On 25th October, IAB Europe hosted the H2 2022 Virtual CTV Event, and with almost 300 people in attendance, it was a huge success!
Featuring a series of panel discussions and market deep dives from IAB Europe member companies, the event unpacked key topics from what to expect from CTV in 2023 and Programmatic CTV in Europe to CTV and Consent.
In this post, you will find an overview of each of the sessions covered, as well as video recordings for you to view in your own time. Enjoy!
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: What Can We Expect From CTV in 2023?
We are now entering a new Advanced TV universe characterised by new digital-like capabilities offered by the TV ecosystem. The rise of connected devices exacerbates the fusion of formerly distinct media, distribution and business models by bringing digitally native video to the big screen in the living room. How will these advances shape the CTV ecosystem over the next 12-18 months?
Will Jones, VP Partnerships, MediaMath moderated this session and was joined by:
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: Programmatic CTV in Europe
There has been great interest from broadcasters and buyers alike in finding new ways to enable more programmatic execution of advanced TV. The panel discussed the current capability of programmatic and CTV, shared best practices, and discussed how this unique ecosystem will continue to evolve in Europe.
Sarah Botherway, Director, Partner Development, Index Exchange moderated this session and was joined by:
Watch the session recording here
Keynote Presentation: Latest Measurement Standards and Initiatives for CTV
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: Consent and CTV
How do you balance opportunity and responsibility in CTV? This panel discussed how consent is collected in the CTV environment, shared best practices and challenges that still need to be overcome. They looked at what the demise of the third-party cookie will mean for CTV and how the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) works for the CTV industry.
Paul Gubbins, VP, CTV Strategy, Publica moderated this panel and was joined by:
Watch the session recording here
In this week's member guest blog post we caught up with Shez Iqbal, Director of Publisher Partnerships and Global BIPOC Co-Community Leader, Criteo to find out what brands need to know ahead of Black History Month's 100th Anniversary.
Originated in the US in 1926, Black History Month took more than 60 years to materialise in the UK in its current form.
While undoubtedly a move in the right direction for its time, in 2022 the concept of a Black History Month provokes key questions about the state of diversity and inclusion across the UK; shouldn’t Black history be woven into the fabric of British history? Should we really have a set month to celebrate it? Do we celebrate it in the right way?
It’s clear a more nuanced conversation is required, not least when it comes to advertising. To support this, Criteo held a series of talks and panels with leaders from the advertising industry. Here we summarise some of the key takeaways from Criteo’s BIPOC Community panel discussion with Media For All, hosted by Director of Publisher Partnerships, Shez Iqbal.
From The Little Mermaid to James Bond, the conversation about Black representation in blockbuster films is as hot as ever. However, Criteo’s Jessica Luzemo warns brands to be careful about the characters and personalities they create, “so often you see the runner, the athlete, the rapper et cetera, but among these needs to be the astrophysicist, the politician, as well as everyday people.”
Choosing the person who’s not well known gives communities who rarely see themselves represented in the media an important stake in the ground, not to mention the impact on their relationship with the brand whose name accompanies that memory.
“Who doesn’t like seeing someone who looks like them in a movie or on the front cover” quipped Darren Sital-Singh of Studio PI, “but the fact is most crews behind the camera are still predominantly white.”
The importance of representation within the brand cannot be understated. One of the most interesting developments in this space is the number of studies highlighting the improved performance of diverse teams. Simon Haynes of Havas Lyons Group quoted McKinsey research revealing it’s statistically proven outputs are 35% higher on average among businesses that embrace diversity in the decision making process.
Ali Syed of ZoomInfo picked up on the pitch process, which so often fails to make any stipulation about the diversity of the team responding to a brief. “While unseen, I think it’s a really powerful way to drive change in how you operate and ensure every campaign is centred around people who understand the subject matter best.”
Black publishers can be a fantastic help to brands unsure of how to bring their ideas to market when they’re in the planning stages.
As the founder of The Grape Juice, a leading urban news publication, Sam Ajilore reflected on the fact he has yet to be approached by a brand looking for his consultation on how to engage his readership. Rather, he drew from his recent experiences being approached by brands with very grime oriented briefs looking for a “rapping mascot”, where a more granular approach would reveal savvier partnerships with Rihanna or Beyonce, who produce far greater resonance with Black audiences.
