Introduction
The persisting pandemic, growth in streaming services and an abundance of premium content has made Connected TV (CTV) the fastest growing advertising platform right now [Forbes]. To take full advantage of everything that Connected TV advertising has to offer, this blog post will highlight best practices, success stories and ad examples to serve as stepping-stones for your next ad campaign.
For a deep dive into the foundation of Connected TV (CTV) advertising, be sure to read our blog "What is CTV Advertising?".
Why Should You Study CTV Ad Examples?
Put in the Connected TV advertising work to build successful campaigns. Here's why:
Get Ahead in Connected TV Advertising
It's crucial to dissect what's working, and more importantly, what's not working in Connected TV advertising examples to be able to successfully leverage this enormously profitable and rapidly growing platform. To get ahead, you must first get under the surface and study the theme, formats, creative, key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytics to inform your own digital advertising campaigns.
Learn How to Reduce Costs
Since more people tend to watch TV together, for example, for large sporting events, show premieres or movies, previous ad examples can teach you to leverage the power of a collected audience, which will ultimately lower your CPCV (cost-per-completed-view) and impression rate than other video ads placement.
Access Real-Time Metrics
You can't deny the power of data! Through the study of CTV ads, you can find out which digital ads generated the greatest number of clicks, direct responses and conversions to gain more insights into your audiences, create compelling content and maximize investment.
UNDERSTAND How to Target Responsive Audiences
Studying Connected TV ad examples will teach you how to leverage responsive audiences through your own future campaigns. By closely analyzing Connected TV advertising campaigns, you can laser-focus your ad dollars on your target audiences through several options such as device type, device model, time of the day, day of the week, lookalike audiences and cross-channel advertising.
Action Plan to Run Connected TV Ads
- Know Your Target Audience
- Decide What Ads Serve on Each OTT Channel
- Find a Demand Side Platform (DSP) or Advertising Partner to Meet Your Goals
- Run Your Ads & Track Performance
Types of Connected TV Ads
1 . Direct Response
Direct response Connected TV ads aim to drive performance and revenue through a call to action. These ads leave the consumer with instructions for what to do next or where to go next.
2. Branding
Branding Connected TV ads aim to build brand awareness so that with each ad, the brand becomes more recognizable.
Connected TV Advertising Success Stories
Here are some of the best CTV advertising success stories:
Audience-First Approach with David's Bridal
In the wake of an emerging pandemic and endless wedding cancellations in 2020, David's Bridal adjusted their marketing strategy with an audience-first CTV ad to drive in-store and virtual appointments. This audience-centric ad was highly personalized and reached the right consumers in the right moments, boosting eCommerce sales.
Interactive Ad Approach with Volvo
To showcase its new s90 model, Volvo leveraged interactive CTV ads for the Samsung and Roku streaming services. Through the ad, viewers explored the interior and exterior of the vehicle while also receiving personalized messaging that directed them to the nearest Volvo dealership. Not only did the interactive experience give a whole scope of the purchase journey but it also felt more immediate, actionable and compelling - ultimately leading to a 35% lift in sales.
Branding Approach with Subway
To increase brand awareness and get their target audience excited about Subway's new menu options, the sandwich giant hired superstar celebrities such as Tom Brady and Serena Williams to introduce new menu items and announce a large giveaway. This brand refresh was extremely successful across Connected TV platforms, resulting in a 33% increase in sales!
GumGum's CTV Advertising Campaigns
GumGum recently partnered with the powerful video platform IRIS.TV to drive video performance for a jewelry company.
GumGum Verity™ and IRIS.TV worked together to drive a strong VCR metric by utilizing Verity™ Video PMPs to target contextually relevant videos related to fashion, parenting, shopping and more. In addition to targeting these IAB contexts, the Verity™ team created a custom Mother’s Day segment for this advertiser.
Results:
Together, GumGum and IRIS.TV exceeded the client’s goal, generating a VCR of 98.54%.
The Verity™ Video PMP campaign also outperformed the advertiser’s two other CTV providers, achieving a higher VCR than both and a lower CPM than one.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, Connected TV offers immense potential for marketers. A successful CTV campaign starts with knowing your audience through the study of online behavior and then delivering engaging creative through the most effective ads within the right ad placements. CTV also offers an immediate, actionable and interactive way to meet people where they are the most - in front of their streaming devices.
