Increasing Brand Visibility with Cross-Device CTV Campaigns for the Olympic Games

Traditional TV consumption is gradually shifting towards CTV as more viewers watch content on demand. CTV provides brands with a robust, engaging platform to deliver more targeted and measurable advertising powered by programmatic technology. By combining the engaging storytelling of linear TV with the real-time targeting and optimization of programmatic advertising, CTV enables deep personalization and delivers more results-oriented outcomes.

CTV ad spend has also increased significantly, reflecting its effectiveness in reaching and driving engagement with target audiences. Brands across categories such as consumer goods, automotive, OTT entertainment, retail and consumer technology are increasingly allocating their ad budgets to CTV. This shift is in line with the global trend of shifting ad budgets from traditional TV to CTV due to its targeted capabilities and growing audience base.

This makes CTV an effective medium for advertising the Olympic season, where a wide demographic of viewers tune in throughout the event. Interestingly, the Olympic event is not limited to one sport. Because it combines different sporting events, it gives brands the chance to reach and engage with different personality types. For example, the same user may be interested in track and field and badminton, each of which has its own audience size.

In addition, some viewers are only interested in news-related content on FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV). This diversity gives brands a palette to deliver different advertising messages at different events and to different sets of audiences.

Because the modern Olympic viewer is not tied to conventional timed viewing, they can watch live events on their CTV, engage with social media, follow content via their mobile screens, consume news on FAST channels and interact with public domain DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) boards. This multi-screen presence means brands must also create a coherent and consistent advertising experience across platforms, increasing brand recognition and minimizing ad fatigue.

CTV cross-screen campaigns integrate advertising efforts across multiple screens while delivering a seamless and consistent brand experience no matter where or how viewers consume Olympic content. Technological advances in CTV advertising now allow advertisers to sync CTV ads across other connected devices in the same household. This means viewers who watch the Olympics on their smart TVs can be retargeted on their smartphones in the same household and encouraged to take an action, such as installing a CTV app or visiting a product page in an app or on the mobile web.

QR code scanning in CTV also provides actionable engagement that brands can use to discover products or install apps. For advertisers, these cross-screen targeting capabilities help create omnichannel impact. With the ability to allow and block audience segments in CTV, advertisers can limit the frequency of ads to combat ad fatigue.

CTV advertising also offers rich insight into key brand KPIs, allowing advertisers to track viewer behavior and engagement in real time, as well as track conversion rates. Additionally, advertisers can measure the impact of CTV advertising through app downloads, web events, and unique visits. With technology innovations like CTV app measurement, advertisers can track installs and in-app events of CTV apps.

Taking it a step further by tracking foot traffic, advertisers can measure the impact of CTV ads offline to see how CTV ads can improve in-store purchases. In addition to traditional metrics, CTV advertising has shown significant increases in brand awareness and a proven impact on purchase intent, message association, and brand favorability.

The impact of CTV advertising at the 2024 Olympic Games is likely to be a turning point for marketers. Unlike previous Games, this year’s Games will be the first where CTV has established itself as a mainstream medium. As brands experience the increased reach, engagement, and measurability that CTV offers, its inclusion in future media budgets will become increasingly justified.

The ability to target specific audience segments, retarget viewers across multiple devices, and measure campaign performance in real time will provide invaluable insights and lead to more efficient allocation of ad spend. This year’s Olympics could very well mark the beginning of a new era in advertising, where CTV will be the dominant and essential medium, forever changing the landscape of media investment.

(Our guest author is Nikhil Kumar, Chief Business Development Officer at mediasmart)