duologue also touched on the evolving role of AI in creativity and well-being, with Das delineating the significance of left-brain and right-brain activities, while Dr Chopra emphasized the limitations of artificial intelligence and the importance of traditional activities that foster creativity. “AI will never be fundamentally creative but can solve routine problems,” he asserted.

    Duologue host Barun Das resonated with Dr Chopra’s views, expressing his non-conformist stance regarding traditions, which he said he considers vestiges of a bygone era that no longer align with contemporary realities.

    The episode offered a glimpse into the profound wisdom of Dr Chopra and his visionary approach to well-being and leadership. Following this episode, ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ continues to bring thought-provoking conversations to audiences on Saturday the 8th of June at 9 pm, this time with an episode featuring India’s most iconic golfing legend, Jeev Milkha Singh, exclusively on News9 Live.

  • News18 Network scales up CTV sales with 250 plus brands on counting day

    News18 Network scales up CTV sales with 250 plus brands on counting day

    Mumbai: News18 Network has set a new milestone on the election’s result day that is 4 June by executing 250 campaigns in a single day, the highest number ever in its history. This achievement is notable not only for the volume of campaigns but also for attracting a significant number of new clients, underlining the network’s growing strength on connected TV (CTV).

    All 250 campaigns were broadcast across News18 Network’s regional channels on CTV, drawing in a diverse range of new clients, particularly from the retail sector, as well as top regional and national businesses in fintech, edutech, and the automotive industry.

    News18 Network’s CEO – Indian languages Mitul Sangani commented on the network’s outstanding performance: “We at News18 Network are grateful to our loyal viewers for making us their preferred choice during this important election season, which has helped us maintain our position as the top news platform. We are thrilled with the campaign’s response and the large number of new clients it attracted from various industries. This success motivates us to continue developing innovative concepts for impactful campaigns.”

    In terms of TV and digital platform viewership, News18 Network leads the market. The network’s high viewership, wide reach, and consistently relevant content have made it the go-to source for news and an ideal platform for advertising, capturing viewers’ full attention in every segment.

  • Leveraging data-driven journalism in the age of Connected TV for enhanced news channel performance

    Leveraging data-driven journalism in the age of Connected TV for enhanced news channel performance

    Mumbai: In today’s digital backdrop, the coming together of data-driven journalism and connected TV (CTV) has modernized the way news channels function and connect with their viewers. The introduction of CTV has not only spread out the reach of news content but has also presented helpful insights about spectator behaviour, preferences, and engagement metrics. By exploiting the potential of data analytics, news channels can now formulate educated strategic decisions that push performance and improve viewer experience.

    Connected TV platforms have turned out to be a repository of statistics, providing news channels with a pool of facts and figures on viewer demographics, geographic locations, viewing patterns, device usage, content consumption habits, ad effectiveness, and conversion rates. This data pool empowers news channels to custom-build their content and programming to be acquainted with the precise requirements and preferences of their audience segments, eventually directing to greater engagement and reliability.

    By digging into these records, news channels can not only get a picture of their audiences better but also adjust their content strategy for maximum impressions.

    One of the significant benefits of data-driven journalism in the CTV age is the competence to provide individualized content recommendations on the grounds of perceptions collected from spectator numbers. For example, channels like India TV Speed News have effectively accommodated audiences who have a preference for speedy updates by presenting a 24/7 Speed News Channel. This differentiated line of track not only develops viewer contentment but also encourages retention and trustworthiness. This personalised content strategy not only further expands spectator engagement but also promotes an appreciation for the relationship and relevance with the audience.

    By leveraging real-time feedback collected through concurrent viewers, news channels can enthusiastically connect with their listeners and modify their content strategy appropriately. Furthermore, predictive analytics play a central character in predicting upcoming trends and audience interests, such as the approaching Election 2024, permitting channels to stay ahead of the curve and bring appropriate and well-timed news coverage.

    This hands-on approach to feedback and analytics authorizes news channels to remain clear-headed and responsive to changing viewer preferences and trends. As stated by India TV managing director Ritu Dhawan “Understanding viewer engagement metrics allows Us as a news brand to craft more compelling experiences that resonate with their audience, leading to increased time spent on the platform and higher viewership ratings.”

    In conclusion, the integration of data-driven journalism with connected TV presents news channels with unprecedented opportunities to enhance their performance and engage with audiences in more meaningful ways. By leveraging viewer data, personalised content recommendations, real-time feedback, predictive analytics, and strategic promotional strategies, news channels can not only increase viewership and ratings but also foster stronger viewer loyalty and satisfaction. Embracing the power of data in the age of CTV is key to unlocking new levels of success and performance in the ever-evolving landscape of journalism.