Ali Syed raised the important question of profiteering as brands refocus on the Black pound. It’s all too easy to join in the clamour of the moment, but when a brand’s subsequent actions don’t empower Black consumers to improve products based on their needs for instance, a question must be asked about authenticity.
The solution here is in considering if and where a connection can be made the drives meaningful benefit and opportunity for Black communities. “There’s so much potential for brands to more directly connect with consumers and give them the chance to educate the business in a way that positively grows the brand” Ali explained.
One sector which takes full advantage of the opportunity presented by the diversity of thought is pharmaceuticals. As Simon Haynes recounted from his campaign experiences, “they’re acutely aware of the discrepancies in healthcare provision to the degree the conversation about representation simply isn’t needed, it’s the modus operandi.”
Whether its the specialised hair and skin requirements of women from ethnic minority backgrounds or something universally relevant like common cold remedies, representation is woven into every creative; a benchmark for all brands to aspire to.
Finally, it’s one thing to make a host of commitments each year as October comes around, but what matters is how you deliver on them. Sam Ajilore has noticed a trend of companies speaking about their value or what they’ll achieve but in many cases last year’s promises have simply “fallen by the wayside”.
More often than not this the product of myopic thinking at the campaign planning level. To escape the vicious cycle of promise and re-promise, brands should take all of the above into consideration when planning and embed the delivery of real change throughout the organisation, from top to bottom.
Perhaps, as Darren Sital-Singh points out, “the need to talk about it in October takes away from the need to talk about it all through the year.”
As the Amazon Ads program mix becomes an ever more critical part of the advertising landscape, competition for attention on the platform has also become increasingly fierce. In this week's member guest blog post with Josh Dreller, Sr. Director of Content Marketing at Skai learn how to remain successful on the platform without overshooting your advertising budgets.
For most retail advertisers, Amazon has become too big to ignore. Over a relatively brief period, Amazon has gone from being an online bookstore to one of the largest global retail brands.
And because of its giant online footprint, Amazon Ads has become one of the leading digital ad channels for retail marketers, with worldwide advertising revenue forecasted to reach nearly £36 billion by the end of this year.
But as the Amazon Ads program mix becomes an ever more critical part of the advertising landscape, competition for attention on the platform has also become increasingly fierce. Some reports estimate that Amazon Ads prices have gone up nearly 50% year-over-year.
To remain successful on the platform without overshooting their advertising budgets, Amazon marketers must understand the types of ads Amazon offers and how to best use those ad offerings together to create a cohesive advertising strategy that maximizes spending.
Amazon Ad Types
The first step to optimising your Amazon ads program mix is understanding the four main types of Amazon ads.
Where and how you invest in these Amazon ad types will dictate a lot of the value you can get from your Amazon Ads program.
Five Best Practices for Optimising Your Amazon Ads Program Mix
Once you understand the main types of Amazon ads, the next step to successful Amazon advertising is using those ad types together to maximize their impact.
Here are some best practices for making the most of your Amazon ads:
Be Price-Conscious
Amazon ad prices vary by ad type. And as with any media mix, a balance of volume and quality is vital. Sponsored Products can offer tremendous volume and will most likely represent the bulk of your Amazon Ad impressions. However, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and Amazon DSP ads should all work together to drive a specific action.
When thinking through your program mix, ensure you are always buying about your total program, not just one ad format at a time.
Be Funnel-Focused
Retail media has long been relegated to a bottom-of-funnel tactic, but Amazon ads can be used at every stage of the purchase funnel. Amazon shoppers use the platform at every stage of their buyer’s journey, from research to final purchase. Think carefully about where your product fits into the market and how the right mix of ad formats can meet potential customers at the awareness, consideration, and action phases.
Be Target-Minded
No matter which Amazon ad type you’re using, there are plenty of targeting options–keywords, product, audiences, interests, behaviors, and more. However, not every ad type offers all of these targeting methods, so understand what each ad type is capable of, then use those capabilities in conjunction with one another to seek out your ideal audience with each ad.
Be Competitive
The Amazon ad landscape is crowded, and knowing what types of ads your competitors are buying and where those ads are popping up is a critical piece of the Amazon advertising puzzle.
