The rapidly evolving advanced TV landscape has made it particularly difficult to pause and get a grip on where it has been and where it is heading. In an interview with Beet.TV, Julie Anson, director of strategic investment of advanced TV at MAGNA, provided some clarity around the current marketplace.
As far as what’s currently working, Anson says that both devices and glass-level insights are moving the dial because they allow for scalable footprints.
“More than ever targeting is allowing buying teams and advertisers to understand the incrementality of OTT off of their TV plan,” says Anson. “More so than just competitive conquesting or sequential messaging, really understanding how OTT acts as a complement to your linear TV plan and the devices and the platforms and the glass companies are allowing us to do that through platform tools that they’re investing in or their existing ACR tech.”
For MAGNA, the approach to the marketplace started with platforms, partnering with companies like Amazon, Roku and Samsung, and investing in publisher-direct relationships. Connecting directly with publishers has been particularly fruitful.
“As platforms and DSPs and SSPs come and go, the publisher of the agency is what’s going to be standing at the end of the day.” Anson says.
Looking ahead, Anson suggests that performance and distribution of OTT should be weighed as a complement to a traditional plan. It first must be proven out as a media channel and a new definition of television in order to further invest in it. Anson cites Viacom’s purchase of Pluto as an indicator that the next year will likely bring more consolidation as we dive further into the streaming war.
“I think over the next year we’re going to see a lot more acquisitions and mergers,” says Anson. “People are finding their footing in what they want their distribution endpoints to be and their holistic video offering to be.”
This video is part of the Beet.TV series title the Road to CES 202, a preview of the topics expected to be explored in Las Vegas in January. The series is presented by Samsung Ads. For more videos please visit this page.
