CTV To Rule Them All!
CTV advertising is a form of advertising that allows marketers to place ads on internet-connected televisions and streaming services easier than ever before. Using a programmatic approach, it’s easier than ever to display ads on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and smart TVs, Roku, FireSticks, and more. Before we dive into how you can set up your CTV advertising or OTT advertising, we’re going to go through what seperates them.
What is CTV Advertising?
It’s important to note that CTV and OTT are not the same, although they fall very close together. Most marketers will use the terms interchangeably, which is fine in regular conversation. But when deciding your marketing strategies, it’s essential to know the difference. CTV stands for Connected TV advertising. A CTV device is something like a SmartTV, FireStick, Roku, Playstation or any device that streams video.
What is OTT Advertising?
OTT stands for Over The Top advertising. OTT refers to the actual content accessed through the internet instead of through a cable box or satellite dish. Important: OTT should not be used to refer to the device you’re consuming content on but rather the platform that is providing the content. Some examples of OTT platforms are:
Netflix
Hulu
Disney +
Peacock
Apple TV +
The list of available streaming platforms goes on because streaming services are becoming more frequent than the news getting the weather wrong, but you get the idea! An excellent way to distinguish them both is that OTT is the method for delivering content, and CTV is the device you watch that content on.
“I was watching Netflix (OTT) on my Playstation (CTV).”
“I watch Hulu (OTT) on my SmartTV (CTV).”
“I had Disney + (OTT) on my Roku (CTV).”
How to set up OTT and CTV Advertising?
So, now that we’ve outlined these two magical advertising methods and how they’re different, let’s discuss how to set them up. This is where the lines blur, and terms become a bit interchangeable, but we’ll try our best to separate them. CTV advertising or OTT advertising take a programmatic approach, and if you’re lost on that, we have an article on that process as well! There are plenty of programmatic platforms out there that can help you set up your CTV or OTT ads. They include StackAdapt, Adelphic, the Ryan Reynolds-backed new platform Mountain, and the list goes on and on. Or, you could hire the best damn marketing agency in NJ and have us knock it out of the park for you.
Benefits of CTV Advertising!
The benefits of this new form of advertising vs. traditional TV advertising are boundless. For starters, CTV advertising and OTT advertising allow marketers to get far more granular with their targeting due to the ability to upload third-party data into the programmatic platforms. Instead of picking a time, running an ad, and hoping your target audience is watching, CTV / OTT meets your users where they are, leading to a higher ROI for you.
Another great reason to consider CTV and OTT advertising is Gen Z is cutting the cord on cable TV. Streaming viewership surpassed cable TV for the first time in the US in August, and that curve is increasing exponentially daily. As Gen – Z grows up, it’s becoming increasingly clear how they want their entertainment delivered to them, and it’s only fitting for a marketer to meet them there.
CTV Can Be The Perfect Addition To Your Marketing Mix
CTV & OTT advertising is taking the marketing world by storm. This field is becoming more and more full every day, so it would be wise to jump on it fast! If you need help with setting up your CTV advertising, give us a call! We’re here to help.