    This article has been authored by India TV managing director Ritu Dhawan

  • MiQ unveils global report on advanced TV advertising

    MiQ unveils global report on advanced TV advertising

    Mumbai: MiQ, the world’s largest independent programmatic media partner for brands and agencies, unveiled its global Advanced TV research report, which surveyed 7,000 consumers and 1,100 decision-makers from brands and agencies across eight countries, including India, the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, China, and Singapore.

    The report reveals that TV viewing habits have become more fragmented globally, with average daily watch time across linear TV and OTT being 2 hours and 53 minutes, and watch time on streaming platforms surpassing linear TV by 22 per cent. Cord trimmers (those who watch OTT and linear), cord cutters (a little linear, mainly OTT), and cord nevers (OTT-only) outnumber those who only watch linear TV three-to-one globally.

    The report highlights the following trends in global TV consumption:

    ●    Consumers subscribe to three streaming services on average
    ●    10 per cent of viewers jump from subscription to subscription based on what they’re watching
    ●    93 per cent of consumers are re-evaluating their subscriptions, and 33 per cent of those are looking at ad-supported platforms.

    With a clear shift towards streaming, marketers need to include connected TV as a key pillar of their advertising strategy. The report also points out that consumers aren’t giving their full attention to just one screen; in fact, 45 per cent of viewers often (or almost always) use a second screen while streaming videos or watching content on TV.

    Viewership insights from India reveal that:

    ●    Attention is split – 56 per cent of consumers use a second screen frequently when streaming videos or watching TV
    ●    Price is more important to consumers than content – 42 per cent of consumers claim that cost is a bigger consideration on streaming platforms than content.
    ●    Ad tolerance is high – 37 per cent of viewers would consider a cheaper ad-supported streaming (AVOD) platform

    Brands and media agencies are optimistic about increasing ad spends on Connected TV with:

    ●    59 per cent of Indian brands and agencies anticipate a rise in their CTV marketing spend over the next 12 to 24 months
    ●    74 per cent of CTV advertisers measure the success of their campaigns through reach/frequency towards the intended target audience

    Commenting on the global report, MiQ global commercial board member and managing director Siddharth Dabhade said, “Consumer and advertiser insights from our report indicate that connected TV advertising is poised for robust growth in India. With the highest ad engagement rate in the world, CTV advertising presents a huge opportunity for brands to make an impact on the biggest screen in the household by taking a data-driven approach to TV planning and activation. Trends like cord-cutting and second-screening are on the rise, which implies that advertisers need to focus on mobile retargeting and competitive conquesting to supplement their CTV strategy.”

    According to the report, only 15 per cent of the respondents who have executed CTV ad campaigns consider themselves a CTV ‘expert’ owing to the cost and creative challenges advertisers face when planning and executing a CTV campaign.

    To gain more insights on CTV advertising in India download the report: https://marketing.wearemiq.com/advanced-tv-report

  • CTV advertising in India to surge at 47 per cent CAGR over next five years: Frodoh World’s Russhabh R Thakkar

    CTV advertising in India to surge at 47 per cent CAGR over next five years: Frodoh World’s Russhabh R Thakkar

    Mumbai: The burgeoning connected TV (CTV) space has not just reshaped our content consumption but has also presented unprecedented opportunities for advertisers. With the rise of streaming platforms and Smart TVs, CTV advertising offers a targeted and immersive way to engage viewers. As consumers increasingly shift towards on-demand, personalised content experiences, advertisers can harness the power of CTV to deliver tailored messages and optimise brand visibility in this dynamic digital landscape.

    Indian Television in an interview with Frodoh World founder and CEO Russhabh R Thakkar explored the company’s evolution since its inception, trends in 2024 impacting the CTV space and much more…

    Recognising the immense potential in the intersection of technology and user experience, Russhabh founded Frodoh World, a CTV advertising specialist company, in 2020, to bring groundbreaking ideas to life. As the founder and CEO of Frodoh World, he leads a dynamic team dedicated to revolutionising the way consumers experience and interact with technology. Under his entrepreneurship, Frodoh World is making waves in the connected TV advertising space, seamlessly integrating interactive and engaging digital ads.

    Edited Excerpts:

    On the launch of Frodoh World in 2020, and its evolution since then

    Frodoh World was launched to revolutionise digital advertising by filling a gap in the market, prioritising impactful storytelling and attention-grabbing ads with the ethos of ‘Don’t just get viewed, get noticed,’. We have since evolved by consistently innovating in the latest technology, strategies, adapting to industry trends, and delivering measurable success for clients.

