The Fragmentation of TV
Video has been one of the main beneficiaries of the growing and ever expansive technology landscape. Providing new and more diverse ways for people to follow shows and watch the programmes they enjoy. The viewer is able to consume content at any point throughout their day on a connected device through a 4G network, at home via a Fibre or WIFI ISP connection, or even in a public space powered by any one of the many cloud service providers — content is available and accessible by everyone at any time. And it’s this divergence of technology mediums that has begun to augment the way the traditional TV experience is considered. Where it was once the centre of the household for families to congregate around a fixed “big” screen in the home has now become fragmented — with many opting to be in the same room as the TV but distracted by their non-linear devices. The viewer can now make a choice to be engaged or distracted — breaking free from the shackles of consuming content via their TV set at times the broadcast schedule dictates.
Taking full advantage of the entire techno-scape, content is able to present itself in many guises empowering the end-consumer. Offering options to downloaded or stream, view full length TV programmes, view show / sporting highlights, webisodes, and even access to full live linear broadcast channels, all able to be seen where and when the consumer demands it. And so it evolves as more and more premium non-linear video services start to emerge vying to become integral viewing platforms in their own right.
The Distracted Viewer
In this not-so-new media space the TV experience has extended to our connected devices, causing broadcast media through the TV to become arguably the new second screen content of the home, as consumers are regularly in the same room as the TV while engaged with alternative media on their devices. However, despite viewers being distracted and disengaged, this does not mean their attention has been lost, the viewer has merely changed the direction of their focus.
In a world now accustom to parallel viewership, where consumers are no longer beholden to the TV the almost endless range of platforms that are on offer allow technologists to provide brands with the means to follow their once traditional “TV” audiences, cross platform.
Additionally the consumption of video on non-traditional mediums has released the irons from the advertisers who compete for peak viewership in the household across linear TV, paying premium rates to have their content seen by the broadest audience. This has levelled the playing field providing new opportunities to brands who seek high value audiences but struggle to compete on price and positioning on TV.
New Revenue Streams
Advertising technology is the enabler and has become a core component of the technology stack. Any time we watch a video, the media player, through integration with an ad-server provides the content owner with the means to generate additional commercial revenue above and beyond the TV.
Buying “airtime” across these alternative platforms reduces the impacts and limitations of upfront TV buying, enabling advertisers to purchase inventory at short notice, perform a/b testing at lower costs and reach actively engaged audiences, as multi-tasking on mobile is not as easy as it is while watching the “TV Set” with the connected device in hand. In response agencies and brand representatives have adapted to this new lifestyle (the art of watching content when and where we want) and embraced the numerous ways in which customers now engage with digital media — specifically video when defining the media plan.
These advancements in advertising technology have not only provided us with the ability to follow viewers across platforms but also the tools to measure their engagement. Digital online media advertising adds a suite of in-depth methods for analysing a viewer’s engagement with content. We can now monitor live play-out, impressions, clicks, view through (drop off rates) and dwell time. Additionally, new advertising formats are able to demonstrate additional content in-stream, allowing viewers to make active decisions while watching the playback and see more about that brand.
It’s All Changing
Traditional TV viewing has been disrupted by the advancements made across the consumer electronics market place. Advertisers have adapted to meet the demands for these new ways to engage with programming, as the consumer explores their favourite shows cross platform. Measurement of commercial activity has been become divided, from the TV playout validations of old, being able to track trace and understand the performance of the commercial with near real-time analytics across new mediums.
With these measures now above and beyond the traditional TV metrics — live, accountable and connected directly to the consumer — what if TV could be measured and analysed in the same way?
1. Technology powering the broadcast media landscape is evolving at a rate of knots.
2. Consumer behaviour clearly demonstrates a literacy in content viewing across non-traditional platforms. Successfully moving away from the “fixed viewing habits TV once enforced”. The viewer is creating their own “TV” schedule and discovering content in increasingly non-traditional ways.
3. Device connectivity now also ensures that the consumer is not limited to watching content on their TV Set, nor subjected to the rigours of buffering while streaming video. 4G mobile networks, home WIFI as well as the many Cloud ISP’s powering the coffee shops and public spaces ensure this.
4. Premium video services are becoming integral delivery platforms for brands to communicate with their previously sought after TV audiences.
5. Traditional TV campaigns are a now a thing of the past and requires the agency to better connect their TV and Digital buying desks, a must to reduce the fragmentation of the content life cycle and successfully follow the user journey adapting to these new viewing behaviours.