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Welcome to Scout! Each week, our team tracks down the best digital marketing articles, POVs, and reports—so you don't have to. Here’s what to read from the week of 11/11/22 - 11/17/22 to stay ahead of the curve:
Please note: our Scouts will be off duty next week for Thanksgiving. Check back on 12/1 for the next edition!
In the wake of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover—and the subsequent blue checkmark debacle in which several brands were impersonated on Twitter—online misinformation is top of mind for digital advertisers. New research, outlined here, shows how consumers feel about mis- and disinformation, and how they think brands should address it.
As advertisers pull money out of Twitter due to aforementioned brand safety concerns, where exactly are those dollars going? While some marketers are reallocating spend to social platforms like Snapchat and TikTok, others are saving them for a rainy day (we are in an economic downturn, after all). What’s certain? Media organizations are making their plays for advertisers’ newly available cash.
In a world filled with all those misinformation fears, it makes sense that consumer trust plays (or should play) a fundamental role in financial services advertising. From optimizing data infrastructures to ensuring ethical targeting strategies, here’s how finserv brands can earn that critical consumer trust.
Plenty of marketers have worked with their company and/or client on campaigns focused on climate change, but what about the impact of the ads themselves? Between greenwashing, funding climate misinformation, and the media creation process itself, advertising-related emissions have reportedly increased by 11% since 2019—leading some agency leaders to call this moment a “wake-up call.”
With this quarter’s earnings season having come to a close, Marketing Brew has conveniently laid out how the major subscription streaming players stacked up to one another. Bonus: If all these streaming stats have got you wondering what the future might hold for CTV advertising, don’t miss eMarketer’s updated forecast (or our dynamic new guide).
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If we could wind back the hands of time to 20 years ago, chances are that folks would be baffled by the terms “cord-cutter,” “binge-watching,” and “streaming.” Today, thanks to the growth of connected TV (CTV), you’re likely quite familiar with them (and if not, boy—do we have a resource for you!) With more and more people watching digital video, it’s no surprise that CTV viewership has skyrocketed, and that advertising spend has closely followed.
With the rise of this new and increasingly popular channel, it makes sense that advertisers have questions: How extensive is the inventory? Can CTV ads be targeted? And, does embracing CTV advertising mean adding another point solution to our existing stack? Today, we’re digging into these questions—and more—as we explore some of the key benefits of connected TV advertising.
Ready to learn why CTV should be part of your strategy? Let’s dive in.
It’s no secret that digital video is booming: By 2024, the average US adult will spend more time with digital video than traditional (aka linear) TV. But does that mean that the days of advertising during live sports, TV shows, and movies is gone?
Absolutely not. While time spent watching linear television might be decreasing, time watching video on connected TVs is increasing. As more and more content is offered via over-the-top (OTT) services—from TV shows, to blockbuster movies, to Thursday Night Football—people are increasingly turning to CTVs to watch content that used to only be available via cable, broadcast, or satellite. In other words, it’s not that people aren’t watching TV anymore—they’re just accessing the content in a different way.
And just how many people are tuning into CTVs for their digital video content? In 2021, 218.3 million people in the US were monthly CTV users, and by 2024, that number is forecast to exceed 230 million. Though levels of CTV adoption vary—from cord cutters, to cord shavers, to cord nevers—viewership is consistently increasing, especially among younger generations like Gen Z and millennials.
The big takeaway? For advertisers looking to engage with consumers where they’re viewing video—and often on big screens, to boot—CTV has a lot to offer.
Just as connected TV viewership is increasing, so too is the content offered via over-the-top (OTT) services. From Netflix and Disney+ joining the ad-supported tier game, to platforms like Amazon and YouTubeTV offering live sports coverage, CTV advertising inventory is extensive.
How can advertisers tap into these vast offerings? There are a couple of different ways to access CTV inventory within a DSP: via open exchange, and through private marketplace (PMP) deals. BasisTV+, for example, offers inventory that reaches 93% of US smart TVs. Here are a few key things to know about each buying approach:
We’ve discussed how CTV advertising is a great way to connect with audiences where they’re watching video, and that there’s a lot of inventory to choose from. But what about when it comes to getting your ad in front of the right consumer?
