3 ways top brands are using connected TV to increase reach and drive results
YouTube Head of Emerging Formats, Matt McDonald explains how brands can use YouTube CTV Ads to go beyond linear TV and improve the impact of your video campaigns.
In a recent Think with Google article, YouTube Head of Emerging Formats, Matt McDonald, authored an article in which he addresses the evolution of consumer media consumption and viewing habits, and how advertisers can capitalize on the shift to OTT video services.
Matt writes: Watching TV has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Growing up, it was a regular pastime to gather with friends and watch our favorite weekly show. Nowadays, I unwind by watching where and when I want, which usually means catching up on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” on YouTube TV, or youtwoTV on YouTube. While the way I watch TV has evolved a lot over the course of my life, the delight it brings is constant.In the past year particularly, we’ve seen video streaming emerge as people’s preferred way to enjoy content. During 2021, nearly 83% of households will have at least one connected TV, used by at least one person every month. CTV is now mainstream viewing behavior in the U.S.1
Advertisers have been creating for the TV screen for decades, but the CTV screen presents new opportunities for engagement. By pairing the precision of digital with the scale of linear TV, CTV gives brands the best of both worlds. In December 2020, for example, over 120 million people in the U.S. streamed YouTube or YouTube TV on their TV screens.2
Why are people choosing to experience their favorite YouTube content on TV? In large part, because they want to experience it with others. A recent study we commissioned with Nielsen, for instance, found that 26% of the time, multiple viewers ages 18 and over are watching YouTube together on the TV screen, compared to 22% who watch together on linear TV.3
Already, we’re seeing marketers across verticals, including some of our own teams at Google, reap the benefits of CTV’s immersive screen. Here are three specific ways you can use YouTube CTV Ads to go beyond linear TV and improve the impact of your video campaigns.
Efficiently reach new audiences
As the linear TV audience continues to shift, advertisers are finding it increasingly difficult to reach the people they care about and make their media dollars stretch. Planning CTV to complement or replace linear TV can help ensure you’re reaching your target audience and entirely new audiences as well.
Global brand Kellogg is no stranger to innovation, as it continues to embrace new ways of approaching video, both creatively and in its media plans. Recently, the company’s marketing team began adding YouTube CTV to its video mix for brands like Special K to reach new customers. (Matt's Insights Continue...)