To remain competitive with your Amazon Ads program mix, you will sometimes need to bid higher because competitors are buying up the market share of ads, but occasionally, you will have to back off. For example, a competitor launching a new product might raise keyword bids in the first weeks or months after the release but lower bids afterward. Waiting means still claiming share of voice without blowing your budget trying to compete.
Be “Retail Ready”
Amazon has always encouraged its sellers to make product detail pages (PDPs) as well-built as possible. These pages act as a virtual storefront, offering potential customers insights into your product.
For advertisers, winning a bid that leads those shoppers to a PDP that doesn’t look like a virtual showroom that fully answers all their questions about a product is not likely to move shoppers down the funnel. So save your ad spend for PDPs that do your product justice.
For more information about how you can make the most of your Amazon ads program mix, download “The Skai™ Marketing Guide to Mastering Amazon Ad Types” here.
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The leading digital advertising and marketing companies in the Baltics have joined together to launch a unique industry association - The Interactive Advertising Bureau Baltics (IAB Baltics). IAB Baltics aims to bring together the leading players of digital media and advertising industries in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania to represent their interests, conduct cutting-edge marketing and media research, promote employee education, and exchange experience.
IAB is an industry-recognised global association of digital advertising players, operating in dozens of countries with more than 700 members. "The Baltic States was one of the few regions not represented on the IAB European map and our market data was not analysed in the IAB global research. There is a lack of sufficient data on the size and opportunities of Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian online advertising markets. It has a negative impact on attracting global advertisers and reduces opportunities for exporting advertising services. Regular research of Baltic advertising market data will identify trends and provide a more accurate picture of the volume of interactive advertising activity," says Digna Degtjarova, Chairman of the Board of IAB Baltics.
Besides research, IAB Baltics' main tasks are to promote the industry's expansion, establish clear guidelines and quality standards for digital advertising.
"Currently, there are no uniform rules in the Baltic digital advertising market. We believe that the introduction of uniform guidelines will reduce the number of unscrupulous players, make the industry more transparent and increase the level of trust among advertisers. IAB Baltics plans to defend the interests of its members, to increase the value of the industry to legislators and policymakers. We are here as a trusted source for our members, the industry, advertisers and authorities to help simplify and explain the complex world of digital advertising," says D. Degtjarova.
Another key focus of IAB Baltics is on educating market players, offering digital advertising education to agencies and media as well as advertisers. This will help to use the funds invested in advertising more efficiently and increase the competitiveness of the Baltic advertising market in the global environment. The IAB's unified standards and certification system are recognised in the USA, Canada, Europe, and other regions, and the association will offer market-relevant knowledge to industry professionals and students alike.
The organisation was initiated by leading players in the digital advertising market, including Httpool, Google, Ekspress Grupp, digital advertising experts Digital Matter, on-demand printing and warehousing company Printful, Digital innovation bureau Quantitas, advertising agency Frank by Inspired, and media TVNET GRUPA. The organisation is encouraging other members to join.
By Emmanuel Josserand, Brand, Agency and Industry Relations, FreeWheel
With high inflation and rising living costs likely to influence consumer spending patterns, how are marketers across Europe planning to respond?
AudienceXpress, FreeWheel’s premium video media sales house, commissioned independent media research firm CoLab Media Consulting to conduct a survey to find out. Between 18 and 22 July 2022, CoLab surveyed 500 marketing decision-makers and influencers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain (EU5).
This third edition of the survey aims to understand how marketers – advertisers and agencies – across the five European countries are adapting to the current market forces; how they are adjusting spending priorities and preparing for the year ahead; and what their predictions are on Advanced TV.
The results from this year’s survey reveal that marketers are cautious but increasingly enthusiastic about investing in Advanced TV – which includes video-on-demand (VOD), Connected TV (CTV), over-the-top (OTT), and addressable linear TV.
Key takeaways:
• Two-thirds of marketers are looking to continue marketing spend to at least the same level as last year and not ‘go dark’ over the next 12 months
• Confidence in Advanced TV is high as 78% of marketers expect spend increase in these channels
• The rise of ad-supported VOD platforms has generated much interest: 89% of marketers intend to augment their spend in these channels
• Half of marketers are satisfied with their current level of spend in Advanced TV, while 45% would like to increase these budgets
• Data targeting and ad effectiveness are the main drivers of Advanced TV spend growth in 2022
From optimism to caution
Present economic and geo-political concerns have created a lot of uncertainties which have impacted last year’s return to optimism. As a result, 35% of marketers surveyed are expecting their overall marketing budget to decrease. However, 65% of respondents are still looking to continue their marketing efforts to at least the same level as last year and not ‘go dark’ during this difficult time.