This is yet another of CTV’s strengths. Though only some linear TV advertising is addressable, all CTV advertising is. This means that marketers running CTV campaigns can use data to target audiences based on a variety of factors.
Here are a few of the (many!) targeting strategies that can be used within a CTV campaign:
And when it comes to contextual targeting? There are so many ways to segment and layer data contextually that it gets its own list:
Once targeting parameters are in place, advertising platform features like real-time reporting allow marketers to use data to optimize tactics and minimize wasteful ad spend.
More than ever, today’s consumers expect a personalized and intentional ad experience. Using targeting strategies like the ones we covered above is one way to achieve this; another is creating an omnichannel experience for potential customers.
Think about the last time you bought a product that you first saw in an ad. Perhaps it was an Instagram ad, a banner that showed up while you were searching for something on Google, or a video ad that rolled in the middle of that Hulu original you were binge-watching on your smart TV. Whatever the case, it’s likely that, after you were exposed to that product via one advertisement, you saw one—or more—subsequent ads on different platforms that kept the product top-of-mind, until you finally clicked “add to cart.”
Omnichannel ad experiences are those that target consumers across devices, with the intent of moving them further down the purchase funnel. After all, people spend time on a variety of devices, for a wide range of purposes, and advertisers want to reach them in a way that’s impactful. Connected TV fits wonderfully within an omnichannel approach: advertisers can strategically reach their target consumers via CTV, and then retarget on the same device or through other channels like search, social media, and more.
And if you’re worried that embracing CTV means adding another piece of complexity to today’s already-complex-enough digital media environment, here’s the great news: a strong DSP will allow you to tap into this inventory without having to use a different platform. BasisTV+, for example, allows advertisers not only to run CTV campaigns, but also to enable cross-device targeting features. With more than a thousand advanced TV targeting parameters and comprehensive real-time reporting, advertisers can use data and metrics to create a holistic, omnichannel experience for consumers.
Savvy marketers connect with consumers when and where they’re spending time. With nearly 84% of all US households using a connected TV in 2022 and with time spent watching on CTVs approaching two hours per day, CTV is a crucial part of any omnichannel advertising strategy.
Want to learn more about how to make the most of the connected TV advertising opportunity? In our CTV guide, we cover CTV advertising best practices and strategies, how to optimize campaigns, and so much more!
Welcome to Scout! Each week, our team tracks down the best digital marketing articles, POVs, and reports—so you don't have to. Here’s what to read from the week of 11/4/22 - 11/10/22 to stay ahead of the curve:
TikTok has seen a meteoric rise in the past few years (kind of like the meteoric rise of “It’s Corn” TikToks...we’ll see ourselves out), but its journey hasn’t been without troubles and controversies. This exploration of the platform’s evolution is, fittingly, made up of bite-sized stats and facts that paint a picture of how—and why—it’s become social media’s golden child.
Netflix’s lower-priced ad tier is finally live, and marketers’ first impressions are in. Here, Adweek takes a deep dive into the overall experience, the brands to watch out for, what’s not included, and even a cheeky little hack that allows viewers to get around the ads altogether.
Now that its ad tier is out in the world, Netflix is reportedly looking to further shake up its business model with live sports streaming rights. So far, the company’s bids have come up empty, but if efforts continue, it’s yet another major player in the increasingly competitive market for live sports advertising.
To say that Elon Musk’s first week as self-proclaimed “Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator” sparked controversy would be an understatement. Concerns over brand safety and security have led major advertisers and agencies to step back from the platform—can the "Chief Twit" himself right the ship, or is Twitter in for rough sails?
According to a new survey, around nine in 10 CMOs and senior marketing executives are planning to increase their marketing budgets in 2023, despite—or perhaps because of—economic upheaval. This piece outlines the top five areas of investment, weaving in insights on what’s to come in 2023.
