TV Advertising Calls For A Cross-Channel Strategy

A new report by Telaria and Adobe Advertising explains how marketers can own the TV experience.

As the TV cord continues to fray, a new report by Telaria and Adobe Advertising Cloud suggests that brands add connected TV to their advertising mix as streaming digital video continues to grow in popularity among viewers.

That’s not to imply consumers are tuning out of television, according to “Inside The Minds of Cord-Cutters and Cable-Keepers.” The report is based on a survey of 750 connected TV consumers, distributed evenly among “cable-keepers” —those who watch linear TV through cable or satellite services; “live-streamers” —those who watch linear TV through non-linear platforms; and “on-demanders” —those who consume content via streaming apps only. Twelve qualitative interviews per segment were also conducted.

“No doubt about it, connected TV is experiencing really strong growth. It’s in around 70% of U.S. households—more than double what it was five years ago,” said Hosana Thomas, manager, product marketing at Adobe Advertising Cloud. “But it’s about finding the optimum balance. To own the TV experience, marketers need to have a strategy that straddles both connected and linear TV.”

Among the reasons viewers stick with linear TV are comfort and familiarity, particularly when it comes to live sports and other major events, the report found. “This explains why challengers to linear TV are making big inroads in this area,” Thomas told CMO.com.

Meanwhile, those opting for connected TV are guided by the flexibility of on-demand viewing on whatever devices they want, she added.

“Again, it’s not an either/or landscape—people consume content in multiple ways,” Thomas emphasized. “For marketers, that means developing a cross-channel strategy that includes both linear and connected TV advertising campaigns in order to reach your audience.”

To wit, almost 80% of cable-keepers also use streaming apps, and nearly a quarter of their overall average weekly viewing time is spent with on-demand content, according to the report. So if that’s the case, what’s keeping them from cutting the cord altogether?

• 42% said they think cable is necessary to view live sports, news and events.
• 21% said they have no idea where to access TV content if they no longer had cable.
• 55% said they found cord-cutting options confusing.

Of note, only half of cable-keepers said they are satisfied with the price they pay for content relative to the service they get, as compared with 77% of live-streamers who reported the same.

“Marketers need to understand that the shift toward cord cutting is going to continue to happen. Consumers are continuously making the move,” Thomas said. “Reaching audiences is no longer just about doing a TV ad buy and building on that. It’s about multichannel experiences that use robust data to ensure the right message is being delivered on the right medium at the right time.”