Hulu's New Interactive Ad Gear

Answer anytime that message runs during any program on Huluamp8217s subscription videoondemand service any viewer watching has the ability to receive more information about the adamp8217s content or Sleep Number in general on the spotamp160 The chainamp8217s latest ad campaign there which started in midJanuary will continue through the end of Aprilamp160 For Hulu Sleep Numberamp8217s current ad flight marks two milestones the launch of a new amp8220OneClick Campaignamp8221 proposition for brands and consumers alike and the latest effort to crack wideopen a marketplace for interactive commercials delivered via smart TV sets and TVconnected devicesCracking this opportunity amp8220is top of mind for us every dayamp8221 explains Nicole Sabatini Huluamp8217s Vice President of Integrated Marketingamp160 With 25 million subscribers at the end of 2018 the majority on subscription VOD the rest taking a amp8220live TVamp8221 bundle of channels either format through smart TVs and devices Sabatini believes thereamp8217s an ample audience base now willing to be more forwardleaning in their relationship to advertising That can lead as her thinking goes to a big new revenue gusher for 2019 and beyondamp8220Hulu has a onetoone connection with consumers that allows us to start evolving this spaceamp8221 Sabatini continues amp8220As we continue to innovate on this model we want to provide advertisers and consumers with a better nondisruptive and interactive ad experienceamp8221Under this amp8220RFIamp8221 requestforinformation styling each Sleep Number ad playing inside a Hulu commercial break contains a graphic overlay that pops up on the screenamp160 The viewer is invited to click their remote if they want more detail on the mattress or other merchandise detailed in the ad or info on the Sleep Number store in their areaamp160 With a second click the viewer can share their Hulu email on file or provide an email address where the information is delivered within seconds If the viewer doesnamp8217t want to interact with the ad the overlay goes away and the commercial continues to its natural endamp8220Itamp8217s all very simple easy to do and seamlessamp8221 Sabatini says Brightline an interactive technology provider worked with Hulu and Sleep Number on the overlayamp8217s design and backend functionality that allows quick email delivery of information to viewersHuluamp8217s ad sales team led by Senior Vice President Peter Naylor is holding conversations with a variety of other companies to put together RFImodeled campaigns Sabatini projects more than a handful of advertisers will enter the interactive environment this way much sooner this year than later in part helped by internal research concluding that Huluamp8217s SVOD viewers spend twice as long engaging with an interactive commercial than they do with messages in general More important to Sabatini the findings demonstrate that interactive ads drive much higher recall and purchase intent than ads on linear channelsamp8220This is very appealing to advertisers because it gives them easy ability to engage with consumers in the living room With little frictionamp8221 adds SabatiniThe OneClick campaign marks the third interactive approach to advertising or content Hulu has engaged over its existenceamp160 The first was Ad Selector giving viewers a choice of commercials to watch from an individual sponsor before they watch a program amp160The choice is made by pressing a button on the remote tied to that choice In some cases the choices are arranged by scenery or product typeamp160 In other instances the choice is among languages English Spanish etc in part to involve multicultural audiences At first Ad Selector was a feature limited to Hulu Desktop customers and in time became a fixture on mobile tablet and smart TV productsNearly two years ago when Hulu held its first Digital Content NewFront at Madison Square Garden in New York Naylor introduced the second interactive approach experimental in nature Ticketing on the fly was the objective as in having viewers see a spot for a new movie and while the spot plays ordering tickets for a screening that day or evening in their neighborhood An unidentified movie studio participated in the experiment with the ticketing ability available only to Hulu viewers watching via multiple devicesAt the time Naylor stated in public that if the ticketing effort worked it would be expanded in other directions from retailer purchases to travel reservationsamp160 With Huluamp8217s next MSG presentation more than two months away those other directions continue to be explored and a number of options are in play some incorporating artificial intelligencepowered voice features such as Google Assistant Alexa or Siri available in a fastgrowing number of smart TVs and devicesamp8220Itamp8217s our desire to go beyond movie ticketing We see this as a multicategory opportunityamp8221 declares Sabatini amp8220AI plays into this in a really big way With this and other new technologies happening now that enables us to expand the way weamp8217re developing these projects and have the interactive environment be even deeper All that will play into things weamp8217ll announce in the near futureamp8221Time will tell if Huluamp8217s programming winds up as interactive in nature as the current state of its ad undertakings or beyondamp160 The success of Bandersnatch Netflixamp8217s ambitious multipathway Black Mirror episode is stimulating internal discussion among management and content suppliers Sabatini acknowledges amp8220Itamp8217s an example of where everyone can take storytelling We have a lot of great learning from the advertiserside over how we evolve thisamp8221 she saysClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Hulu's New Interactive Ad Gear

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Hulu's New Interactive Ad Gear

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