Although it certainly feels like a lifetime ago, it hasn’t been that long since people regularly relied on cable or bunny ears to provide access to their favorite shows and movies. But now, those days are in the rearview mirror, replaced by the rise of smart TVs and on-demand streaming services. Not only has this been more convenient for viewers, but it’s also created new, advantageous opportunities for video advertising: OTT and CTV ads.
OTT refers to over-the-top advertising, which delivers video ads to viewers through streaming services. CTV, or connected TV, is mostly the same as OTT, except CTV specifically targets viewers watching content on smart TVs connected to the internet.
In today’s video marketing landscape, OTT and CTV advertising have opened an exciting new chapter in reaching audiences across various devices and platforms. That being said, measuring the success of OTT and CTV video advertising campaigns requires the adoption of specialized metrics and tools that go beyond more traditional TV ad analytics.
This blog delves into the advanced measurement techniques specific to the OTT and CTV environment, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with measuring cross-device and cross-platform campaign effectiveness. You’ll be empowered to optimize your business’s future ad campaigns to drive tangible results and achieve new success levels.
Specialized Metrics for Measuring OTT and CTV Video Ad Success
Just like the days of paying attention to the clock to catch a favorite TV show are gone, the days of marketers relying solely on advertising impressions are gone, too. Instead, a more advanced approach targeting specific key metrics is necessary to accurately measure the performance of OTT and CTV ad campaigns. You can learn more about these metrics in the sections below.
Reach and Frequency Metrics and Analysis
In the past, traditional TV advertising heavily relied on gross rating points (GRPs) to measure the size and exposure of a campaign. But today, OTT and CTV ads are delivered over the internet. Thus, advertisers need more sophisticated methods to accurately gauge audience reach and ad exposure frequency.
By using advanced reach and frequency analysis tools, marketers can better understand the unique viewing behaviors of OTT and CTV audiences. In turn, this data empowers marketers to achieve more precise targeting, optimize ad placements, and ensure their message is seen without bombarding viewers.
Ad Completion Rate Metrics
While viewers can fast-forward through cable TV ads or opt to skip past YouTube ads, users don’t always have that option with ads displayed via OTT or CTV. As a result, these ads tend to have higher completion rates than traditional video advertisements.
Moreover, OTT and CTV advertising have the key advantage of delivering relevant ads to audiences actively engaged with the content. This enhances the viewer’s potential interest in the ad and boosts the likelihood of watching it all the way through.
Tracking and measuring ad completion rates provides valuable insights into audience engagement and ad effectiveness, helping advertisers determine the impact of their campaigns and refine their creative strategies accordingly.
Advanced Techniques for Measuring OTT and CTV Video Ad Success
To gain a more comprehensive and, therefore, accurate understanding of the impact of OTT and CTV video ad campaigns, marketers need to take a closer look at viewer behaviors and attitudes.
Brand Lift Studies
An important advanced measurement technique that goes beyond clicks and conversions, brand lift studies, specifically help measure the impact that OTT and CTV advertising has on a brand. By surveying audiences before and after exposure to an ad campaign, marketers can subsequently assess and measure changes in brand awareness, perception, and purchase intent.
Some of the valuable campaign information provided by a brand lift study include:
- Insight into how effective the ad messaging is
- Short-term cognizance of the overall brand value generated by OTT and CTV advertising efforts
- Long-term comprehension of the overall impact of OTT and CTV on brand metrics
Measuring Cross-Device and Cross-Platform OTT and CTV Ad Effectivity: Challenges and Opportunities
Part of the appeal of OTT and CTV advertising is rooted in the ability to reach viewers across various devices and platforms. Nevertheless, like all marketing tactics and strategies, OTT and CTV ads are accompanied by their own sets of pros and cons, challenges, and opportunities.
In this case, the various challenges and opportunities mainly stem from measuring cross-device and cross-platform campaign effectiveness.
Measurement Challenges
Accurately measuring campaign effectiveness across device and platform touchpoints can be complex due to the fragmented nature of the digital ecosystem. Not only does this fragmentation make capturing data on a viewer’s journey across different platforms tough, but it can also make it difficult to unify data for a holistic view of a campaign’s performance.
In turn, this fragmentation can lead to attribution challenges and even blind spots—gaps in crediting conversions to a specific (and correct) touchpoint. Similarly, any conversions that take place offline or indirectly at a later time are harder to trace back to an OTT or CTV ad, let alone the device or platform on which it was viewed.
Measurement Opportunities
While OTT and CTV attribution presents a challenge, advancements in data integration and attribution modeling empower marketers to gain a more holistic view of ad performance across various platforms and devices. In addition, advancements in cross-device targeting techniques enable marketers to target and reach viewers on their preferred devices.
And as the OTT and CTV landscape continues to evolve, we can expect new methods for measuring ad effectiveness and success to continue to pop up regularly. For instance, technologies such as advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI-driven insights are already providing advertisers with more sophisticated tools. Equipped with these tools, marketers benefit from capabilities to track and optimize their campaigns in real time, ensuring maximum impact and return on investment.
Benefits of Measuring OTT and CTV Video Ad Campaigns
At this point, it’s safe to say that we can see that there are four key aspects to measuring how successful an OTT and/or a CTV video ad campaign is:
- Tracking and measuring specialized video metrics
- Utilizing advanced video measurement techniques
- Measuring ad effectivity across various devices
- Measuring ad effectivity across various platforms
Marketers who address and effectively implement these four factors can better understand their OTT and CTV video ad campaigns, which benefit businesses of all sizes. For instance, implementing the above factors will help you clearly quantify the return on investment generated by your ad campaigns. Demonstrating ROI levels will make justifying budget allocation and securing future campaign funds considerably easier.
By analyzing viewer behavior data, marketers like you are empowered to tailor OTT and CTV ads to reach your target audiences more effectively. For instance, gaining insight into audience behavior–like if they use the streaming service late at night versus the middle of the day–enables you to refine your targeting strategies and reach viewers at the most advantageous time.
On top of that, analyzing the data can provide you with valuable information to facilitate the refining and optimization of the content and messaging behind your ads. Creating ads that resonate with your target audiences will help boost engagement levels and improve your campaign’s ad completion rates.
Achieving Successful OTT and CTV Video Advertising Campaigns
Both OTT and CTV advertising tactics aren’t going anywhere. However, measuring their success requires an intricate, advanced, and time-consuming approach.
If you already have your hands full, J&L Marketing is here to help with your OTT and CTV video ad campaigns from start to finish.
Our team of industry experts specializes in creating video ads tailored to an array of platforms that provide visible results you can measure. We can help you create high-quality video advertisements and harness the significant potential of OTT and CTV ads in your current and future marketing campaigns.
Contact our team today to discuss how we can help propel your business’s OTT and CTV ads to new levels of success!