At the same time, new research from Advertiser Perceptions shows that about half of US brands have frozen or reduced media spending as a result of pressures like economic uncertainty and supply chain disruption. This article explores the factors impacting advertisers around the world and details how they're reassessing media spend as a result.
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Professional wrestling is, at its core, a morality play. Good versus evil. Championship stakes with over-the-top theatrics. Predetermined performance art, yes, but it still involves two or more athletes running, jumping, and falling; being shoved, slammed, and shouted at; 20 minutes a night, 200 to 300 nights per year, all around the world, for as long as their bodies can stand it.
The wrestling profession isn’t meant for just anyone—your local schoolteacher, plumber, or dentist, say.
...Or is it?
There was a stretch in the mid-1990s when the World Wrestling Federation (now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE) introduced a number of wrestlers whose characters were defined by their day jobs: a garbage man, a circus clown, and even a federal tax agent (who wrestled in a dress shirt, dress pants, suspenders, and a red tie…as one does).
Today, marketers in these real-life industries use digital advertising, not dropkicks, to improve their bottom lines and meet their business objectives. Kind of makes you wonder: If these wrestlers were around today, would this era of digital advertising help them to attract and earn enough business to stay out of the ring? Would online sales, critical app downloads, or lucrative appointments have deterred them from moonlighting as masked marauders?
We think there’s a case to be made here! Read on to learn about four former professional wrestlers whose “day jobs” would have benefited from today’s digital advertising ecosystem:
Accompanied to the ring by the din of dental drills over ominous orchestra music, and billed as living in “Decay-tur, Illinois,” Isaac Yankem, D.D.S. (get it? “I. Yankem”?) joined the ranks of WWE in July 1995 and was gone by September 1996, without leaving much of a cavity in the company’s roster. Never a champion, he debuted as the personal dentist of veteran heel Jerry “The King” Lawler. Well, a crown for a king and a crown for a tooth, we suppose.
The premise for the evil extractor was that “no one likes to go to the dentist,” but we know that’s not always true. Dentists are not only critical to our oral health, but they and their hygienists are often quite lovely people! Let’s get to the root of the problem: In this hyperlocal industry, dentists want to create awareness among nearby residents, promote their services, and generate phone calls or form fills leading to new appointments. In today’s world, Dr. Yankem could:
With his trusty plunger “Betsy” and his “muddy” work boots, pro wrestling’s plumber, T.L. Hopper, debuted in July 1996 (let us take a load off your mind: The T.L. stands for “Toilet Lid”). He was wiped from the roster by June 1997, with long stretches finding him without a single televised match. And because nothing’s funnier to a young professional wrestling fan than potty humor, Hopper’s “theme song” was the sounds of toilets flushing. For two minutes. Wow, this idea stunk.
This corny character was portrayed as though plumbers have a crappy job, but many plumbing, electrical, and heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) businesses are wildly successful. After all, nearly every home or apartment needs regular maintenance on any of those components. This industry thrives by booking a steady stream of appointments, plus creating awareness for seasonal promotions and parts or labor discounts. Instead of letting his career tank, Mr. Hopper could have used the tools of today’s trade to:
In hockey, the “goon” is the player who beats up or takes out the opposing team’s best member. He’s rough, he’s tough, he’s… going to wrestle professionally in boots that look like ice skates? Yes, The Goon debuted in July 1996, led to the ring by organ music over the arena’s public address system—and very little reaction from the public itself. He lost far more matches than he won during this period, and besides a couple one-off returns, The Goon was gone by March 1997.
