Enhanced Data Transparency = More Ad $ for CTV

Unlike traditional linear TV, where ads are placed within a predictable and controlled environment, CTV/OTT platforms present a fragmented ecosystem with multiple devices, apps, and distribution channels. This fragmentation can lead to opaque data practices, making it difficult for advertisers to track their ad placements, measure audience engagement accurately, and verify campaign performance. Data transparency is therefore essential for advertisers to optimize their media buys, avoid ad fraud, and build trust with their target audience. New research from PubMatic and Advertiser Perceptions highlights that 62% of US brands agree that they would increase their spend with partners that provide elaborate contextual data.

On the other end of the spectrum, data transparency is as important for publishers in order to ensure that the ads running on their content align with their brand values and audience expectations, and also to build trust with advertisers, who are more likely to invest in platforms where their ads are guaranteed to appear in a suitable context.

What does data transparency in CTV/OTT environments entail?

Data transparency in the existing streaming ecosystem is not just a nice-to-have; it's essential for building trust, optimizing campaigns, and ensuring brand safety. For advertisers, transparency means gaining a clear understanding of where their ads are being placed, how they are performing, and who is viewing them. For publishers, it means ensuring that the ads running on their content are brand-safe and in line with their programming context. 

Show-Level Transparency

Show-level transparency provides detailed insights into the specific content where ads are placed. This includes the ability to see which shows, genres, episodes, or movies an ad appears in, enabling advertisers to align their campaigns with relevant content and publishers to control the type of ads displayed alongside their shows. A consumer research study by AVCA (Alliance For Video-Level Contextual Advertising) revealed that ad performance significantly improved when there was a higher relevance between the ad and the show, as it felt more curated and a more seamless experience. On the flipside, 54% of viewers were less interested in the product, while 31% liked the brand less when the ad was served in a contextually misaligned environment.

However, the catch with most syndication platforms such as Roku, Pluto, Philo, etc is that they often cannot disclose show/channel level data in the bid request owing to content rights restrictions. In order to access that level of contextual data, media buying through publisher-direct deals is key.

VISTA leverages ElementalTV’s vast network of direct publisher relationships for provisioning access to 1P Contextual Data, which helps in understanding audience preferences and content engagement, enabling more targeted campaigns and enhanced attribution.

Device Transparency

Device transparency involves tracking which devices (e.g., smart TVs, streaming devices, gaming consoles) are delivering the ads. This data is essential for understanding how different devices influence ad performance and viewer engagement.

For advertisers, device transparency allows for the optimization of creative assets tailored to specific devices, maximizing impact and engagement. For publishers, it ensures that ads are optimized for the devices their content is most frequently viewed on.

Audience Transparency

Audience transparency offers insights into the demographics, behaviors, and preferences of the viewers engaging with content. This data is vital for ensuring that ads reach the right audience and that publishers can verify that the ads are relevant to their viewers.

Like show and device transparency, audience transparency is integral to campaign success. In fact, we believe that audience data transparency is the cornerstone to ad effectiveness. 

Further cementing this belief, VISTA’s next chapter (details to follow soon) is taking our audience-based monetization model a notch up. Our proprietary AI/ML models pull in 360 degree audience insights from a wide range of curated data segments, allowing for holistic audience expansion through amplified O&O value, cross-CTV and cross-device retargeting and lookalike modeling.

Lastly, collaborative data sharing between platforms, advertisers, and publishers through shared data pools or clean rooms can lead to more comprehensive insights and better optimization. Collaborative data sharing encourages transparency by providing a fuller picture of how ads perform across different platforms and contexts. Because of the secure environment in DCRs (Data Clean Rooms), advertisers, publishers, and platforms can collaborate on data without compromising privacy or violating data protection regulations.