OTT and CTV Redefines TV Buying

Consumption of Over-the-top (OTT) content is on the rise as new streaming services emerge and people stay home rather than venture out for entertainment. Connected TV (CTV), given the flexibility and customized viewing experience it provides consumers, is one of the fastest growing environments to access OTT content. It is fueling a shift in consumer viewing time and advertiser media spend away from linear TV.

DoubleVerify recently took part in virtual panels at 614 Brand Safety Summits in Singapore and London, where we discussed the state of CTV advertising in Europe and Asia, as well as the opportunities and challenges present in CTV media buying.

Singapore 614 Brand Safety Summit – “Redefining TV Buying: What Roles Do OTT and CTV Play?”

In Singapore on April 30th, DV’s Conrad Tallariti, RVP Sales in SEA moderated a panel on “Redefining TV Buying: What Roles Do OTT and CTV Play?”. Conrad was joined on the panel by Gavin Buxton, Managing Director APAC at SpotX, Peter Angelis, Director of Digital Operations at Omnicom Media Group, Janet Leung, North Asia Lead at Precision and John Ross, DV’s Associate Director of CTV Products.

In SEA, panelists noted that the OTT market is a mobile-first opportunity. This mobile opportunity is driven by the fact that the majority of consumers primarily use their handheld device to watch local market video content. Panelists also noted that when it comes to OTT in SEA, advertisers and their AdTech partners must address the technical complexity of serving ads to a variety of devices to ensure ads deliver and render properly.

Panelists highlighted that ad fraud does exist in CTV and that marketers need to be mindful of this and begin to formulate strategies and solutions for ensuring a clean buying environment. “CTV is an extremely attractive environment for fraudsters – there are high CPMs and the tech limitations make fraud easier. Some advertisers operate under the false impression that CTV is fraud-free and therefore haven’t begun to use verification”, said DV’s John Ross. A takeaway from the panel discussion is that brand advertisers must work with their technology partners to optimize their ad campaigns to ensure fraud-free delivery.

Watch the Singapore Summit on demand here.

London 614 Brand Safety Summit – “CTV & OTT: Get Clear on What You’re Buying”

Moderating the panel “CTV & OTT: Get Clear on What You’re Buying” in London on May 7th was DV’s David Goddard, Senior Director, Business Development, EMEA, joined by Patrick Morrell, Director, Strategic Publisher & TV Products of The Trade Desk and Melinda Clow, Head of Programmatic Activation at Omnicom Media Group UK alongside DV’s Associate Director of CTV Products, John Ross.

The session clarified the definitions of CTV and OTT, and the importance of understanding what is premium content within CTV. While CTV advertising is in its infancy within EMEA, it offers proven high return on media investment. Since early 2020, CTV content consumption has been accelerating; it is becoming a highly effective channel to reach all audiences – especially younger viewers.

The panelist recognized the technical challenges CTV presents and their impact on ad delivery and measurement. Solutions to these challenges are being worked on by DV, the IAB and other industry leaders. “The future looks bright for connected TV”, said DV’s David Goddard. “We’ve highlighted a number of challenges that are out there for advertisers in the industry but the solutions are there too. Even if they’re not available now, they’re imminent, and should give us a greater level of transparency and trust to ensure that brands are protected in these environments.”

We will continue these conversations at the 614 Brand Safety Summit webinar in New York on June 16. To learn more about CTV, sign up for our CTV Myths and Realities webinar on May 21.

Watch the London Summit on demand here.

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