Sports franchises large and small require lots of ticket sales—season tickets, single-game tickets, promotional night tickets—to boast success, and many have also branched off digitally to generate social media engagement, loyalty, and advocacy. One has to wonder: If The Goon had access to today’s digital advertising capabilities, might he have avoided the matchups in pro wrestling to stick with the face-offs of his beloved hockey? Thoughts for The Goon’s marketing team:
“Fingernails on a chalkboard” is more than just an idiom to describe a particularly annoying noise—it was the spine-tingling sound at the start of the theme song for Dean Douglas, an arrogant schoolteacher who stepped into the wrestling ring wearing a graduation gown, who would grade his opponents (often failing them), and who carried a paddle he called “The Board of Education.” To reinforce his snobbery, Douglas was billed as hailing from “the University of Higher Learning.” (Raise your hand if you applied there. Anyone? Anyone?)
Why would a schoolteacher feel compelled to wrestle professionally? Did Dean Douglas just need the stress relief? Perhaps the Institute of Higher Learning needed a little strategic nudge. Here are a few ideas for how the school’s marketing department could effectively connect with prospective students today:
With modern digital marketing tools, these pro wrestlers may never have had to enter the ring (you can decide for yourself whether that’s a good or bad thing). One tool that would have been a game-changer for all these performers? Digital advertising automation, a solution that streamlines key tasks within the campaign process to help marketers save time, plan campaigns efficiently, optimize for better performance, and measure their way to victory.
Want to learn more? We wrote the rulebook on advertising automation, and you can download it right here (not to ring our own bell, but it’s probably more reliable than the rulebook for wrestling!) Read all about how the complexity and fragmentation of the ad industry have created an urgent need for automation, and how a comprehensive automation system can give you the confidence to earn championship wins for your organization. We’ll be in the front row cheering you on!
Welcome to Scout! Each week, our team tracks down the best digital marketing articles, POVs, and reports—so you don't have to. Here’s what to read from the week of 10/28/22 – 11/3/22 to stay ahead of the curve:
It’s been just days since Elon Musk officially purchased Twitter, but boy has he been busy: Fire CEO and top executives? Check. Give the directive to investigate reviving Vine? Check. Convene with concerned advertisers to discuss brand safety? Check. Post a tweet that links to a site known to publish fake news? …Also check. Where to from here? Who the heck knows.
In other brand safety news: Apple faced some severe outcry when they allowed gambling ads to appear under apps designed to help users overcome gambling addiction. It’s a brand safety hiccup that perhaps speaks to Apple’s relative lack of experience managing an ad platform.
As the holidays approach, brands are grappling with the realities of inflation (see: Amazon predicting its lowest holiday sales growth ever). For their holiday campaign, Kohl’s has opted to face it head-on: They’re running with the tagline “More Gifts. More Savings.” They’re also leveraging social media creators to craft content surrounding savings hacks, as well as shoppable influencer gift guides via a mobile-focused strategy.
This year, US programmatic video ad spend is forecast to hit $62.96 billion (that’s up more than $10 billion from last year!) For advertisers in need of a refresher on how to make the most of this channel, this piece is for you.
Speaking of digital video: All eyes are on Netflix as their ad-supported tier launches on November 3. Though their COO and chief product officer told investors there has been “very strong” demand for ad inventory leading up to the launch, only time will tell if the platform will be able to give advertisers what they want.
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Over the past several years, connected TV (CTV) viewership has skyrocketed. As more and more people turn to CTVs to consume video content, it’s no surprise that digital ad spend follows. Marketers want to reach people when and where they’re watching video, and with over 109 million US households using a connected TV in 2022, CTV advertising is like blasting Mariah Carey the day after Thanksgiving: it just makes sense.
With this channel’s explosive growth has come a similar influx of terms (and acronyms, because we in the ad industry love our acronyms—IYKYK) to describe the CTV viewing and advertising experiences. Couple this with the complexity of today’s digital marketing landscape, and it can be downright overwhelming. For those marketers left wondering what the heck the difference between CPV and CPCV is, don’t worry—we’ve got you!
Here, we’ve broken down the terms and definitions advertisers need to know to make the most of the connected TV advertising opportunity:
Pssst: we’ve got a whole piece on connected TV advertising planning, targeting, and measuring! You can check it out here.
Knowing the lingo to talk about all things CTV is great. But you know what’s better? Really understanding the complexities of the channel and seeing how to make the most of it within your campaigns.