These forecasts can differ depending on industry sectors and, of course, the region. Where UK marketers are rather pessimistic, in France, a greater proportion of marketers surveyed expect uplifts in spending, rather than decreases.
Customer acquisition is marketers’ top priority for the year ahead
As with the previous two years, the EU5 marketers surveyed remain focused on upper funnel metrics such as acquiring customers, which is now the top marketing priority for 38% of EU5 respondents. In line with these upper-funnel priorities, 41% regard reach as the number one driver for marketing success.
There is a notable difference between agencies and advertisers, however, when it comes to key priorities for the year ahead. Agencies seem more focused on customer retention and nurturing brand loyalty than advertisers. With inflationary pressure kicking in, loyalty and retention will potentially become a vital business metric moving forward.
Optimism for Advanced TV is on the rise as 2023 approaches
Confidence in Advanced TV channels appears to be accelerating in the five countries studied, with 78% of respondents expecting to increase their Advanced TV budgets in the next 12 months. In comparison, the previous survey conducted in 2021 found that 73% of participants were planning to boost investment in these channels. Present satisfaction levels with Advanced TV spend also point towards growth, as 45% of EU5 marketers surveyed would like to see their organisation invest more in these channels.
Further education about Advanced TV is paramount
With the first signs of a recession hovering over the economy, marketing budgets are once again under scrutiny. It is no surprise, therefore, that ad effectiveness is seen as the biggest driver of Advanced TV ad spend.
When it comes to defining which factors are inhibiting spend, advertisers and agencies. are split. For the advertisers surveyed, a lack of awareness around Advanced TV is the biggest barrier to unlocking further growth (25%); while for the agencies who took part in the study, 26% rank a lack of willingness to experiment with Advanced TV channels as the most significant inhibitor to spend.
AVOD and FAST to see continued investment
The past 12 months have seen a significant growth in ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming services (FASTs) with the proliferation of platforms, and new hybrid models coming into the market. As a result, almost nine in 10 marketers surveyed say they intend to raise their investments in AVOD and FAST channels.
At a time of economic uncertainties, marketing budgets are often under much pressure. However, it seems that businesses are staying mindful of the commercial benefits that come from marketing through economic downturns. Continuing to meet marketers’ demand for advanced technological capabilities, such as data-driven and audience-based targeting, will drive additional growth.
These insights also demonstrate the need to further raise awareness about Advanced TV channels, as well as prove the benefits of adopting them.
You can download an Infographic on the Pan-European results below. For additional info about the survey and country specific results, please click here.
Advanced TV definition:
In the survey we defined Advanced TV as any of the following types of TV advertising:
• VOD / Video on Demand (incl. BVOD – Broadcaster Video On Demand) (i.e. advertising around a programme that has previously aired on linear TV. (B)VOD can be targetable)
• Connected TV / OTT (i.e. ads appearing in smart TV apps, external devices – AppleTV, Amazon Fire, gaming consoles, etc – or Operator Set Top Box and log-in streaming apps)
• Addressable Linear TV (i.e. linear TV advertising that, through the use of data, can reach consumers at the household level)
Methodology
This research was conducted by independent media research firm CoLab Media Consulting between 18 and 22 July 2022. Commissioned by AudienceXpress, FreeWheel’s premium video media sales house, the study aimed to understand how advertisers and agencies across five European countries (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) are adapting to the current market forces; how they are adjusting spending priorities and preparing for the year ahead.
About AudienceXpress
AudienceXpress allows marketers to connect directly with major TV and digital video providers across all screens and formats while providing access to FreeWheel Media’s services. As a premium video media sales house, AudienceXpress enables buyers to purchase premium TV and video advertising on an audience basis across all platforms, including connected TV (CTV), digital publishers, and video-on-demand and streaming platforms (AVOD), and digital publishers. Empowered with high quality audience data, marketers can achieve better, more accurate campaign planning, measurement and optimisation in near real time.
