The audiences may be engaging with TV in new ways, but great content, editorial curation and even scheduling and continuity will continue to drive viewing behaviour according to panel of experts at The Drum’s Future of TV breakfast event.
Panelists from Dataxu, Telaria, Thinkbox, Endemol Shine Group and Ogilvy UK gathered (Wednesday, February 14] to discuss the future of TV advertising. With new threats emerging and threatening to topple the traditional TV advertising model – are we moving towards the best of times or the worst of times?
According to Matt Hill, research and planning director at Thinkbox, content on various platforms fill different needs, and we should not assume that one is at variance with other forms of content.
The conversation then turned to the subject of the “crown-jewel” of British TV – the BBC. With traditional broadcasting under threat, where does the BBC fit into the debate?
Hill referred to a survey of linear TV viewing habits (by EndersAnalysis) which revealed that in 2016, only three foreign-produced shows made it in the top 2,000 most-watched shows, concluding that UK TV is a very localised medium so international subscription-based video on demand cannot have it all covered.
“In London we have very different viewing habits and behaviours to the rest of the country. We need good data to understand what the rest of the country is viewing,” he said.
As consumers continue to watch TV content on multiple devices and platforms, for advertisers this presents an opportunity to target viewers with the right message, at the right time. Done right – addressable TV has the potential to be a game-changer allowing them to personalise ads using the right data. But how far away are we from this vision?
However Hill cautioned it won’t completely change the way TV works because brands still need mass reach. “It could make TV more powerful in terms of being specific in targeting and when consumers are targeted. TV offers a rich environment and value exchange for viewers in terms of advertising.
“If you merge that with the online world where you have addressability and deliver ads in real-time, you end up with an incredibly powerful product. That’s why I think the future is incredibly bright for TV,” he concluded.
Watch the video below for more insights.