CTV & OTT Take Center Stage as We Enter the NewFronts

The 2018 NewFronts are here! This week-long event gathers the industry’s brightest minds, from the most influential companies, to share the latest and greatest opportunities that help us navigate through the most difficult challenges facing advertisers and marketers today.

Over-the-top (OTT) and connected TV (CTV) are primed to take center stage, and advertisers and publishers should take note. To succeed in this newest world of digital advertising, they must understand what it takes to deliver effective and impactful campaigns on the biggest screens, where content-hungry audiences are increasingly spending more time.

Usage of CTV and OTT devices has grown steadily over the last few years. eMarketer’s estimating that in 2018, more than half (over 55%) of the general U.S. population will use connected TVs at least once per month. This number will continue to rise with growth predicted to reach 58% by 2021. 

This shift in consumption has led to changes in ad spend. Advertisers are optimizing investments away from desktop, mobile, and traditional TV so that OTT and CTV strategies can be more effective. And Innovid can confirm these ad spend trends within its own deliverable volume. Of the billions of impressions Innovid serves daily — one in every four runs on OTT screens. This is an increase from one in every five impressions in H1 2017. All trends point to OTT and CTV, but you must know how to balance all screens within your overall video strategy to remain impactful.

To compete in the CTV and OTT space, marketers must be able to differentiate themselves in an evolved, personalized environment. In order to do that, it’s key to pay attention to today’s new breed of viewers. These viewers want to cut ties with the traditional cable cord and watch content on their terms, thus having more control over what they consume. To cater to their demands, marketers must prioritize the betterment of user experience to connect with viewers in the most relevant and memorable ways.  

Maximizing cross-screen data that’s interconnected and actionable will be one of the most important factors for succeeding in this new landscape. Digital video as a medium lends itself to more granular and holistic measurement capabilities. Desktop and mobile campaigns produce informative data that’s used to optimize strategy and affirm return on investment — and CTV and OTT data is no different. But if you don’t know how to package it or unify cross-screen measurement then then you’re doing your digital strategy a disservice. 

Innovid welcomes you to fully embrace conversations surrounding these important topics and many more during this year’s NewFronts. Why are advertisers demanding more of their living room audiences? How will a strong OTT strategy complement desktop and mobile executions? How will marketers optimally convey messaging on the big screen without exhausting or desensitizing viewers? What will brands do differently to successfully position themselves on newer, bigger, and smarter screens? What are the best ways to measure data and make it actionable for all screens? All of the above, and so much more, is necessary to understand in a time where content consumption on OTT and CTV is at an all-time high.

To kick things off, check out the video below for OTT and CTV insights from our CTO and co-founder, Tal Chalozin.

For more video insights, check out our interview series featuring marketers from top brands, or check out our OTT education pack for a 101 course on amplifying your video marketing on OTT and CTV.