The IAB hosted their annual Newfronts which has become one of the most anticipated media events of the year. Media companies boast their upcoming digital offerings and products all trying to surpass the next one.
Social
Meta and Snapchat were quick to differentiate themselves from the growing CTV trend focusing on their augmented reality and virtual reality features. Meta has put its stake in the ground on the future of augmented reality and has made sure to position themselves as the publisher lead around this topic.
CTV
The CTV companies came to the table with two main themes including product placement and measurement. Measurement has certainly been a pain point for brands as they asses how much of their media mix is pushed into this space. Technology in product placement is continuing to evolve but Peacock and Amazon have developed ways to insert brands into their content streams.
Some Ad Innovations and Tech Unveiled
- Twitter – integrating with iSpot to allow for cross-platform effectiveness to measure how twitter ads provide audience lift for TV
- Samsung – Analytics tools for advertisers enable measurement of cross-platform media buys
- Peacock – Dynamic, geo-targeted ads with innovations including frame ads and scene ads
Growing Streaming Video Users
In the FAST (Free Ad Supported TV) and AVOD (Ad based video on demand) space it was evident that the battle will wage over growing viewer base. And just as the SVOD (subscription video on demand) space experienced a couple years ago, original content will be the big differentiator. Viewers are looking for a strong channel lineup in their FAST service but now being more picky and seeking out original content.
Content is Still King
Tubi and Crackle each committed to over 100 original titles. Other original content and channels announced at the 2022 NewFronts include:
- Peacock – releasing three original movies in 2023
- Roku – launching more original content focused on drama, comedy and reality
- Snap – Partnership with Live Nation to create AR and immersive experiences relating to Live Nation events
Brands are eager to take advantage of these new innovations and eager to see how the consumer changes their streaming line up. The big missing piece that doesn’t usually get much attention at these types of events is the measurement and attribution piece. It is important to understand how it all works together and find the attribution strategy that makes the most sense for each campaign. As measurement “catches up” it will only make the attribution piece easier to defend.
Written by Executive Vice President, Amy Ward