About FreeWheel
FreeWheel, a Comcast Company, is one of the industry’s most complete advertising management solution. Purpose built for the New TV ecosystem, we enable our collective client base across all key industry segments to manage and monetise their premium video inventory in the brand safe ways they require. Our offerings work in synchronised tandem to meet every aspect of our clients’ business needs across all screens, data sets, and monetisation channels, while providing the full safety, compliance, and control the New TV ecosystem demands. With offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Beijing, and across the globe, FreeWheel stands to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video. For more information, please visit www.freewheel.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Unifying Retail Media Leaders Across Europe
To Enable Collaboration, Education, Insights and Standards
13th October 2022, Brussels, Belgium, IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital and marketing ecosystem has today announced the creation of a new Retail Media Working Group. The group will bring together stakeholders from across this emerging new channel in order to enable collaborative conversations, provide education and insights and create recommendations to shape and define this new, exciting advertising space.
Retail Media in Europe is accelerating each year and is a key part of the media plan. In 2021 the market was worth €7.9 billion and this is expected to reach €25bn by 2026, representing a significant investment opportunity. Further, a recent buy-side survey on the Retail Media Opportunity in Europe shows that retail media is already a key part of the media plan; 92% of advertisers and 74% of agencies surveyed state that they are currently partnering with retailers to reach consumers[1].
The new working group is open to all IAB Europe members and will provide education on the retail media landscape, the benefits, use cases as well as insights and standards to enable the market to continue to grow. IAB Europe is also pleased to welcome some new retail brands to its membership to take part in the working group.
Marie-Clare Puffett, Senior Manager, Marketing & Industry Programmes at IAB Europe commented: “Retail Media is a key area of growth within the digital advertising sector. IAB Europe has spent the past few months discussing the landscape in Europe with key retailers and players and looks forward to kicking off the Working Group to enable cross-industry collaboration.”
For members wishing to join the working group please sign up here. Organisations wanting to be involved in the committee who are not yet members of IAB Europe, please contact communication@iabeurope.eu
Notes
[1] The full results of the Retail Media Opportunity in Europe survey will be available in November. IAB Europe and Xandr are hosting a webinar on the 27th October to present a first look at the results and host a panel discussion with leaders in this field, find out more and sign up here.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - 7th October 2022: The Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD) has informed IAB Europe that it intends to pursue its examination of the action plan submitted in April with a view to its possible validation. This is despite the Belgian Market Court’s interim ruling of September 7th 2022 that declared illegal the APD decision (which served as a basis for the action plan) because of the APD’s lack of due care. In addition, the Market Court has referred fundamental questions on the substance of the matter - and relevant to the action plan - to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
IAB Europe welcomes every opportunity to enter into a dialogue with the APD, and other supervisory authorities concerned, on its action plan and how best to deliver extended functionality to the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF). The action plan is the result of a careful assessment of what measures would best meet the APD's interpretation of the GDPR, and the resulting obligations that it creates for IAB Europe. It reflects the willingness of the sector to find solutions and to cooperate on tools that are meaningful for data subjects, while practical and scalable for all market players involved.
However, while the action plan is a basis for discussion to continue the work on improving the TCF, IAB Europe firmly believes that the APD decision cannot be enforced.
Firstly, the Market Court found that the APD’s decision was illegal due to irregularities at the stage of the APD’s investigation. Secondly, the measures proposed in the action plan stem directly from the assumptions that (i) the TC String (a digital signal containing user preferences) should be considered personal data and that (ii) IAB Europe acts as a (joint) controller for the dissemination of TC Strings and other data processing done by TCF participants. The Belgian Market Court has decided to seek guidance from the CJEU on both of these points, based on questions raised by the APD itself during the course of the proceedings.
IAB Europe reserves the right to engage in any form of available legal action should the APD attempt to enforce its illegal decision and preempt responses from the CJEU on the central issues that have been referred to it
“The questions that have been referred to the CJEU are foundational as they call into question whether an enforcement action should have been brought against IAB Europe in the first place,” comments Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe. “Pending the answers from the CJEU on the matter, we look forward to soliciting guidance from Data Protection Authorities to deliver extended functionality to the TCF. ”
An updated FAQ on the case may be consulted on IAB Europe’s website here.
