Total TV Measurement has been used with multiple GroupM clients already but was given its official go-to-market launch in June after receiving a stamp of approval from PwC, which conducted an exhaustive assurance review of the end-to-end processes and methodology used. This covered everything from data cleaning to data fusion, de-duplication and quality checks, with all nine categories of investigation passed.

Total TV Measurement first measures and de-duplicates addressable TV audience exposures across the entire Finecast supplier ecosystem, which includes linear broadcast addressable TV plus BVOD, AVOD and other ‘TV-like’ (i.e., high-quality, broadcaster equivalent standard) streaming. This is achieved by combining Finecast log-level data with measurement provided by AudienceProject, which runs its own viewing panel (complete with establishment survey). This cross-channel addressable audience view is then combined with BARB data via TechEdge to show de-duplicated reach and frequency across the addressable and classic linear portions of a campaign.

Currently the new product does not attempt to de-duplicate audiences between one streaming addressable source and another, with the focus on showing the difference a combined addressable buy makes on top of linear. This more granular de-duplication may come later.

The outputs from Total TV Measurement are: cross-channel addressable TV reach and frequency; linear campaign reach and frequency; overall de-duplicated reach and frequency; Finecast (addressable) and linear TV 1+ cover curves (with other custom cover curves considered).

Samantha Lister, Head of Marketing Science at Finecast, comments: “This is a solution for brands that want to understand how reach interacts across addressable TV and linear TV and how they can optimise reach across the two. It helps them consider the impact of budget allocation.”

She adds: “Historically, linear TV has been the most cost-effective medium when it comes to reach, but declining linear audiences and deflating [addressable TV] costs mean brands are leaning more into addressable TV. When we launched Finecast, it was ‘linear-first’ [on the plan] and then you added incremental reach [via addressable], but today it is not always linear first, depending on the audience you want to reach. There are some audiences where you should plan for addressable first or where you can invest less in linear before you move budget to addressable.”

As for the PwC verification to ISRS 4400 (Revised) standards, this was a proactive move, since the GroupM clients using the solution (and the GroupM agencies) were happy with the outcomes and their own due diligence. Lister wanted to get ahead of the curve. “As more budget shifts from linear to addressable, addressable comes under greater scrutiny. We are so proud of what we have done we wanted a seal of approval. There was no huge demand for an assurance review from our clients.”

One study for a GroupM client shows what they gain in terms of knowledge. It demonstrated +2.3% incremental reach into the 18-34 age group and +1.3% incremental gain across all adults when addressable was added to standard linear TV. Savings were also indicated – based on what it would have cost to achieve that level of incremental reach through continued linear buys. Total TV measurement is free on selected campaigns and the ambition is that it becomes standard practice for qualifying campaigns where linear and addressable are being combined.

According to Finecast, by allowing advance bidding on inventory from multiple ad exchanges simultaneously, header bidding reduces the inefficiencies of a sequential waterfall approach to ad buying, while improving “transparency and visibility of available inventory for marketers”.

Trials conducted by Finecast in collaboration with SBS have delivered 33% more reach to SBS audiences, according to the companies. Additionally, when compared to a tag-based approach, header bidding increased the bid rate for available impressions by 30%.

John Miskelly, APAC Investment Director for GroupM, said: “This is an exciting development in the Connected TV/OTT video space where we can harness the agility and addressability of programmatic and have access to the best inventory.

“The broadcasters are doing a great job as TV transforms, and SBS and Finecast are demonstrating true best practice for access and innovation in the CTV ecosystem.”

Lee Callagher, National Digital Operations and Technology Manager for SBS, commented: “Being able to prioritise both direct and programmatic demand whilst maintaining our premium ad experience is important for SBS’ future commercial strategy.”

Shaw said: “Now we’re in a world where TV is seen to be able to do more things in the funnel. Yes, it can build brands but it can also drive consideration. It can also be an activation tool now that it has more of a response mechanism. Reach and frequency alone only measure a little bit of that”.

At the Future of TV Advertising Global event, London, he discussed the importance of independence for measurement with Eleni Marouli (Head of Market Developmens, Ofcom), Joe Hayes (Sales Director UK, Audience Project), Liz Duff (Head of Media and Investment, Total Media) and Rich Astley (Global Chief Product Officer, Finecast).

Hayes argued that new measurement companies found it difficult to enter the market while retaining their independence. Partly, he believes, this is due to the challenges they face while questioning conventional wisdom in a market with established players, each having their own stake in ad revenues. He said: “The companies that have the funds to build the measurement platforms are companies that have huge revenues coming from ad spend – that’s a huge problem for the industry”.

Hayes emphasised that within the cross-platform measurement space, brands are looking for the equivalent of the “gold standard” that BARB represents for measuring reach and frequency on linear TV. Shaw also noted that broadcasters, publishers, advertisers and agencies are able to trust the measurement provided by BARB, but expressed his doubt that one body could measure for all parts of the funnel in the age of Total TV.

Astley agreed that independence of measurement is important, but distinguished between measurement used as a currency and measurement for “effectiveness purposes”. He said, “Measurement as a currency needs to be independent, needs to be third party and held to an extremely high standard because it’s the basis on which potentially billions of dollars are traded – that needs an independent approach.”

While stressing that measurement for effectiveness still requires trust, he argued that measuring responses across many metrics on TV will require platform owners, media owners and agencies working together while recognising there might not be one single answer to the questions media buyers have.