Enter: Basis Technologies’ Connected TV Advertising Guide.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive on all things CTV advertising, we’ve got you covered. In it, we explore today’s connected TV advertising opportunity, lay out best practices and strategies, and show you how Basis can help. Interested? Check it out here.
Each month, Basis Technologies’ Programmatic 101 series tackles a different facet of programmatic advertising—from best practices for buyers, to competitors in the space, to trends you should know.
The advertising industry is constantly expanding with new channels, platforms, and formats, but video continues to be an important part of any advertiser’s media mix. In fact, eMarketer predicts that $62.96 billion will be spent on programmatic digital video this year, and that over half of total programmatic digital display ad spending will go to video. Clearly, now is a critical time for advertisers to tune in!
In order to do so, advertisers must understand what programmatic video advertising is, the different types of programmatic video available to run in a DSP, and the advantages it can bring to media campaigns. Need a refresher? You’ve come to the right place!
Programmatic video advertising leverages technology to buy and serve video ads that are shown during other video content. These ads may be served across exchanges or publishers, within traditional display ad slots, or across television devices.
There are two main buckets that programmatic video can be organized into: online video and advanced TV.
Within the online video bucket, there are two different types to be aware of: instream and outstream video.
Instream video is served before (pre-roll), during (mid-roll), or after (post-roll) streaming video content. One example would be the ads that run before YouTube videos (if you’re not using an ad blocker extension, that is!)
Outstream video is served outside of video player environments. This type of ad unit typically includes less traditional video placements, such as:
Advanced TV is an umbrella term for TV that’s delivered outside of the traditional linear TV model. In general, advanced TV offers increased targeting and measurement when compared with linear TV. Advanced TV includes:
While buying video programmatically comes with a variety of benefits, let’s review the top five:
Advertisers can tap into first- and third-party data when buying video programmatically, which allows them to target their audiences more precisely.
The use of programmatic technology means that advertisers don’t have to worry about high minimum spends or upfront contracts. In addition, since most programmatic inventory is sold on a dynamic CPM, any cost efficiencies that are driven via optimizations are passed right back into advertiser’s wallets.
When an advertiser buys video programmatically, they get access to 40+ exchanges in one buy. In addition, thanks to the invention of cross-device targeting, advertisers can target a user who saw their video ad across multiple devices, allowing for higher frequency and greater recall of video messaging.
Since advertisers don’t have to work with middleman publishers when buying programmatic video ads, they can quickly update their video messaging, turn off creative that’s not performing well, and change their targeting in real time.
Buying video programmatically offers advertisers a suite of performance metrics to look at, plus the flexibility of slicing and dicing performance data by metropolitan area, audience, and more. However, there can be limitations with reporting for advanced TV depending on how you end up buying the inventory—if you’re buying traditional TV spots, for example, you won’t be able to track things like click-through-rate or viewability.
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Of all the different ways advertisers can leverage programmatic video, connected TV advertising is becoming increasingly important. CTV is leading the significant growth of digital video ad spend, and has been particularly impactful in the 2022 US election cycle.
Now that you know all about programmatic video and its benefits, take your knowledge to the next level by diving into our guide to connected TV advertising!
What’s new in the realms of paid search and social media? Basis’ Senior Vice President of Paid Search and Social compiles all the latest news, trends, and resources each month for easy access.
TikTok’s Q2 2022 ad spend surpassed both Snapchat and Twitter—combined! eMarketer says the explosion was driven primarily by brands with revenues of $1M to $5M, showing the app’s power to help median brands connect with niche consumers in authentic ways.
New forecasts from eMarketer show that search ad spending shows no sign of slowing, even in the context of economic upheaval. Google’s growth continues to outpace competitors, with Microsoft as their top search challenger. This article also references the news that TikTok is growing as an alternative search engine, especially with Gen Z.
eMarketer's latest quarterly break-down of social media updates includes YouTube news for the first time, discusses how BeReal competitors stack up, and explores how marketers can navigate the most important recent industry changes. Bonus: this companion piece dives even further into how all the social platforms stack up against each other, as similar feature sets surrounding video and e-commerce become more comparable between them.
