At our most recent meetings in Las Vegas, London, and New York, we asked our council members for their perspectives on three topics that currently dominate the industry's attention: addressable TV, convergence (linear + digital), and measurement.
What was fascinating was the clear alignment across both the agency and publisher community in terms of the opportunities and challenges, as well as the fact that all three topics are inextricably linked.
There is no question that everyone sees the opportunity that addressable TV can bring in terms of precision and relevance. Consider:
"Addressability for 2020 looks like this perfect blend of TV and digital. Our goal is to make our marketing investments for our clients much more precise and this is the platform to do so." –Amanda Richman, CEO, Wavemaker
"In digital, we have seen the power of addressability — the ability to reach certain users or households based on attributes.… When you couple that with outcome-based measurement, you really understand the sweet-spot audiences who are going to drive ROI for you." –Soo Jin Oh, senior vice president, client solutions and strategy, Gamut
When it comes to audiences across both linear and digital TV, agencies and publishers agree on taking a holistic approach:
"If you're not running them in parallel and thinking about a strategy that combines both efforts, you're going to leave a significant percentage of audience [unreached]." –Jason DeMarco, vice president, programmatic and audience solutions, A+E Networks
"If you're not coming up with a strategy to deal with that overlapping set — [those who consume both linear and digital] — in a unified way, I would argue that you are doing it wrong." Jonathan Steuer, chief research officer, Omnicom Media Group
As for the perennially hot topic of measurement, there were a variety of responses that pointed to major shifts that signify progress in terms of unified measurement and attribution, as well as some foundational pillars that remain essential, no matter how it evolves.
"There are a number of companies entering the [attribution] space, so it's about investment. But that's being led by advertisers and agencies that are seeking this and being held accountable." –Sean Robertson, director, partnerships, DISH Media
"My priorities for measurement have been pretty much the same for the last 40 years; it's about making sure that we have accurate, robust measurement that is shared — that is, where possible, done independently and by third parties." –Simon Thomas, global director, audiences research, GroupM
2020 should be a pivotal year on a number of fronts, and the decade ahead looks like an exciting time to be in the TV and premium video space. At Comcast Advertising, we are excited about the prospect of working with all members of the value chain to break new ground and deliver on the promise of the new TV ecosystem.
About FWC and ALC
Founded in 2015, FWC comprises 45 premium video providers globally, including industry-leading programmers, operators, and digital pure-plays.
Founded in 2019, the ALC is composed of many of the major holding companies and independent agencies globally. The ALC connects senior executives across those agencies with the goal of proactively supporting their interests and identifying topics to advance the industry.
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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet.