Connected TV advertisements delivered a claimed 6% incremental reach beyond what marketers could get using traditional media channels. That is probably the most significant observation from the UK Smart TV advanced advertising study conducted by Rovi Corporation and Decipher Research, the marketing research services provider. The findings are based on a panel survey of UK residents and covered select Smart TVs or Blu-ray Disc Players delivering a Rovi-served advertising inventory.
The study found that 68% of users exposed to areas of Smart TV platforms with ad placements noticed the advertisements. One-third of them clicked through. Purchase intent was 2.5 times higher among the connected TV viewers who were exposed to the ads compared to a non-exposed control sample. From those exposed to the Smart TV ads, 47% claimed they would investigate the product in future.
The study also concluded that the current approach to Smart TV advertising, which includes a display ad that launches a TV-friendly microsite, was engaging. Two-fifths of the connected TV viewers claimed to have watched the video featured on the brand’s micro-site, with 79% of ad viewers claiming to have subsequently engaged in additional product or brand-related activities. Smart TV ads were seen as non-intrusive because they were contextually relevant to the platform. Content in the form of trailers, clips, etc. was seen as valuable in its own right.
The Rovi Advertising Network enables advertisers to make a consolidated media buy across multiple connected TV platforms including media players and game consoles. “As our survey findings help reinforce, advanced TV advertising provides new opportunities for brands to efficiently and effectively reach consumers in the living room,†says Jeff Siegel, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Advertising at Rovi Corporation.
Brands exposed to viewers on the Smart TV platform achieved favourability ratings twice as high as non-exposed brands. Consumers were more likely to associate themselves with key brand statements, with an uplift of 86% for this important metric (compared to non-exposed control samples).
The study included online surveys of connected TV users and in-home interviews, and tracked eight Smart TV advertising campaigns for leading entertainment and conventional brands. As a result of the work, the study authors categorized three dominant types of family household: Tech-driven couples who were extremely brand driven and use their connected TV as an integrated part of their lives; Entertainment-engaged Young Families, interested in quality family time, choice and ease of use; and Staggered-usage Mixed Families, where individual TV usage preferences were important but there were some common ’touch points’ in early weekday evenings when people watched TV together.
