A-Z of Addressable TV: M is for Measurement
A-Z of Addressable: M is for Measurement
In the “A-Z of Addressable TV” series, we introduce some of the key terminology, technical aspects, and target audiences involved in addressable TV and explain how they enable advertisers to discover and reach new audiences. From ‘Addressable’ to ‘Gen Z,’ we’ve got you covered.
M is for measurement
Measurement is the act of assigning numerical values to physical quantities and phenomena. In the realm of advertising, one of the key metrics is determining the number of individuals from a specific audience who have been exposed to an advertisement. In today's dynamic TV landscape, gauging this "reach" has become increasingly complex. In this discussion, our focus is on exploring the future of measuring reach across different channels and finding the most efficient path to achieve that goal.
How has reach and frequency of TV advertising been measured in the past?
In the UK, BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) has set the industry standard for measuring TV viewing data since 1981. At that time, linear TV* was the primary means of watching television, with scheduled programming delivering content. Over four decades later, BARB still provides valuable insights into viewership on linear TV and has adapted to the changing landscape of video consumption to include SVOD services like Netflix into its reporting.
*We covered linear in more detail in our previous A-Z blog.
Why are new measurement capabilities needed in TV advertising?
Today, there are various ways to consume TV content, including BVOD, AVOD, SVOD, and CTV, and advertisers have different methods for running campaigns, such as linear TV and addressable TV. With this evolving ecosystem, new measurement capabilities are needed in TV advertising.
Brands running addressable and linear TV campaigns require the ability to track the impact of both approaches. They want to understand who they’re reaching, and how frequently, across different channels and platforms. Ideally, they would like to have all this information in one place to simplify measurement and reporting in the modern, fragmented TV landscape.
As Rich Fuller said during the launch of Finecast's Total TV measurement, “TV and video are becoming increasingly intertwined and simplifying the post-campaign measurement process for our clients is vital.”
What is Finecast’s Total TV Measurement offering?
Total TV Measurement from Finecast is a single measure of cross-channel reach and frequency across both linear and addressable TV.
It aggregates, aligns, and de-duplicates complex data sets including Finecast’s campaign delivery data across all addressable TV content and BARB data. This allows brands to understand the overlap between addressable TV and linear campaigns, as well as demonstrating the incremental reach that can be gained from running addressable TV campaigns alongside linear. Having this understanding allows advertisers to optimise campaign planning and leverage the value of addressable TV.
Ultimately, Total TV Measurement is another element of Finecast’s commitment to using data effectively to support clients and the wider TV advertising and addressable TV landscape.
What are some of the specific outputs available through Total TV Measurement?
Total TV measurement can provide a wide range of insights. These include, but are not limited to:
Cross-channel addressable and linear TV reach and frequency: Finecast reach and frequency data, independently calculated by AudienceProject via a bespoke modelling methodology, is merged with BARB linear TV data to provide a single measure of cross-channel reach.
Overall de-duplicated reach and frequency: Measure de-duplicated incremental reach of addressable TV across all key supply partners vs linear TV for a holistic viewpoint. These outputs can be used to calculate the efficiencies and budget savings that can be gained from incorporating addressable TV into media plans.
Measuring against selected BARB demographics: Including break downs by age with more demographic break downs to come.
What does that mean for brands and their campaigns moving forward?
For brands and their campaigns, Finecast's Total TV Measurement offers an accurate and reliable way to measure the effectiveness of their advertising efforts. It enables brands to assess and compare addressable TV and linear TV campaigns, supporting future campaign planning and providing evidence of the efficiencies gained by combining the two approaches. This empowers brands to confidently plan their media strategies and better understand the value of addressable TV.
Let’s look at an example of Total TV Measurement in action...
An example of Total TV Measurement in action is TalkTalk, a broadband provider, who engaged Finecast to drive cost-effective incremental reach through their AV channels. The goal was to understand the cost of achieving this reach above their linear TV campaign. Finecast created a customized audience for the campaign using partner and interest-based first-party data. Additionally, a Total TV Measurement study was conducted to measure incremental reach compared to linear TV. The study revealed a +1.3% incremental reach across all adults and a total cost saving of £227,000 compared to running linear TV advertising alone. These measurement insights allowed TalkTalk and Finecast to plan a comprehensive AV strategy and allocate their budget effectively across video platforms to reach their target audience.
This is just the beginning of the evolution in TV measurement. At Finecast, we are heavily invested in understanding the TV viewing experience as part of our ‘Thinking Inside the Box’ research campaign. Investigating topics like attention, memory, and how modern viewers perceive television will support brands in their media buying strategies in the years to come.
For more information about how addressable TV can work for you, get in touch via the form below. You can catch up on the full A-Z series to date here.