Vi har pratat med Blair Robertson som är Chief Technology Officer på TVSquared. Här delar han sin syn på tv-marknaden i Sverige.
How is digital influencing the future of TV advertising in Sweden?
Digital is forcing TV’s hand by creating demand on the buy-side. For marketers, budget spent on digital can be easily justified with proof of ROI just a click away. Couple this with granular targeting; marketers have total autonomy on the decision of where to direct their ad spend. This is something TV’s sell-side needs to respond to. To advertise on TV, brands often get locked into deals or have to buy inventory as part of a wider package with other unwanted conditions attached, making it less attractive.
Nevertheless, TV has a lot to offer in terms of achieving reach. At TVSquared we often talk to brands that, for example, run ads across social media and are very successful until it comes to increasing reach, and they run out of options – either because they don’t know who to target or it becomes too expensive. TV needs to play to its strength of reaching large audiences. To encourage advertisers to spend ad budgets on TV, networks need to talk the language of the modern, digitally savvy marketers, and acknowledge they can’t continue to sell TV the way they did 20 years ago, because it is no longer a monopoly.
What is the “second-screen” trend and what does this mean for advertisers?
This trend refers to viewers using a mobile device while watching TV. Human attention span is decreasing, as we become used to hyperactivity and doing several things at the same time; this is especially true for younger people, where juggling multiple devices is an established habit. For example, if the viewer sees an interesting or “cool” ad on TV, they will go online and research it. Advertisers need to understand this shift in behaviour and capitalise on the trend. We still talk to marketers who are surprised the impact a TV spot can deliver, particularly for products that are new, novel or interesting.
Is the rise of OTT and other subscription TV services negatively influencing traditional broadcast advertising?
Subscription services aren’t negatively influencing traditional TV but rather making people wake up. Linear TV needs to respond to the evolving video landscape and acknowledge it isn’t the only player. OTT not only enables marketers to target specific consumer groups, but also reach and capture market segments that don’t, or rarely, watch TV. There is no black and white answer; instead, advertisers need to look to implement a combination of traditional broadcast and OTT and find the right balance that works for the individual brand or campaign.
For example, a brand could deploy a broad, low frequency campaign, where viewers see the ad once or twice, then use the knowledge gained to decide on behavioural groups to target and increase frequency. Alternatively, a brand with low starting capital might target specific segments with OTT, before branching out to linear to increase reach.
How can brands leverage TV advertising to support digital campaigns?
TV is excellent at telling the viewer a story. Traditional 30-second spots are great to present new ideas, whereas marketers with a simple message or call to action might opt for 10-second or even, six-second spots to achieve high frequency or reach in a cost effective way. However, it is difficult to tell the whole story through short ads, so advertisers need to ensure they are continuing the story. TV can help begin the narrative, that digital can then continue online. This also improves the efficacy of digital brand image, as the viewer is more likely to click on a banner ad if they are already aware of the brand. Together, TV and digital form a synergistic relationship, which further proves a combination of the two is more effective than implementing them individually.
What are some of the biggest challenges that TV advertisers face today?
Advertisers will face different challenges, depending on their size and objective. There is still this perception that it is expensive and hard to access. To some extent this is true as brands are still unable to independently execute a campaign – they typically need a media agency that has particular deals with networks. However, in some countries these can appear to operate as a monopoly, which is particularly true for countries such as Sweden, where there aren’t that many different local language channels, and local content is often a requirement. Media owners need to be able to address the buyers directly. TV continues to attract large audiences, and big brands will always continue to invest in it. However, TV networks need to acknowledge the opportunities that could be created if TV was made more accessible and easier to buy.