Duff reiterated the importance of paying attention to effectiveness while planning media. She said: “If you only look at short term measurements, you make the mistake of optimising rather than driving new audiences. You can look at long term measures like econometrics, that can prove the value of TV rather than just asking ‘how many people are watching’, but then sometimes that can lead you down a wrong path as well”. She called for a holistic approach to measurement that pays heed to both reach and frequency, as well as effectiveness.

Hayes warned against making artificial separations between reach and frequency on the one hand, and effectiveness on the other. “I think that measurement – I’m talking about audience reach and frequency – is the baseline by which you build effectiveness tools. We don’t know how to understand effectiveness without understanding reach and frequency – it’s endemic to TV conversation”.

Having this mindset is particularly important when targeting high net worth individuals. While a wide-ranging brand awareness campaign will have some value, the ROI for such a niche group will likely be low. Conversely, High Net Worth (HNW) individuals, like many others, don’t necessarily respond to hyper-targeting. A middle ground is needed to put the creative front and centre and focus on relevancy to the household, using data such as spend and postcodes to reduce wastage.

Get the creative right

Many of the most memorable ads have been led by a strong creative. It requires high production value and, for those targeting hard-to-reach audiences like HNW individuals, an aspirational call to action demonstrates how the product will enrich their lives. It can mean higher levels of investment, but for those targeting HNW individuals – who expect quality from their purchases given the prices they’re prepared to pay – it is vital that the creative matches expectations.

From a technological standpoint, that creative quality needs to be high on all media but particularly TV. When a poor-quality creative is served compared to the programming aligned with, it can negatively impact the user experience. It’s particularly important to get that right in a connected TV environment where content and ads are served over the internet. Watching a pixelated ad alongside a 4K-streamed show makes the brand look bad.

Think about location

Generally speaking, HNW audiences will be physically located in specific affluent areas where location-based data can be invaluable. Many will rightly assume that London has some of the wealthiest postcodes in the UK, but what about outside London? According to Zoopla, Virginia Water in Surrey takes that crown, meaning there’s value in targeting HNW groups outside the M25 too.

Brands cannot assume where their audience will be – they need to know. For example, suppose a luxury vehicle manufacturer wanted to target relevant audiences. In that case, an addressable TV campaign enables them to use high production value creative alongside household targeting that engages the viewer while also providing details on the nearest dealership. It makes for a much more compelling offering.

Address their interests

Relevance is one of the most important factors of a successful campaign, and it needs to be taken seriously, especially for hard-to-reach audiences like HNW individuals. But what makes an ad relevant? In partnership with research company DRG and professors from UCL, we sought to find out for our Thinking Inside the Box research programme. The study investigated whether audiences’ engagement with advertising is affected by addressability to the individual.

When addressed with relevant TV advertising, the findings showed that respondents liked addressable ads almost four times more than non-addressable. They also had more accurate memories, with 74% remembering images from the addressable ads vs 68% non-addressable.

At a physiological level, participants exhibited a greater focus on addressable ads, displayed a lower heart rate and greater external focus than non-addressable. It demonstrates that by being relevant to the viewer and addressing their interests, brands have a higher chance of engaging them, driving brand awareness and short-term sales as a result, particularly for those outlying audiences like HNW groups.

Like any other hard-to-reach or outlier audience, high net worth individuals will have specific interests and expectations. To fully engage them, advertisers need to consider the tools at their disposal that will address their interests and location without being invasive. It takes a nuanced approach, but through a combination of high-quality creative, effective targeting and placing relevance front and centre, you can create an advertising strategy that will deliver short-term sales goals and raise brand awareness with your target audience.

With the goal of ending pet homelessness, Pedigree promised to donate two dog shelters every time someone purchase a product. ASDA – the supermarket where the campaign was conducted – was chosen based on YouGov data indicating it is the preferred shop among audience segments that Pedigree was targeting ads.

Richard Fuller, Senior Director of Engagement at Finecast – the company that helped implement the campaign – joined Ebrahim at the Future of TV Advertising Global event in London to discuss addressable advertising and the success Pedigree achieved with it.

Ebrahim stressed the importance of addressable for Mars Pet Nutrition, where advertising to a mass audience would produce unnecessary wastage. She said, “We have a very specific audience, either you have a dog or cat, either you’re in the market for a dog or a cat, or you’re not.” She also highlighted the importance of making differentiations within the category of pet owners while planning media: “What you don’t want to be doing is sharing the same products and services with very different groups of consumers and making that be the focus of your plan.”

Talking about addressable TV in general, Fuller outlined the dimensions along which Finecast can segment audiences for targeting, including lifestyle and life stage, the interests and intent of viewers, actions or behaviour derived from their location, and their transactions (either in a category or having purchased a specific product). Using its data intelligence and planning framework, Finecast is able to combine data points across chosen audience levels to create a custom audience for targeting that aligns with brands’ campaign objectives.

He highlighted the new opportunities available to marketers with the advent of OTT live and video-on-demand services. The proliferation of a variety of services, Fuller noted, is important in offering more choices for planning addressable campaigns. He remarked that Finecast is particularly excited about new players including IMDb TV, Pluto, Roku, and discovery+, as well as smaller, more diverse, niche players such as YuppTV, an OTT channel which hosts Southeast Asian content.

Fuller also noted that the effective cross-platform measurement and attribution was an important step for addressable TV. He said, “We’re getting to a place where the advent of things like CFlight and total TV measurement really helps drive and grow this area, with real-time effectiveness. We’re finding out on a monthly or weekly basis how campaigns are performing”.