Search Engine Land recaps the major announcements from Google's recent Search On event, touching on Google Search, News, Shopping and more. The updates around Google's plans for more visual search results listings are particularly interesting, as well as the highlighted “discussions and forums” listings (Reddit stands to benefit greatly.) Also covered at Search On: 9 updates specific to Google Shopping.
According to recent jobs posted to LinkedIn, TikTok may be taking on warehousing, delivery, and customer service returns through new fulfillment centers in a bid to grow native shopping in the platform. Clues point to Seattle as a possible location for this, although they may be working with other vendors nationwide to transport goods. This positions TikTok as not only a threat to other social platforms, but also possible competitor to Amazon, Google, and other retail networks.
The short answer is… maybe? Here, eMarketer breaks down the app’s opportunities and challenges in detail before coming to the conclusion that while it has a long way to go to compete with the big guys, its functionality and ease of use make BeReal a clear a hit with consumers. While the app's uniqueness is likely to wear off (especially as those same features are copied by other social platforms), it provides a good testing ground for marketers while it is still around.
Pew Research Study released new findings around the crucial role social media plays in news consumption today. There are some powerful statistics in this report, showing that while certain platforms are used regularly by large percentages of the US population, those aren’t necessarily the same platforms they’re turning to for up-to-the-minute news. This report also breaks down the demographics and political partisan leanings of news consumers across platforms.
Based on interviews with more than 2,000 regular users, Reddit shared insights on how people use their platform to connect, as well as the important role it plays in engaging communities around topics they’re passionate about. They also pointed out that Reddit users are excited to welcome brands into their communities and sub-groups, but want to build meaningful connections with them in addition to just seeing ads.
Contrary to other reports, eMarketer does not believe the influencer industry has taken a hit this year due to microeconomic conditions. With the industry now worth more than 5 billion in the US, they predict production budget cuts will continue to lead to growth in creator-led ad content.
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Welcome to Scout! Each week, our team tracks down the best digital marketing articles, POVs, and reports—so you don't have to. Here’s what to read from the week of 10/21/22 - 10/27/22 to stay ahead of the curve:
Spotify’s third-quarter earnings report is in, and the results are...mixed. Like many companies, they cited a “challenging macro environment” for slower-than-expected ad revenue growth, underscoring the question on many advertisers’ minds: What should marketers do during times of economic upheaval?
Singing a more somber tune than Spotify (terrible pun, we know) is Meta, whose Q3 earnings missed the mark. Quarterly revenue is down more than 4% from a year ago, as the social media giant faces a barrage of challenges: from rival platforms, to fallout from Apple’s ad-tracking changes, to—surprise, surprise—the tough macroeconomic environment.
For folks hoping to rock out to their favorite tunes while baking their grandma’s famous apple pie this fall, we’ve got bad news: Apple prices have gone up, and not just at the grocery store. For the first time, Apple is increasing prices for its music and TV+ services, a move that may risk giving rivals an edge in a fiercely competitive streaming industry.
Earlier this week, the California Privacy Protection Agency updated the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) regulations. Despite the law going into effect on January 1, 2023, this is not the final draft. That said, if you’re looking for high-level takeaways, this piece is for you. (And if you’re looking for additional info on some of the other major industry-related regulatory actions from 2022, this is the piece for you.)
Retail media advertising is exploding, but it isn’t without its challenges. For marketers wondering how best to embrace this new(ish) channel and incorporate it into their campaigns without throwing their existing strategies out the window, this is a great place to start.
In a move that highlights the growing importance of privacy-friendly solutions, Google is putting consumers in the driver’s seat when it comes to their privacy and ad experience. Their new ads hub, My Ad Center, will allow users to block ads on sensitive topics, choose to see fewer ads from certain categories, turn off personalized ads completely, and more.
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