CTV and DOOH Aren't the Cookie Cutting Solution, but They Can Help
Cookies have been the main source of data for advertisers, however, with the demand for privacy, transparency, choice, and control, cookies are being phased out from the major internet browser providers. This has caused panic and worry among many in the industry, but there are some workarounds. While many are changing tactics to focus on brand awareness or use AI tools to make decisions, others are turning to programmatic options. Connected TV and digital out home may not be the solution to the loss of cookies, but they are a great way to increase reach and build brand awareness.
Why Programmatic?
Programmatic is becoming more prevalent as advertising moves forward. The digital versions of these traditional methods are advancing and making life easier for brands and their marketing teams to reach the right audiences.
As of 2022, 87% of U.S. households have at least one tv device that connects to the internet. Overall, CTV seems to be one of the fastest-growing channels among consumers, many of which reported that they prefer CTV ads over linear tv ads due to relevance. Considering that the average Canadian watches 21 hours a week of television, the shorter air time for ads on CTV doesn’t seem so bad. Connected TV ads may not be clickable, but they can feature scannable QR codes to redirect consumers to a specific landing page to direct the viewer to the business’s website immediately after seeing the ad.
Of course, when people aren’t home, they can still be reached where they work, hang out, and shop. Digital out of home is a great way to increase brand awareness and can potentially lead to purchases. In a study by Statista, it was found that 52% of respondents said they noticed street-level DOOH ads. With digital out of home ads, billboards have the flexibility to be creative and engaging. With the addition of “folded” or “bent” screens, ads can now have a 3D effect.
The targeting options also allow advertisers to maximize efficiencies. Weather, time of day, and location can all be targeting parameters added to a campaign.
How Does it Work?
Technically, there is still some tracking involved, but not to the same extent as third-party ads.
Connected TV uses device IDs and IPs to collect data. Based on the device and household information, advertisers can use targeting features similar to interests and demographic information seen with social media ads, but also retarget and cross-target consumers. It’s similar to how Netflix’s new anti-password sharing method works.
DOOH uses context from multiple touchpoints from different device IDs to collect data. Similar to CTV, DOOH uses device ID mapping, but instead of a one-to-one ratio, it’s one-to-many.
Programmatic Isn’t the Sole Solution
To start, there isn’t one sole solution to overcoming the loss of cookies. In fact, cookies themselves weren’t always 100%. If people shared their computer with their family an ad may show up for the wrong person. Think about all the times you saw an ad that was perfectly tailored for you but you weren’t in the purchasing mindset. There is also the nuance of people deleting their cookies to improve device or software performance.
The same idea can be applied to programmatic: there isn’t a perfect technology to ensure that everything delivers to the right people 100% of the time.
Programmatic has access to similar if not the same type of data as ads on paid search and social media platforms, just packaged and stored differently. That doesn’t mean that programmatic isn’t worth investing in. In fact, with lots of available inventory and respectable CPMs, it’s a great way to increase reach and drive revenue. After all, it’s important to not carry all eggs in one basket, right?
If you’re interested in expanding your reach and developing an effective omnichannel marketing strategy, contact us today at [email protected].