Marketers Must Combine TV and Digital Video Advertising – But How?

Based on the findings of recent research, industry participants have provided suggestions for combining TV and digital video advertising to effectively reach consumers.

Although TV ad spend in the U.S. is still going strong, the use of digital video advertising is growing rapidly and doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon.

In fact, in its new report, 50 Best Practices for Digital Video: Do’s and Don’ts for More Effective Advertising, eMarketer estimates that digital video advertising will represent approximately 12 percent of all digital ad spending in the U.S. this year, and it will grow faster than search or overall display advertising over the next few years.

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And joint research from Nielsen and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows the increasing importance of digital video advertising as well.

According to their report, planning and running online video advertising before a TV spot can boost the effectiveness of both the online video and TV portions of a campaign.

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 Image Credit: IAB

Their research also shows that while TV maintains its audience, online video can reach consumers more effectively, as video ads have received higher scores than TV ads on Nielsen measured metrics. These include general recall, brand recall, message recall, and ad likeability.

TV’s continued dominance and digital video’s robust growth raise an important question: How should marketers combine these two ad formats to plan a successful media buying strategy?

To answer this question, ClickZ spoke to a number of industry experts.

Creating Cross-Screen Content Is Key

“The most effective digital video campaigns are those that run across screens to include Web, mobile, tablet, and connected TV,” says Dan Mosher, senior vice president (SVP) of business operations at BrightRoll.

And Kristin Kovner, president of K-Squared Strategies, a marketing strategy consultancy, agrees that cross-platform content plays a pivotal role in the integration of TV and digital video advertising.

“No medium exists in a vacuum, and the most successful video campaigns will be integrated across platforms, capitalizing on the strengths of each,” she says. “Television remains one of the most cost-effective ways to drive awareness. Online video, as a lean-forward medium, lets brands provide deeper engagement and multiple ways for consumers to interact.”

Commenting on the combined use of TV and digital video advertising, Caleb Hanson, product director of Rapt Media, an interactive video company, says, “This is a million dollar question. You need to create a compelling second-screen experience that adds enough value to overcome the barrier of entry. The short answer: There is no substitute for amazing content, and it needs to be delivered in a way that can be consumed on every device.”

Use TV and Digital Video to Target Different Levels of Consumers

Brands and [media] planners should think of TV and digital video as the two pieces needed to create a full-funnel marketing solution, according to Byron Ellis, chief technology officer (CTO) at ad-tech company Spongecell. “The reach of TV makes it the ideal medium for top-of-the-funnel awareness, like we’ve seen with a brand such as GoDaddy.com,” he says.

“On the other hand, online video, with its more precise targeting and personalization options, makes it ideal for mid- and lower-funnel campaigns. In other words, launch your newest model on TV, but use digital video to target those in-market shoppers,” he tells ClickZ.

Understand Your Goals Before Execution

In terms of developing a media buying strategy, Mosher from BrightRoll explains that marketers need to understand their goals upfront and tailor the campaign to achieve those goals. He adds that media planners should make sure to get transparency from their partner in all cases, including QAG 2.0 compliance.

“Advertisers should also look for independent, accredited measurement and validation offerings before kicking off any campaign to ensure the accuracy and impact of performance,” he says.

Agency Structure and Measurement Have Changed to Adapt to the Integration

Kevin Arrix, chief revenue officer at entertainment marketing and rewards platform Viggle, believes that a lot of agencies have now established a “video investment group” to buy both ad formats. “This setup change shows that the combination of TV and digital advertising is facilitated within the agency’s structure. It also shows that agencies are realizing that in order to achieve the best ROI for their clients, a mixture of advertising across both platforms is essential,” he says.

In addition to agency structure, measurement has changed to accommodate the integration of TV and digital advertising as well. “Nielsen and a few other measurement companies have been very proactive about being able to drive measurement against a TV advertising and a digital advertising video view,” Arrix adds.

What are your suggestions for integrating TV advertising with digital video advertising? Let us know.

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