Debbe Bijan

OTT and CTV are still television, it’s just even better than you’ve ever imagined!

For consumers, it’s a different way to watch television and movie content across many different types of screens – not just the big screen – with no cable or satellite subscription required. Think of names like YouTube TV and DirectTV Now in addition to other major players like Hulu, Amazon Video, NETFLIX, Roku, etc.

For advertisers, it’s an innovative way to reach a new, unique audience. Today’s viewers are turning to diverse viewing options that don’t necessarily involve a traditional TV set. They’re watching on smart TV’s, laptops, tablets, smartphones, game consoles and other connected devices such as Chromecasts, Amazon Fire TV Sticks, Roku and Apple TV.

Now you can reach TV viewers that can’t be reached with traditional linear TV commercials. The rise of  OTT & CTV viewership is creating new ways for advertisers to reach their target audiences by combining the impact of TV with the precision of digital. As a full service digital marketing agency, OTT & CTV advertising with Xcite means that you can now target, measure, and retarget TV-viewing households.

There is a lot to learn about this type of advertising and we’ve outlined all the important details for you below. Get in touch with us to see how OTT and CTV advertising can benefit your business. We’re here to help and look forward to hearing your questions!

Over-The-Top (OTT) is a reference to streaming TV content, because it’s circumventing traditional cable and satellite subscriptions to deliver video content. OTT content is watched through another device other than a television, like your smartphone, laptop, desktop or tablet.  If you are using a device like a Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick to stream video content from your smartphone, laptop or tablet to your television, then this is considered OTT.

Linear TV is programming delivered in a standard, live, non-DVR’d manner. It is the standard way people have watched TV since 1948, when four television networks, (NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont), broadcasting over 128 stations, begin a full prime-time schedule 7 days a week.

Connected TV (CTV) refers to any TV that can be connected to the internet and access content beyond what is available via the normal offering from a cable provider. It also is all the devices that use a television as a display and can connect to the internet to access content. These are most often videos that are streamed via apps downloaded from a TV app store. Devices that are commonly classified as CTV devices are:

CTV advertising is skippable online advertising targeted to relevant content channels and/or audience groups. CTV inventory is premium, professionally produced television content; it’s not the banner display ads that sometimes appear on CTV devices. One main benefit of Connected TV advertising is that you can reach TV viewers that advertisers can’t reach without traditional TV commercials. Some others include:

Superior Targeting Capabilities: With Connected TV audience  targeting, you can be sure your marketing dollars are going towards your most valuable and targeted viewers.

Measurable Results: Our programmatic platform lets you measure the results of your Connected TV campaigns with both digital and traditional metrics, including video completion rates; you can also see the end-to-end customer journey from viewing a TV commercial to  making the purchase.

Growing Audience: Targets millennials and the growing % of the population who do not have cable TV and are actively looking at “cutting the chord.”

OTT TV originally focused on content delivery over the internet through Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, but now there are literally hundreds of streaming services that cater to individual niches, like episode content, short form content including local news or how-to tutorials, live streaming, video on demand and linear television. As viewers of all ages turn to OTT services, marketers are discovering new opportunities to target and align with key audiences. Advertisers can now pinpoint specific audiences with strategic brand messages. Benefits include:

Brand Safety – ads delivered during live TV or on demand are reached across top tier networks and popular content.

100% view-ability – All ads run full screen so 100% of pixels are in view, eliminating below the fold ads of other media vehicles.

Near Perfect Ad Completion – Viewers are watching the ads all the way through, with an average completion rate of 98%.

Retargeting OTT & CTV Viewers – You can retarget your OTT & CTV viewers across all their devices, including laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Keeping your message top-of-mind throughout the decision-making process.

Measure the impact of your campaigns with both digital and traditional metrics, including video completion rate (VCR) and gross rating points (GRPs). These are the metrics we can report on to see the impact of your campaigns:

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