The Art (and Science) of In-App Ads: Cracking Big Brand Budgets
Next month at NAB 2017, I’ll be joining Fox International, Turner, and Frank N. Magid Associates to discuss new monetization experiences and fresh ways for brands to connect with consumers like never before. We will discuss branded UI takeovers, micro moments, and in-app social programming — all of which are breaking new ground and cracking the code. Here’s why:
Video streaming apps are continuing to evolve, providing richer and richer experiences for users. We’re spending less time browsing and more time watching. We’re seeing motion design transform traditionally static in-app navigation to dynamic experiences, and we’re seeing social media break new ground with their own brand of live video broadcasting.
We know consumers are spending more time viewing content across different devices and less on traditional TV. We know audiences have shorter and shorter attention spans. With the percentage of time spent with apps like Facebook, Snap, Netflix, and Amazon, users are also being conditioned to a wholly new experience often devoid of the traditional pre-roll and mid-roll ad. This, together with the rise of appointment viewing, and the power of ad-skipping technology, has significantly changed the relationship between the sponsor and viewer.
The experience today is such that users expect to enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies without being interrupted by regular breaks and “interruptions”. At the same time, content creators are investing in higher-quality content that is most certainly sponsor-worthy. If done properly, there are opportunities to cultivate user relationships using more natural moments in the viewing experience that are both intelligent and context sensitive. Exactly what brands are looking for.
Despite all these advancements, our understanding of the new world order, and the fact that conventional wisdom says follow the eyeballs, viewers (now users) are still subjected to an outdated advertising methodologies with in-app sponsored content relegated to limited experiments at best.
Why? Given the technical limitations involved in today’s app landscape, the process remains highly manual with the almost impossible task of making any program repeatable, scalable, & customizable at the same time. The cross-platform hurdle alone demands customizations that make the lights dim every time. So is it any wonder why we continue to see ad breaks spliced into streaming video? Does this not explain why sponsored in-app content has been reduced to a category of experimental projects? If we continue to try and work from the existing system, technology platforms, and solutioning from a traditional point of view, it’s no surprise we haven’t been able to crack the code.
So let’s not do that.
Why don’t we start with the answer and work back from there? Why don’t we figure out what the user wants first and see how we can create a system that makes sense from that perspective?
If you’re attending NAB, add this panel to your calendar so you that don’t miss out on what we promise to be an insightful session. We hope you can join us.
The Art (and Science) of In-App Ads: Cracking Big Brand Budgets.
Advanced Advertising Pavilion
Tuesday, April 25 at 11:00 AM
Want to get a sneak peek at the ground-breaking ad opportunities we’ll be discussing? Book a meeting with us in our show floor meeting room, #SU12024MR.
If this is something you enjoyed reading, please hit the Recommend button so others can join in on the fun.
Twitter: You.i TV.