    On the growth and penetration of CTV in India and the trends that will impact the CTV space in 2024

    We have witnessed the remarkable growth and increasing penetration of connected TV in India over the past few years. The evolving landscape has been marked by a surge in consumer adoption, presenting significant opportunities for our platform. Looking ahead to 2024, I anticipate a continued upward trajectory for CTV, driven by innovations in personalised content delivery, immersive advertising experiences, and the seamless integration of data-driven insights, shaping the future trends of the CTV space in India.

    Over the next five years, connected TV advertising is set to grow rapidly in India at a compounded annual growth rate of 47 per cent, and this increase will contribute to the overall TV landscape including the linear segment, making India the third largest market by 2024.

    On Frodoh World setting itself apart in the CTV advertising landscape with its proposition, “Don’t just get viewed, Get noticed”

    Frodoh World stands out in the CTV advertising landscape by consistently adapting to the dynamic tech environment, integrating measurable and trend-forward ad solutions. Our commitment to assessing the impact post-campaigns ensures result validation, addressing client’s business challenges and fostering trust for repeat collaborations. Recognising the fleeting attention span, our approach prioritises engaging ad experiences through context-driven planning, ensuring a distinct and impactful presence in the market.

    On Frodoh World’s demonstration of its commitment to CTV and the results it has achieved for advertisers

    Our dedication to CTV is distinctive in our strategic campaigns, which emphasise impactful messaging through innovative practices like TV to mobile cross-screen device targeting, ensuring precise household reach and action-oriented frequency. Advertisers have experienced substantial outcomes, including heightened engagement, elevated brand awareness and recall scores, and a quantifiable positive influence on their target audience. This underscores our unwavering commitment to providing tangible value to clients.

    On the significant influence or transformative impact of AI in the evolving landscape of CTV and advertising and Frodoh World harnessing AI to enhance its CTV strategies and deliver more effective advertising solutions

    Certainly! AI wields significant influence, and Frodoh strategically harnesses its power to elevate CTV strategies and deliver more effective advertising solutions. By leveraging AI – we optimise content delivery, enhance audience targeting precision, and tailor ad experiences based on real-time insights.

    This not only ensures a more personalised and engaging viewer experience but also maximises the impact and effectiveness of our CTV campaigns, aligning with the evolving demands of the industry and staying at the forefront of innovation.

    On Frodoh World measuring the effectiveness of its CTV advertising strategies, particularly in terms of targeting precision and audience engagement; and a few examples of your notable clients or success stories

    Frodoh World employs a sophisticated methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of our CTV advertising strategies, leveraging over 15,000 unique segments from trusted third-party data sources, we provide a spectrum of targeting options, including online and offline behavioural, interest-based, demographic, geography-based, and custom segments.

    A forthcoming innovation is the industry-first Web-to-TV targeting. A distinctive feature is our integration of scientific campaigns, allowing clients to set up campaigns and deploy the Frodoh pixel on their websites for data collection. This facilitates the development of a retargeting audience pool, enabling us to engage valuable visitors with impactful, non-skippable CTV ads. This proven approach consistently yields tangible results, revitalising brand interest and fostering substantial engagement, showcasing our commitment to delivering effective and measurable outcomes in the dynamic CTV advertising landscape.

    On Frodoh World tailoring its audience solutions to address the unique needs and preferences of diverse sectors within the CTV advertising landscape

    Our commitment to tailoring audience solutions involves ensuring that each client benefits from a personalised and precise approach. We provide a plethora of options for segmenting audiences, ranging from readily available choices to creating custom cohorts, enabling precision targeting with content. This strategy diverges from generic marketing approaches, emphasising a bespoke, one-on-one strategy that resonates with the specific requirements of each sector. Our goal is to move away from a “one-size-fits-all” model, offering clients a tailored and effective solution.

    On Frodoh World’s future plans and specific targets or milestones that the company aims to achieve in the coming years

    Frodoh’s future plans include aspiring to become a formidable contender in the competitive landscape, aiming to rank among the leading CTV platforms. We are focused on substantial growth across priority markets in India, accompanied by a strategic emphasis on building exceptional talent across all facets of the organisation. Our commitment to ongoing innovation is a core element of Frodoh’s strategy, recognising the growing significance of connected TV and anticipating the increasing interest from advertisers eager to explore this platform.

  • Will GenAI be a revolutionary force of change in the CTV space

    Will GenAI be a revolutionary force of change in the CTV space

    Mumbai: The world of television viewing has undergone a significant transformation. From the era of linear television, today we’re undoubtedly on connected screens, where most of our content consumption is online. CTV has emerged as a force to reckon with for both consumers and advertisers. For brands, CTV offers a great opportunity to blend the world of engaging storytelling associated with television advertising with the benefits of programmatic technology that offers advanced targeting, optimization, and measurement.

    AI has always been at the core of programmatic advertising and CTV, enabling anything from predictive targeting to anti-fraud protection.  Now, thanks to the emergence of Generative AI and the availability of the models behind it, we’re looking at another transformative era unlocking even more value for brands and advertisers.

    The Current State of CTV & Rise of OTT

    There’s been a surge in OTT adoption globally, which has significantly contributed to the rise of CTV as viewers opt for better streaming quality and bigger screens, while opting out of expensive cable subscriptions. Although this trend started in the United States, it is estimated that 40% of households in Europe’s biggest markets – UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain – use CTVs. On an eastward journey, CTV has also become a 4-hour daily ritual in India where on-demand content reigns supreme.

    Globally, the OTT market is burgeoning due to the diverse variety of local and international content these platforms offer. Industry research forecasts the global OTT video market’s revenue is expected to hit US$295Bn, with an expected annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.29% from 2023 to 2028. Emerging economies like India have also seen a phenomenal growth in OTT video content, both on the back of global OTT players entering the market as well as increased competition among local players offering niche content.

    This shift towards OTT viewing, particularly among younger audiences, has presented a unique opportunity for advertisers to utilize CTV – where OTT content is mostly consumed – for creating highly targeted and engaging ad campaigns. With the viewing audiences spread across OTT apps and through various times of the day, advertisers can craft messages that resonate more effectively with specific demographics. Advertisers on CTV benefit from the enhanced user engagement and attention on OTT content. With many platforms moving to an AVOD model, the CTV advertising market is further expected to grow in the years to come.

    Emergence of GenAI and its Impact on CTV

    Programmatic technology on CTV has leveraged AI technology in many ways since its inception, whether it is to segment and target audiences to maximize engagement, to optimize bid pricing in real time or to identify patterns that are indicative of potential fraud. This “traditional AI” allows programmatic advertising to be super efficient by using sophisticated algorithms that can predict and make their own decisions following a set of rules or predefined goals. Generative AI, however, is different in that it does not need to follow predefined rules and it can instead come up with its own. This is a key difference. Generative AI is based on Large Language Models (LLMs in short) and, unlike “traditional AI”, it can also create new content – text, images and video – based on patterns it learns from the underlying training data. This is what makes it transformative and opens a whole new set of opportunities for increased efficiency and value creation for brands on CTV.

    As with any new transformative technology, there will certainly be an evolution until the full value can be realized, but with so many models becoming readily available and affordable, the industry (and the whole world) is moving very fast. Notably, there are three specific areas where Generative AI can make a material difference on CTV advertising:

    a.    Making sense of unstructured language based information – imagine the transcript of any given TV show, for example – to identify contexts and create new ones just became easier. Thanks to this, the dependency on pre-defined content categorization for campaign targeting or optimization is greatly reduced.

    b.    More engaging and cost effective creatives can be easily unlocked thanks to GenAI. I’d argue that humans will still be needed in the creative process for a long time, but there is no question that the ideation part of the creative process can be enriched by the use of Gen AI tools, and executing new video creatives and variations is today possible at much lower production costs, which also enables much more efficient AB testing to maximize engagement.

    c.    Interpretation of campaign data and communication of value for the brand is another area where I’d expect Gen AI to have a huge impact, sooner rather than later, allowing campaign managers to focus on improvement rather than reporting.

    Even if full automation is still not possible and much human interaction is absolutely necessary, what we can do with AI tools today to personalize creatives, making them more dynamic and engaging, already represents a material leap. Some of this will take time, but imagine how a sports apparel brand can easily create multiple ads featuring a visually captivating video of runners: in a rural or urban setting, featuring a family or a group of friends, in winter or summer with the ads being shown depending on the households targeted, and strategically placed during content most relevant for the target demographic. Or imagine how a food brand in a multi-linguistic country like India can leverage GenAI tools to make vernacular advertising easier and automatically target different regional consumer groups. This not only improves the relevance of ads but also maximizes the effectiveness of ad campaigns, ultimately boosting value for advertisers and revenue for content providers.

    By the same token, GenAI can also be used to identify and preempt contexts to ensure ads are being placed in a brand-safe environment for a particular audience. Imagine tools based on Gen AI that automatically discard showing ads on entertainment content intended for kids or shows that a brand considers too violent.

    Looking to the Future

    GenAI is not just an incremental step forward; it represents a paradigm shift, potentially redefining the CTV landscape and its strong players. Brands leveraging it are already one step ahead of the game. GenAI promises to elevate the CTV experience for viewers and advertisers alike. A promising future, with the intersection of technology and creativity in advertising helping reach new heights.

    The author of the article is mediasmart CEO Noelia Amoedo.